Tuning my 1814 Broadwood Square Piano

Firstly, I am not a professional piano tuner but have had some lessons on how to tune this square piano. Most square piano owners do tune their own instruments as they often need tuning more frequently and many professional piano tuners prefer to stick to tuning more modern grand and upright pianos.
This is my third time tuning this Braodwood and I am taking the pitch up a little each time, hoping that it will settle on Baroque pitch (A=415). In this video, I take you through the various steps involved in tuning this instrument. I hope you find this interesting and please let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
If you'd like to know more about this period piano and listen to all my music videos on it, visit Patreon.com/thesquarepianoplayer. Your support there will also enable me to take this instrument to a wider audience through online concerts and by taking it to venues.

[@timhoward7037]

I have just paid for an 1818 Broadwood square number 22028. I hope to get it next weekend and am very excited! I'm a piano tuner but this is my first foray into early instruments and I'm sure I have a lot of learning ahead! Thanks for your video, very interesting.

[@JonathanDelbridgeMusic]

Exciting stuff! I'm sure you'll really enjoy playing the piano. I'm not a piano tuner and no expert but I'm sure you'll get on absolutely fine with the piano. The main piece of advice I've been given is not to necessarily bring it up to modern concert pitch but find out what tension the piano and strings are designed for and keep it at that pitch.

[@95tupolev]

Will you tune it to Broadwood Best Well Temperament? The temperament was recorded by Dr. Ellis in 1885.

[@JonathanDelbridgeMusic]

I hadn't heard of this temperament so will research it. Thanks for mentioning it! @@95tupolev

[@thomaskendall452]

One thing I've always liked about these Broadwood squares is that the wrestplank is at the back and on the left side. It makes it easier for this left-hander to wield the tuning wrench accurately!

[@JonathanDelbridgeMusic]

True. Also, I did read somewhere that it helps to keep the tuning more stable but not sure if that is definitely the case.

[@holmespianotuning]

It would sound even better in a 1/5 comma type temperament such as Kellner. The home keys are much purer than Valotti but the remote ones are still fully usable. It’s common to have only sharps in instrument making, especially with organs. Even more confusingly B was sometimes marked as natural and B flat B. It may have been to make life easier for the non musician craftsmen who made them, few would have played and those that did may have been ridiculed by their colleagues (I suspect).

[@JonathanDelbridgeMusic]

That's interesting. I'll have a look at Kellner. Thanks for the advice!

[@davidmdyer838]

Agree, not a fan of Valloti, especially for anyone trying to play with the pianist, irregular temperaments are very difficult to match.

[@ricardoaleixo7215]

I have the same piano as yours by Broadwood made in 1809. I keep mine tuned to 415.

[@JonathanDelbridgeMusic]

Interesting to hear. They are wonderful instruments. I’m aiming to bring mine up to 415 but as it was very flat when I had it, I’m taking it up a small amount each time I tune it.

[@SeaDrive300]

@@JonathanDelbridgeMusic For what it's worth, the 1796 Broadwood that Modartt's modeled piano (in the Kremsegg 2 collection) is based on was apparently tuned to 424...

[@JonathanDelbridgeMusic]

@@SeaDrive300 that’s interesting. Thanks for sharing.

[@arash505]

My Broadwood 1816 will be tuned in 415 as well. How often does your Broadwood need a tuning?

[@JonathanDelbridgeMusic]

It does vary I tend to do it more by ear and listening to when the tuning seems to be going out. For a piano that is over 200 years, it does hold its tuning remarkably well. I reckon on average I probably tune it about every 3 months or so.

[@LibertyWarrior68]

My ear is so use to 440Hz, it will be hard for me to play a lower pitch.

[@JonathanDelbridgeMusic]

To be honest, I have perfect pitch but do find I get used to the lower pitch pretty quickly.

[@LibertyWarrior68]

@@JonathanDelbridgeMusic I have a mate who tunes to 432Hz, being more harmonious with nature they say. The issue for me is, I like to learn songs by ear, and most songs are in 440Hz. I'm afraid my ear might go out of tune if I get use to another pitch making it harder to hear 440Hz. I don't know if that is true or not, just not willing to find out, I don't want to mess with what works.

[@JonathanDelbridgeMusic]

I can appreciate where you are coming from. @@LibertyWarrior68

[@GrotrianSeiler]

Wonderful piano. Please use a lapel mic in future videos. You can not be heard in this one.

[@JonathanDelbridgeMusic]

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed the video and thanks for your tip about the microphone!

[@MERCEDES-BENZS600GUARD_V12]

I can hear him just fine. When listening to these type of videos it's best to use headphones🎹🎶

[@Aidan-Fingleton]

Can I have this piano. I will make sure it's tuned to at least A440 no matter what. Even if it kills me.

[@JonathanDelbridgeMusic]

I'm afraid the piano was never designed to be at A440 and the advice from the expert who restored it is to keep at this lower pitch as a higher pitch would put the piano under too much strain bearing in mind it has no iron frame like modern instruments.

[@Aidan-Fingleton]

Maybe try a lighter tension of strings? Try modifying the piano so that it will take the tension.

[@JonathanDelbridgeMusic]

Personally I'm happy keeping the piano at this pitch as it is stable there. You could certainly try a lighter tension of strings and that might be something I look into when the piano next needs restringing. @@Aidan-Fingleton

[@thomaskendall452]

It's possible you'll kill the piano instead. I have one from 1792 that at some point was yanked up to a=440 or thereabouts and left there for decades. The increased tension was enough to crack the veneer on the treble cheek, as well as the soundboard and (worst of all) the bridge. I've inserted enough shims into the bridge that I only have to tune that g (where the crack occurred) about every week.

[@JonathanDelbridgeMusic]

Yes, I agree. It's much better to keep it at a pitch where the piano is happy. Also, my understanding is that when they were made, they would never have been at 440. @@thomaskendall452