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can anyone tell me why why the pitch of pianos vary? i mean... my piano technician told me that kawai and yamaha pianos are same (standard)pitch as in a keyboard... i tried to play the middle C and it's true. why other pianos' pitch is half key lower?

I've seen plenty of Yammies and Kawai a half key flat! Then I pulled them to pitch. Pianos slip flat in pitch if not tuned every year. Most pianos can be pulled up to A-440, but some have problems and should be left flat. Problems could include bridge cracks, rusty strings, back separation, Loose tuning pins, poor construction, laminated plate, etc.

Many moons ago standard concert A pitch was 400 Hz, but it's now 440 Hz. Maybe the pianos you have heard were used for playing with period ensembles? I guess not - there was no such thing as a modern piano back then, so the anachronism would be a problem. My old spinet (happily, I have a new Yamaha C3 grand coming soon!) has endured 16 moves among wildly different climates (we were an Air Force family) and I don't think it was ever tuned/re-tuned to absolute pitch since it's first home in 1962.

This time the tech did a relative tune, rather than doing a pitch raise; it was very flat! Since I won't be using this old piano for ensemble playing, absolute pitch doesn't really matter. It might not even be possible.

But a half step difference seems to me a lot, even among "relative pitch tuned" pianos. My old spinet seems about a quarter tone flat. My new C3 is bang on 440

My teacher says he was born with perfect pitch but unfortunately the piano he grew up with was quite flat.

So it drove him crazy.
Flat pianos today even when played solo drive him crazy because he hears in his head what the pitch should be for each key.

Granted, most people don't have perfect pitch and so it wouldn't matter to them when a flat piano (tuned to itself) plays solo.

BTW isn't A=440 the agreed-to reference pitch in USA, but in Europe isn't it a little lower?
Correct?

Higher in Europe Kenny. Up to A-445 depending on the orchestra.

Wow.
Are European pianos at 445 when they are shipped from the factory to the US?

Wouldn't that be quite a bit more tension and could you say European pianos have to be build a little stronger to take this extra tension?

How does 5 Hz change the tone of a piano, if at all?

Bosendorfer factory pitch is A-443. Not that much change in tension from A-440. Modern pianos are designed(over-engineered), and are quite capable of handling the increase.

Bob - LOL - I understand what you are saying, but, what is a half key?

I keep seeing a piano with 176 keys!

I need to have my fingers reduced in width.

I may be wrong, but I think that A=440 is an international standard which includes Europe. That doesn't of course mean that people adhere to the standard...

It's not just in Europe, several American orchestras tune to A=442 or A=444. They may even adjust during a single concert (at the request of a string soloist in particular). I don't think there is any international standards board for concert pitch.

I was raised on "British Standard Pitch" (excuse me whilst I salute here)....at A440...
There have been all sorts of 'standards' and I have a collection of tuning forks to prove it....
Europeans orchestras are pushing sharper, driven by the string section....
The US is following in places....
This all does present an issue for concert techs....stability being the overriding concern on stage.

To get more info on the historical perspective I suggest you Google search "musical pitch standards" and see what comes up.
All very intersting....
Advice to techs would be to check the rider for each concert event or ask someone who will know if anything other that A440 is required.

From 440 to 445 is about 19-1/2 cents sharp. This would require an increase in tension of about 2.3%

Don
Kansas City

Checking the rider is the production manager's job.

Most decent digital pianos will permit automatic pitch shifting in this range if you wish to see what the differences sound like.

The difference between A440 and A443 is pretty slight and the ear quickly becomes accustomed to it.

The digitals also allow you to fiddle with different stretch patterns. One quickly tires of these toys!

I have never quite understood why the string sections like to tune sharp of A440. I would think with only four strings to worry about, they could tune to anything within a range. That said, I have a violin and my playing is abysmal, whatever the pitch.

Semantics....
I consider that I have checked the rider when I have asked someone what is in it...I don't have to see the actual copy.
So the advice stands....check the rider....