piano care

The Care And Maintenance Of Your Piano

Your new piano is a beautiful piece of furniture, as well as, one of the world's finest pianos. It is your advantage to take good care of your new piano. It probably represents one of the largest money outlays in your home. Such an investment in music should be protected because music affects the emotional well being of every member in your household. Your investment in such a fine piano is lost if you do not keep the instrument tuned and in good regulation.

The piano is normally an instrument of long life. Abuse, not use, is too often responsible for quick deterioration of its sensitive inner mechanism, and neglect, the failure to give the piano the care it needs, is the most needless kind of abuse.

The piano action is a marvel of engineering, which needs to be kept in good adjustment as accurately as any fine watch. The intricate parts of this mechanism are sturdy and are designed to absorb, for many years, the hardest blows a pianist's fingers can deliver, and they will do so as long as they are kept in good condition and in the proper relationship to each other.

You should play your new piano as often as possible. By playing and maintaining the piano you will receive the full benefits of owning such a great piano. Also, you will learn to appreciate the superb craftsmanship and artistry of the people who created your new piano.

How To Move Your Piano

When moving a vertical piano, always be sure to lift the piano off the front casters and roll the piano on the rear casters. When moving a grand piano, the piano should be lifted and carried, rather than rolling the piano. By rolling, a leg could snap off and the piano would probably fall to the floor. It is always better to hire a qualified and bonded piano mover to insure a safe move. An experienced piano mover, with the wrong equipment, could cause serious damage to the piano.

What Is Tuning?

Tuning is the adjustment made to the piano by the piano tuner to bring each string to its proper tension. There are approximately 230 separate strings in the piano, each with a total of between 160 and 200 pounds of tension. The standard international pitch is 440 cycles, or vibrations, per second; that is, the pitch that sounds when the "A" above middle "C" is struck. If the piano is allowed to go 1/2 step below pitch, it can mean a difference of 3,000 to 5,000 pounds of tension on the strings and soundboard. When a tuner tells you your piano needs a pitch raise, he means the tension needs to be increased so he can bring the sound back to standard pitch.

How A Piano Goes Out Of Tune

Constant changes in the atmosphere will affect your piano. The wood in the soundboard, pinblock and bridges continually change, swelling when it is humid, shrinking when it is dry. This phenomenon, combined with the tension pulling the piano together, causes the strings to stretch and contract. Some strings stretch at a different rate than others. This is how your piano goes out of tune.

How Often Should A Piano Be Tuned?

All pianos go out of tune, whether played or not, because of expansion and contraction due to atmospheric changes. New pianos should be tuned three to four times the first year. Thereafter, twice a year, usually six weeks after weather changes.

The best answer is, as often as the user feels it necessary. Pianos used in concerts, recording studios, television and radio are tuned before each performance.

If Not Used For Months, Should I Have The Piano Tuned Anyway?

Yes! If you want your piano to have a long and useful life, it must be kept in tune - even when not in use. The 20 plus tons of tension on the strings is held under proper control when the piano is in tune.

Does Tuning Affect A Piano's Tone?

Tuning sets the correct pitch of each note. It is impossible for tuning to ever affect the tone of a piano. The tone of a piano can only be changed by voicing the piano hammers.

What Is Voicing?

After considerable use, the hammer felts become hard and the strings cut grooves in the front surface of the hammers. With average home use, the hammers may need revoicing every two or three years. Voicing should only be done by a highly skilled technician.

What Is Touch?

Touch is the energy required to depress a piano key until it causes the hammer to strike a string. A pianist usually refers to touch as the ease and responsiveness with which a piano can be played.

What Is Regulation?

There are about 11,000 parts in the piano case and action. Over 4,000 of these are moving parts, each working in conjunction with other parts to produce the sound of the piano. At your regular tuning, your tuner/technician can check to see if the action regulation is in perfect order.

How Often Should The Action Be Regulated?

About every 5 years, depending on how much the piano is played, you should have the action completely regulated.

The condition under which your piano is played usually governs how often the action should be regulated. If you permit your tuner/technician to make any minor adjustments necessary at each tuning, you will avoid any possible expensive adjustments, which may become necessary at some time in the future. Regular piano service safeguards any possible damage by mice and/or moths. Regular service insures the playing ability of your piano, protects your investment and guarantees a higher resale value.

Will Regular Maintenance Save Me Money?

Absolutely! Your piano will always be in perfect condition. You will prolong its life. It will have a higher resale value should you ever wish to sell or trade it on another piano.

What Should I Use To Polish The Cabinet?

Keep you piano cabinet clean. The cabinet of your new piano is constructed of the finest quality veneers and hardwoods available and is protected with hand rubbed superior quality polyester and urethane finishes. To clean away dust and smudge marks, use a soft damp cloth. To increase the shine on the cabinet, use a soft cloth and apply a premium quality liquid wax, preferably one with silicones. Apply in long strokes as compared to circular motion. Remember - close the piano when sweeping or dusting.

How Do I Clean The Keys?

Keep the keys clean by wiping them with soft damp cloth. If there is soil on the keys, which a damp cloth will not remove, wipe the cloth across a cake of Ivory soap. Then rub lengthwise along the top of the key until the spot is gone. Dry with a soft cloth. DO NOT USE SOLVENTS OR OTHER CHEMICALS to clear your piano keys.

How Do I Clean Inside The Piano?

The inside of your piano should be cleaned from time to time by a qualified piano technician. Cleaning helps to prevent moth damage to the wool felts and corrosion of the metal parts.

What Should I Do If A Pencil Or Coin Falls Inside The Piano?

The action of your piano can be seriously affected by foreign objects. Never try to remove these objects yourself. Call a qualified piano technician to remove anything, which has fallen into the action.

A qualified piano technician, such as a member of The Piano Technicians Guild, has the knowledge and equipment necessary to maintain your piano the way it should be maintained. This, if done at regular intervals, will cost only a small amount, but, if neglected, could cost much more than regular service.

Use your piano regularly and enjoy it. Idle pianos are only space fillers and they deteriorate rapidly when not played regularly. An active piano, kept in tune, and maintained, will bring a lifetime of happiness into your home.