PIANO MAINTENANCE
|
"Hi Robert
Thanks for the fine service delivering the Steigerman piano in the snow and ice and on schedule.
We visited a number of piano stores before deciding on the Steigerman.
The good selection at Fraser Piano made our decision easier.
It sounds nice and is a great piece of furniture.
Our daughter is happy with it and plays it often.
Thanks again,"
- R. McCombe, Surrey BC
|
- Tuning
- What is “Concert pitch”?
- How Does A Piano Go Out of Tune?
- Regulation
- What is Voicing?
- What is the “TOUCH” of a piano?
- How should I clean the cabinet?
- How should I clean the keys on my piano?
- Cleaning the inside of my piano
- What about Sunlight?
- Drafts
- Humidity Control
- What about touching bass strings?
Your piano purchase represents one of the most significant investments in your home. It’s a magnificent instrument as well as an impressive piece of furniture with educational and emotional benefits. Besides your car and house itself, it’s probably the most expensive item you’ll own, and considering its benefits, longevity and resale value, is in your best interest to take good care of.
If you purchased your piano from a reputable dealer, a free tuning in your home and local delivery will probably be included in the original purchase price. What’s even more important is that your piano was properly prepped at the dealership in the first place in that it was properly tuned, voiced and regulated. This will save both you and the dealer a lot of service calls, not to mention the added unseen enjoyment that is derived from playing an instrument that is at its best. In a nutshell, your piano should be tuned at regular intervals (6-12 months) and then regulated (and perhaps voiced) every 5 years.
Pianos are amazing instruments. On the one hand they’re very rugged and durable and on the other they’re complex and sensitive. However, there are a few basic steps that should be observed to ensure your piano will last and also perform at its optimum.
All pianos regardless of brand, age or price require tuning from time to time. Usually every six months to a year depending on the environment they are kept it, the hours of playing they receive, how hard they are played and the type and condition of the piano in the first place. Tuning is simply the adjustment of each individual string’s tension with a tuning hammer so that they vibrate at frequencies that give the correct pitch. A new piano will require more initial tunings than an older one because the strings are still going through the stretching process before they “settle in” and become stable. There are approximately 230 strings on an average piano each causing between 165 and 200 pounds of tension. That’s about 20 tons of combined tension.
Concert pitch is A-440. Most pianos manufactured within the last 110 years were designed for A-440 (i.e. the A above middle C is supposed to vibrate at a frequency of 440 cycles per second; and all other notes in proper relation to that A). A piano can be in tune with itself and yet be below concert pitch. However, if it is being played with other instruments or especially with vocalists with perfect pitch, then A-440 is preferred and the strings will have to be stretched through tuning. Pianos at ½ step below pitch have a reduction of tension on strings and soundboard from between 3000 to 5000 pounds Pianos at concert pitch sound brighter and more powerful. If your piano is below pitch then a “pitch raise” might be necessary. Depending on how far below pitch your piano is and on your tuner’s methods, the tuner will either do a gradual pitch raise spread over several weeks or perform several tunings in one session.
Components such as the pinblock, bridges, and soundboard (all made of wood) constantly change with the changes in humidity and temperature, swelling when it is humid and shrinking when it is dry. This condition with the tension of the strings pulling the piano together, causes the strings to stretch and contract. And because piano wire will stretch at different rates this will cause your piano to go out of tune.
Regulation is completely different from tuning and refers to the adjustment of the mechanical parts that make up the “action” of your piano. There are over 10,500 parts that make up the piano cabinet and action. Over 4000 of these would be moving parts. There are over thirty five points of adjustment in a grand piano and twenty five in an upright, so regulation can take a considerable amount of time to complete. After some years of playing, the different felt and leather components can become worn and compressed and along with other action parts will require adjusting to compensate for the wear and tear.
If your piano is out of regulation it may produce strange noises, have a heavier (or lighter ) touch than normal, the keys may be uneven in height or vary in weight, the tone may sound strange, the strings may stop vibrating at unusual times and the pedals may not function properly. An unregulated piano will be discouraging to any student and can even cause your piano to wear out sooner.
Pianos used for home and student use should be regulated about every five years. For professional and institutional use about once a year.
How will tuning affect tone?
It won’t. Tuning involves setting the pitch of the strings but has little to do with the tone. The tone produced by a given piano is affected with voicing the hammers. Of course the original design and manufacture of your piano will also greatly affect the tone for the life of the piano. No matter how well it’s tuned and regulated, don’t expect an inexpensive 108 cm. vertical piano to sound like a high quality 131 cm. vertical model.
Voicing is a procedure different than either basic tuning or regulating that involves modifying the piano’s tone intensity and quality through needling, shaping, aligning the hammers and seating the strings. This treatment will affect the force with which the hammers hit the strings and the rebound, ultimately creating a different tone. Hammer felt can become too hard after years of use and develop grooves in the felt. Even with new pianos the hammers can be hitting the strings unevenly. Pianos can sound too bright or too mellow depending on preference, and because there is no right or wrong tonal style, the most important aspect is the consistency. Voicing should probably be done every three to five years by a skilled technician.
It should be noted that not all technicians are competent at voicing and you should inquire with your technician to see if he feels confident performing this procedure.
Touch refers to the energy required to depress a piano key until it causes the hammer to strike a string. A pianist usually refers to the touch as the ease and responsiveness with which a piano can be played. Players will often comment on the touch of a piano being too “heavy” or too “light” or just right.
I have found that a “Swiffer” is one of the best devices for dusting a piano because it causes the dust to statically cling to the material rather than just moving it around. If you use a dry cloth you stand a good chance of scratching the finish so if you’re using a cloth make sure it’s soft and damp. Do not use furniture polish that contains silicone because it could affect the finish, or aerosol polishes because the spray could land on other parts of the piano. There are special polishes that you can buy at many piano stores or alternatively you can use a high quality cream polish used for cars on the hi gloss polyester piano finishes.
The keys can be kept clean by going over them lengthwise with a damp cloth. If they are really soiled then a mild solution of water and dish washing detergent can be useful. After cleaning they should be dried with a soft dry cloth. Do not use solvents or other chemicals. During cleaning the keys can also be lifted slightly without causing any damage. Make sure that no water runs down between the keys as this could be damaging to the key stick causing swelling. Therefore use only damp cloths.
The inside of a piano should really be cleaned only by a piano technician. Lids on verticals as well as grands should be kept closed as much as possible to avoid dust. The accumulation of dust is detrimental to the workings of a piano and the more it can be avoided the better and longer your piano will perform.
Keep your piano out of direct sunlight. Prolonged exposure to direct sunlight can discolor the finish as well as cause localized areas of dryness which in turn causes swelling and shrinking of certain wooden components.
Try to avoid drafts because they bring with them a sudden change in humidity. Pianos are made largely of wood and wood expands and contracts with humidity changes. The finish on pianos reacts differently to humidity changes than the wood underneath so that sudden changes in humidity will cause tension between the polyester finish and the wood underneath. Glue joints can also fail if subjected to extremes of humidity changes. Sticky keys is another problem that can develop with irregular humidity.
It is wise to maintain a consistent level of relative humidity in your home. (i.e. about 42%). This can often be achieved through air conditioning in the summer and adding a humidifier to the central heating system for the winter. Room humidifiers, dehumidifiers and systems designed for installation inside of pianos will control humidity related disorders even more completely and add to the stability and life of your piano.
“Dampp-Chaser” www.pianolifesaver.com for example, is the brand name of a product that you can buy for your piano that provides proper humidity control for better tuning and longer piano life. It simply attaches to your piano near the soundboard. This product has been around for years. However, not all climates call for a “Dampp-Chaser”.
Touching bass strings with your bare fingers should be avoided. Bass strings are made of copper windings and the oil from your hands will cause corrosion and discoloration.
