By Margot Hamilton
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Congratulations, you have just
acquired a wonderful new addition for your home! This new addition
will not only add beauty to your home, but will
also bring musical
pleasure to you and your family. Now that you have your new piano,
you will want to make sure that you are caring for it properly.
Caring for your piano properly will not only ensure that it plays to
its maximum potential, but will also ensure that the value is
maintained and, in the case of a new piano, that your warranty is
maintained. In this article, I will outline some tips on caring for
your piano, including how often you should have your piano tuned,
how to help maintain your piano’s tuning stability, and how to
safely clean and care for the exterior of your piano. I will also
define piano tuning, and explain why it is necessary for your piano.
What is a piano tuning and why is
it necessary?
There are over 200 strings in your
piano, which are stretched at high tension across the frame of your
piano. When a piano technician performs a piano tuning, he or she
carefully adjusts the tension of each of the strings in the piano in
order to ensure they not only sound in harmony with each other, but
that they are also playing in standard pitch (when A sounds at 440
Hz).
While not having your piano tuned
regularly will not in itself damage the piano, playing on a piano
that is not in proper tune can be very de-motivating for anyone
trying to practice on that instrument. It is common to hear children
commenting to their parents that their piano at home does not sound
or feel as “good” as their teacher’s piano. This is usually more due
to the fact that the piano has not been regularly serviced, rather
than that the piano at home is an inferior piano. Not having your
piano tuned regularly also increases the risk that problems
occurring in the piano due to environmental factors will go
unnoticed. This could lead to more permanent and costly damage. In
addition, it is more difficult to tune a piano that has not been
regularly serviced.
How often should I have my piano
tuned?
Generally a piano should be tuned
twice per year in order to keep it in good playing condition. Please
note that a piano will go out of tune whether it is played or not. A
brand new piano or a piano with new strings on it will probably need
to be tuned 3-4 times in the first year. This is because new strings
tend to stretch as they are being worked in, causing the piano to go
out of tune more often. A piano that is used quite often, such as
one being used all day for piano lessons, or one being used by high
level pianists who practice many hours a day, will need to be tuned
every 2 – 3 months.
How can I ensure better tuning
stability in my piano?
The biggest factor that causes a
piano to go out of tune is the temperature and humidity in the room
where the piano is located. In more hot and humid weather, the
strings and moving parts on the piano will expand, causing the piano
to play sharper than standard pitch. In more cold and dry weather,
these parts will contract, causing the piano to play flatter than
standard pitch. Unfortunately, the parts of a piano do not all
expand and contract at the same rate. This not only causes the piano
to go sharp or flat, but it causes the piano to sound out of tune
with itself. If the room in which the piano is located is too dry,
there is the risk of getting cracks in the sound board of your
piano. This can seriously hamper the sound of the instrument. If the
room is too humid there is the risk of problems such as sticking
piano keys, caused by the swelling of the wooden parts of the piano,
as well as a greater risk of rusting strings. While temperature
alone does not generally affect tuning stability of pianos,
fluctuations in temperature tend to cause fluctuations in humidity.
It is therefore recommended that a moderate temperature be
maintained in the house throughout the year.
If the temperature and humidity in
the room are kept stable, the piano will stay in tune longer. A good
way to monitor the humidity in the room is to use a humidistat. This
can be purchased at your local hardware store and can be mounted on
the wall. The ideal humidity for a piano is between 40 – 50%. In the
winter, it is a good idea to have a small humidifier in the room, to
control the dryness. Central air conditioning helps to control
humidity in the summer. However if you do not have central air
conditioning, a dehumidifier may be used. A humidifier or a
dehumidifier should be placed in the room with the piano, but not
directly beside it.
Placement of the Piano in the Room
Place the piano away from heating
ducts, hot air registers and radiators. These items generally dry
out the air around them, and can not only affect your tuning
stability, but can also cause cracks in your piano's soundboard. Try
to keep the piano out of direct sunlight. Direct sunlight can damage
the finish of the piano.
Also, be aware of how other items
in the room will affect your piano's sound. Items such as carpets
and draperies tend to absorb sound, while wooden items tend to
amplify it or make it sound more "live". If you feel that the piano
you have is either too loud or too muted, try adjusting the items
that accompany the piano in the room.
Cleaning and Polishing Your Piano
Polishing the Piano: It is
generally not recommended to use furniture polish on pianos. The
best way to clean a piano is to use a soft cloth which has been
slightly dampened and wrung out. A micro fibre cloth is useful for
cleaning dust off high-gloss finish pianos. Micro fibre cloths can
usually be found in the same section as home car wash accessories in
your local hardware store. Piano polishes may be purchased from your
local piano store. Some of these polishes are anti-static, and help
to keep the dust off your piano.
Cleaning the Piano Keys: It is
recommended to use a clean damp cloth to clean the tops of the piano
keys. In cases where the keys are tougher to clean, a mild soap
solution may be used. Make sure to thoroughly dry the keys after
cleaning and do not let any water spill down the sides of the keys.
Never use any chemicals or cleaning fluids on the keys.
Cleaning the Interior of the Piano:
It is generally recommended that the inside of the piano be cleaned
only by a technician. As there are many breakable parts on a piano,
it is best to have a professional take it apart in order to avoid
any damage. Dust buildup in the piano may cause the mechanisms to
stick or work more slowly.
Taking the time to care for your
piano properly and having it service by a qualified piano technician
will not only keep your piano in optimal playing condition, it will
also maintain the re-sale value of your instrument.
About The Author
Margot Hamilton is an employee of
Rentpiano Inc, a piano rental and tuning centre serving Southern
Ontario. For more information on their piano rental and tuning
services, visit Rentpiano's website at
http://www.rentpiano.ca.
info@rentpiano.ca
PIANO CARE FOR NEW PIANO OWNERS
