Frequently Asked Questions?
- How often should I tune my piano?
- I just moved my piano. Should I have
it tuned ?
- How should I clean my piano?
- How should I clean the keys?
- How do I clean under the strings?
- Should I have a humidity control on my
piano?
All piano
manufacturers recommend tuning a "new" piano at least three or four
times in its first year. After the first year they recommend it be
tuned once or twice a year. This will keep the pitch and it will
sound good throughout the year if kept in a fairly stable
environment (without a lot of humidity changes).
The more often a
piano is tuned, the better it will sound. It should be said though,
that better sounding is in the ear of the beholder. What sounds bad
to some, may sound fine to another (go figure). So, having said
that, many people will have their piano tuned once a year. This
works well if the owner doesn't mind that the tuning may start to
sound 'off' in the second half of the year.. Frankly, some piano
owners may not even notice it going out of tune. This is fine since
they are still enjoying music and that is the whole point of having
a piano. Tuning a piano only once a year will not do any harm and it
will keep the tuning fairly stable throughout the piano's life.
Honestly, if the
customer doesn't mind an out of tune piano or does not notice it is
out of tune, you should have it tuned on some sort of regular basis
anyway to help it from going severely out of tune which could cause
problems down the line.
If you can afford
it, have your piano tuned as often as is practical for you. Many
hotels and restaurants have their pianos tuned once a week. Some
people wait ten years. Concert pianos are tuned before each
performance and sometimes even during the intermission they are
touched up. Bear in mind too that humidity changes will also put a
piano out of tune, (like when you open the windows and doors in
humid season and then close them and turn on the air conditioner.)
The manufacturers recommendations for tuning are good:
New piano / 3-4 times in the
first year After that / once or twice a year
If it has only been moved a few feet, it
probably is not necessary to tune it. There are 2 things that put a
piano out of tune after while being moved;
1. Lifting
the piano, setting it on a dolly, putting it on its side (for a
grand), hauling it in a truck etc., stresses are placed upon the
parts of the piano that help keep it stable and in tune. These
stresses can make the pitch of the strings change, causing it to go
out of tune. The degree it goes out of tune depends on the levels of
stress involved. Lifting an upright piano onto a dolly - not so bad
stress, dropping it off a truck - really bad stress (hope that never
happens), riding in the truck over bumps - pretty good stress.
2. When the
piano is moved to a different environment it receives the stress of
the new surroundings and changes during the move; temperature
changes, barometric pressure changes, altitude difference, and the
worst of all, humidity changes.
If you have moved your piano,
let it sit in its new environment for 4 to 6 weeks, if possible,
before having it tuned. This will give the wood parts time to
acclimate to the new situation and will make for a more stable
tuning.
Many newer pianos
and most older pianos have a lacquer finish. Some
may have other usual finishes used on furniture as well. These
finishes are easy to clean. Just use a damp cloth to dust them. Any
type of furniture polish or oil is not necessary. These finishes
already have a shine and the polish and oil will only soften the
finish which will make them susceptible to damage. If you have oily
or greasy stuff, use a very mild soap solution and rinse and dry
right away. These finishes deteriorate after time and the same
techniques used to clean fine antique furniture should be used to
clean older pianos. Always be careful cleaning your piano. Treat it
like a fine piece of furniture.
The brass
hardware can be cleaned the same way you would clean any brass
fixtures. Some pianos may have a finish over the brass that will
keep it shiny and new looking. Brass cleaners could damage this
finish. If the brass has this finish, do not use brass cleaner or
polish. Sometimes the finish over the brass begins to wear,
especially on the foot pedals. Not much can be done to correct this
except stripping the finish to the bare brass which can be a lot of
work. Be careful! Brass cleaner and polish can
strip the wood finish from your piano. Always protect the piano's
finish in some way when cleaning brass hardware!
Many new pianos
have a polyester finish. Polyester is actually a
plastic and thus should be cleaned like a plastic. Products used to
clean Plexiglas and window tinting will work well. You could also
use a soft, clean, well dampened cloth followed by a soft, clean,
dry cloth. Any good plastic cleaner will work too. For greasy stuff
try a little window cleaner or a light water and vinegar solution.
The problem with polyester is that it will scratch easily, so, the
important thing is to make sure to use plenty of lubricant (liquid)
when first cleaning it. Try not to let it get overly dusty in the
first place. Also, test any cleaner in an inconspicuous spot before
using it to clean the whole piano. Never use
polishes with oils in them such as Pledge and others like it. This
will leave an oily residue that will smear.
Ivory key tops
have not been used in piano manufacturing in a long time. Key tops
are made of plastic these days and so can be cleaned the same way as
the polyester piano finish described above. If you have really dirty
or yellowing keys, follow the directions below for ivory.
How do you know
if you have ivory? If you look closely they will have a grain to
them similar to wood. Usually there is also a seam (but not always)
right at the front of the sharp keys. Ivory is a very hard and
durable substance. To lightly clean just use a damp cloth or mild
soap solution. For yellowing or really heavy dirt, use a fine
buffing compound followed by a swirl remover or polishing compound.
These can be found at an auto supply store.
If you feel
uncomfortable cleaning keys yourself, just hire a good piano
refinisher or tuner/technician to do it for you.
Most owners of
grand pianos notice (especially when the piano is being tuned and
the lid is raised) the dirt that has accumulated on the soundboard
under the strings. While a home vacuum cleaner may pick up some of
the loose dust in this area, it really takes a thorough cleaning by
your piano technician, who has the proper tools and experience,
to do the job properly. In addition, the areas around the tuning
pins, under the plate, and inside the keyboard, although much less
visible, need to be periodically cleaned as well. A piano technician
can remove the action and thoroughly clean the keybed, the area
around the underlever tray, and the action itself. This will
improve the performance of the action as well as prevent moisture
and foreign objects and substances from doing damage to the working
parts of the piano. If you think it's time for a cleaning, tell
Patty when making the tuning appointment, so I can allow sufficient
time for the extra work.
Yes! Having a humidity control
system or climate control system is always a benefit. Climate
control is actually more important to piano care than tuning. The
climate can destroy your piano in a matter of months. Poor tuning
habits are usually inconsequential to your piano lasting a long
time. For more information, please click
here.
