TuningRepair.Com

 714-636-3122

 Piano tuner, movers, restorers 

Orange County &  Los Angeles

BASIC PIANO CARE

Piano Maintenance

Tuning

Piano Aging

Piano Cleaning

Ideal Room Climate

Humidity Harm on Piano

Moving the Piano by Yourself

Quickie Guide for Dummies

1) Tune old pianos 2x a year.  Tune new pianos 4x a year.

2) Do maintenance repair on piano tone + touch every 4 years.

3) Keep piano at room temperature 72 F and at 45% humidity. 

 

BASIC PIANO CARE

& MAINTENANCE

PIANO MAINTENANCE     Tuning every six months and every three months for new pianos.  Regular tuning will make the piano stay in tune longer since the strings are stretched and trained. Regular tuning can also prevent costly repairs since it does not need big stressful tuning which may break parts.   Tone Repair every 4 yrs   Touch Repair every 4 yrs

About TUNING       How often should my piano be tuned? Every 6 months. Your piano is designed to sound a  standard pitch of A440.  Without regular tuning and maintenance, you strings will fall to the point that tuning them back to A440 can actually do damage to the quality of the steel in the string. I recommend tuning a piano at least once a year. More or less may be needed depending on the quality of piano and the demands placed on it. A piano which is in an unstable climate may need to be tuned as often as once every 2 to 3 months. Pianos in Orchestra Hall are tuned before each performance.  Piano lounges commonly tune once a month.  Churches generally tune their pianos  every 3 months.  Musicians and music teachers often tune their piano 2 or 3 times a year.  Two or three times a year is also what most piano manufacturers recommend. The National Piano Foundation, The Piano Institute, and the National Piano Technician Guild, Baldwin, Kawai, Steinway & Sons, Yamaha, and Wurlitzer all recommends: Every performance for pianos in concert halls and recording studios. Every week for pianos in clubs, hotels, and restaurants. Every 3 months for new pianos Every 4 months for home pianos Every 1 yr for storage pianos      Why does a piano go out of tune? Pianos go out of tune because of: Humidity changes. Hard playing Old age  Poor internal piano construction Pianos will go out of tune even if it is not played.   Humidity and temperature are the two principal factors, thus pianos in humid coastal areas and in the hot dry inland areas are most susceptible.   In the winter months, pianos go flat because piano wood dries from dry heat from home furnaces.  In the spring months, pianos go sharp because piano wood expands as it absorbs higher humidity.  These seasonal changes in tuning are often most obvious in the mid-range of the piano. Heavy playing does also affect the tuning but to a much lesser degree. The piano is made primarily of wood, and it is extremely affected by climatic changes. Changes in humidity result in the swelling and contracting of the wood, resulting in constant increases and decreases of wire tension, thereby continually changing the pitch of each wire, and the general tuning.  The proper wire tension must be consistently maintained.       Does a piano need to be tuned regularly? Absolutely.  Without regular tuning any piano will steadily deteriorate in condition. The piano is an instrument with well over 225 very high tension strings, designed for equal tension to be maintained across the string sections. If tuning is neglected, the increasing inequality of string tensions will have physical consequences, and accelerate some of the deterioration normally associated with ageing of the instrument.       Do I save money by not tuning my piano? No. It would cost you more money because it requires several tunings to get it back up to standard pitch. There are several disadvantages to neglecting your piano.  It is bad for the piano, bad for the musicians, and it costs you more money to bring it back to working condition. Firstly, neglected pianos are bad for the piano wood.  Since pitch raising tuning will subject the piano soundboard to new intense tension. Secondly, your musicianship will suffer.  A neglected piano won't be in pitch so it is impossible for good ear training.  Also, you won't be able to play with another instrument to standard pitch. Thirdly, the customer must understand that one piano "tuning" will not suffice when the piano has not been tuned for a number of years.   It would cost you more as the longer a piano has gone without regular service, the more tunings will be  required to reestablish tuning stability.  It is often my practice to bring the pitch back up to normal over the course of several tunings (between 2 to 4 tunings), particularly when it has dropped a step or more. Raising the pitch too far in one tuning may result in broken wires. In this case, it is impossible to give a fine quality tuning, as the pitch will continually slip until the wires stabilize.  I recommend "easing up" to Concert Pitch over the course of several tunings.       Is tuning by machine more accurate? No. On the contrary, tuning by machine will often produce false results.   Pianos are all constructed differently, and the human ear hears different stretches of pitch, so each piano requires a unique tuning.   Professional tuners must be able to tune by ear.     TOP

PIANO AGING         What happens to a piano as it ages? The piano keys becomes uneven and less responsive, and the piano's tone loses dynamic range. Squeaks and rattles may develop. After extended or very heavy use, action parts become severely worn. Leather and felt wear thin. Keys become wobbly, hammer felt gets too thin to produce good tone, and the action becomes noisy. Regulation adjustments reach their limit. In addition, piano strings may begin breaking and the copper windings of bass strings lose resonance. After decades of exposure to seasonal changes, the wood of the soundboard, bridges, and pinblock is weakened. This causes loose tuning pins, poor tuning stability, and further loss of tone. By this time the piano's finish will often be scratched or faded. Routine maintenance such as hammer filing, regulation, voicing, and tuning will correct these problems and maintain the piano in near-new condition.     How to Find a Piano's Age Locate the manufacturer's name and the serial number of the piano.  Then find out the date of manufacture from references like the Pierce Piano Atlas, The Piano Book, or online at How Old Is My Piano? Piano World. TOP

PIANO CLEANING   Great caution must be taken when cleaning the dust off your piano.  Dust is very abrasive, and can scratch the finish if wiped off with a dry cloth. To avoid scratching, dust the piano lightly with a soft cloth, a feather duster, or a lambs wool duster. For heavier cleaning to remove smudges and fingerprints, dampen your cloth with a small amount of mild soap solution.  Then  wipe lightly with a soft damp cloth, followed immediately with a dry cloth.  The cloths should be soft cotton such as flannel, because coarse or synthetic fabrics can scratch some finishes. Wring out the damp cloth thoroughly so it leaves no visible moisture on the surface. To avoid creating swirl marks, always wipe with long straight strokes rather than circular motions. Wipe with the grain for natural wood finishes, or in the direction of the existing sheen pattern for solid-color satin finishes. For interior piano dusting, leave that to the technician.      Polishing Warning: Never use any household aerosol furniture sprays or polishes anywhere on or inside your piano.  These types of polishes contain alcohol which can create a chemical reaction with the existing finish and discolor or dissolve the varnish or lacquer on your piano surface. Many common inexpensive furniture polish products such as "lemon oil" and "Pledge" should be avoided as these household furniture polishes can actually harm your piano's finish.   Despite the labels' claims that they "protect" the finish or "feed" the wood, they offer no protection from scratching and can actually soften the finish if over-used.  The silicone and oils present in many such household brands can soften the finish, and even contaminate the inside wood which would make future repairs difficult. Even small amounts of mist from sprays can have a detrimental effect on the inside of a piano.  If those aerosol spray mists lands on piano strings, tuning pins and action parts, it will likely ruin them. Most manufacturers also recommend that no wax be used on the protective lacquer finish that protects the wood. Waxes can build up and can actually tear down the chemicals in the finish. A dry or even a damp cloth is all that will be usually needed to care for both the finish of the cabinet and the keytops. Lastly, you're not using glass cleaner on those piano keys, are you? Spare me from writing another scathing paragraph.  Thanks. It is recommended that you use special polishing products made specifically for piano finishes.  There are a number of recommended piano polishes available through most reputable piano stores.  Make sure you tell the salesperson exactly what type of finish you have because there are different types of polishes. Also, pick up a polishing cloth while you are there if they carry them. Again, make sure your cloths are like new, clean and free of grit. In case of french polished or nitrocellulose-finished pianos: Dust and polish using a wax polish in the same way as any other piece of furniture. ASK Leo or search for it in Accessory. In case of polyester pianos: Dust with a feather duster to avoid scratching the surface, and the polish should be a wax-free polish. ASK Leo or click Accessory. In case of old uprights or pianos with an old wood finish:  Use the new orange spray cleaner/polisher.   Also, placing plants, vases, pictures, or any object on the piano may have a ruinous effect on the finish.      Interior Piano Cleaning It is recommended that you have the piano technician clean your piano interior, even to remove a small object that has fallen into the piano. While this may appear to be a simple task, care must be taken not to misalign or damage the many small parts inside the instrument. A piano technician knows how and where to clean the interior of a piano and with what chemicals to use.  He'll clean delicate moving parts and areas which affect the piano playing.       Piano Key Cleaning When cleaning the piano keys, you can use a damp cloth, soaked with a small amount of mild dishwashing detergent and water.  Make sure you completely wring the damp cloth, and not leave any water residue on the key.  That is only a first level cleaning though. A Piano technician cleans your keyboard with special cleaning chemicals and conditioners for a more long lasting look and feel.  You can find it in Accessory.       How to Remove Stains Alcohol stains. Gently rub the stained area with a paste made of baking soda and salad oil, covering the stain completely with the paste mixture. Then immediately remove the paste with a soft, clean cloth and follow up with a recommended furniture polish. Candle wax. First, using a dull plastic cooking utensil (such as a spatula recommended for nonstick pans), remove the wax. It may be necessary to place ice cubes in a sealed plastic bag and apply the bag to the wax area to help the wax loosen and crumble. Be careful not to let any moisture from the bag of ice accumulate on the furniture. Once the wax is removed, wipe the furniture with odorless mineral spirits or naphtha and follow up with a recommended furniture polish. Heat marks. Gently rub the marked area with oil of camphor or mineral spirits until the mark disappears. Remove the oil immediately and follow up with a recommended furniture polish. Water rings. White rings may fade on their own without treatment after a few weeks. If not, gently rub a small amount of mayonnaise or olive oil and white vinegar on the rings, rubbing in the direction of the grain of the wood. Remove the cleaning mixture immediately with a soft, clean cloth and follow up with a recommended furniture polish.   TOP

IDEAL ROOM CLIMATE   Ideal room temperature is between 68°-73°, with a relative humidity factor of 40-45 percent.     Where shall I place my piano in the house? Place your piano in the inside wall of your house if you can.  Outside walls are ok too if insulated. Keeping a piano away from an outside wall was probably necessary in poorly insulated older Victorian homes, but should not be a problem these days.  Keep pianos away from windows or stage lights as sunlight can fade the finish and the heat causes rapid changes in tuning.    Use curtain or blinds. Keep your piano away from heating vents, radiators, fireplaces and air conditioning vents as subjecting it to extreme fluctuations of temperature and humidity can do major damage. Keep room humidity level to 40 to 45 percent.  There's a special piano humidifier/dehumidifier system that can maintain that level. Keep plants, vases, drinks, or anything to do with liquid off the piano. Condensation can ruin the finish, and spillage of liquids into the inner mechanism can result in irreversible damage.        How Humidity Harms the Piano Excessive dryness and extreme humidity  are both harmful to the piano. Excessive dryness reduces the moisture content of the soundboard and cabinet components, and can weaken the glue joints of the pinblock. This could lead to costly repairs, in any brand of piano. Dampness can cause rust to form on the strings, swelling to the soundboard and action parts, which then causes sluggish and/or sticking keys. No piano is immune to variations in atmospheric conditions. Here is a look at the breathing pattern of your piano throughout the year.  Note the contraction/expansion due to humidity levels with different seasons.  In the winter months, pianos go flat because piano wood dries from dry heat from home furnaces.  In the spring months, pianos go sharp because piano wood expands as it absorbs higher humidity.                Red line   = Wild humidity swings in your piano annually Blue line = Steady humidity swings in your pianos w/a humidity system installed in your piano. Humidity and temperature, if uncontrolled, will shorten the life of your piano. They are the two principal factors for pianos quickly going out of tune.  It is a good idea to keep the humidity level at around 45% year round. Too little or too much humidity can also cause cracks in the soundboard, pinblock, and do damage to the glues and felts on the piano.  Using an air conditioner in humid summer months and adding a humidifier to your central heating system will reduce the extremes of high and low humidity and improve tuning stability. For houses in the humid coastal areas and inland hot dry areas, it is recommended to install an automatic humidity control system underneath your piano that will maintain the humidity level in your piano at 40-50% relative humidity year around.        Moving the Piano by Yourself Because of the weight involved always plan every aspect of where the piano is going and anticipate any and all eventualities.  Once the instrument is in the air or halfway up a flight of stairs is ( trust me ) no time hear the word "oops".  There also is no way I'd try to move a piano without procuring a 'piano dolly'.  Most vehicle rental places will rent them for a nominal fee.  Simply lift one side of the piano up to about 21/2 to 3 feet from the floor, correspond the angle of the dolly to the bottom of the piano, slide it under the middle of the bottom of the piano, have someone hold the dolly in place, then slowly lower the piano back to earth.  The weight of the piano will prevent the dolly from sliding, although it may slide a little at first.  Remember to position the dolly flush with the back of the piano.  To dismount the piano from the dolly simply reverse the process.  Proceed at your own risk.  Pianos weigh as much as 400 lbs. and up.  Large grands weigh over 1000 lbs. and should only be moved by a professional.  The man in front of the instrument rolling across the floor lifts if necessary while the man in back pushes (single stairs, door thresholds, etc. ).  Keep in mind also that that 400 lbs plus monstrosity will tend to tip sideways on hills or slants.  Position a strong man downhill from the piano to keep it from tipping while one in front and one in back handle lateral movement.  Please be extremely careful!!  Take your time, pre-think each process, and do it right the first time!!  Hitting the replay button is nearly impossible once many aspects of moving a piano are in motion.  One more thing to remember is to place the piano directly behind the driver in pick-up trucks, and have the main weight of the piano in front of the back axle in trailers and moving vans.  The piano should be placed against the driver's wall side of the van or trailer. Warning: In regard to attempting moving or repairing pianos on your own we'd like to add here that many aspects of involvement in the piano repair field (particularly moving) are best left to a professional with the equipment to accommodate every foreseeable eventuality, and the expertise to accommodate every unforeseen eventuality.  While we can appreciate the ingenuity and desire of the do-it-yourselfer, please be extremely careful!! Any advice offered to the do-it-yourselfer is acted upon at the individuals own risk and we assume no responsibility for mishaps, damage to property or injury ensuing from techniques we've offered that are performed incorrectly due to a novice's inability to anticipate the unforeseen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Leo's  Piano care  tip

 "Tune new pianos every 3 months.

 Tune young pianos (3-10 yrs) every 6 months.

 Tune old pianos (>10 yr) every year."