Pianos are built to last approximately 80 years, however, as they are made from organic materials, they do prefer certain environments over others and require a certain amount of care and attention. Here are some simple rules to follow and tips to bear in mind to keep your piano sounding and looking its best!
Where to place your piano
The positioning of your piano is one of the most important things when trying to keep your piano in peak condition. The natural components used to build and manufacture a piano (wood, felt and cloth etc), expand and contract depending on environmental conditions. This means that pianos are very sensitive to temperature and humidity levels, so keeping these two factors consistent is crucial for the optimal maintenance of your instrument.
It is not advisable to have your piano positioned against an uninsulated, outside wall, near a radiator, on underfloor heating or next to a fireplace. It is equally important for it to be a safe distance from any air conditioning units and regularly opening doors or windows.
Generally, your piano will be comfortable at 20 - 21 degrees with a consistent humidity level between 40 - 60%. If the humidity fluctuates drastically, these organic elements may, as a worst case scenario, suffer some irreversible damages. For example, the soundboard (which essential acts as the piano’s “speaker system”) is made from wood and if the environment is too dry, it will shrink. Similarly, if the environment is too humid, it will swell. Both these things can have lasting effects on the sound of your piano.
Another thing to be aware of is sunlight. If you place your piano in a window that has regular, direct sunlight, the aesthetics of your piano may be affected and the finish could fade or bleach. Some piano finishes are more durable than others, but it is always advisable to avoid sunlight where possible to keep your piano looking as good as new.
Tuning and servicing
A large part of protecting the health and longevity of your piano is having it tuned and serviced regularly.
As a rule, your piano should be tuned at least twice a year by a professional piano tuner to keep it in optimum condition and sounding its best. If too much time is left in between tunings, this can lead to future issues such as seizing keys, string damage and in extreme cases, an irreversible drop in pitch.
Over time, changes within your piano can occur as the natural elements move, alter and shift and this can affect how it feels to play and how it sounds. These changes are monitored, maintained and, if necessary, corrected by a professional piano technician. When your piano is serviced, a technician may do a number of things. They will assess the piano’s condition and carry out any diagnostics. If needed, they may clean the internals of your piano, removing any dust or debris from inside as this isn’t easily done without taking the instrument apart.
They will make any necessary adjustments to the action. This is referred to as ‘regulation’ and means they will check, maintain and fine-tune any mechanical and moving parts of the piano action.
Another thing a technician may do during a piano service is something called ‘voicing’. This is the process of altering or tailoring the sound of the piano by gently manipulating the felt hammer heads. They can be softened for a warmer tone or hardened to make it brighter. This process can rebalance the overall tone and avoid the loss of the unique, characteristic sound of that particular piano.
They will also carry out any other repairs such as hammer reshaping, cabinet/cosmetic work or pedal adjustments.
Pianos should be serviced after the first year of use, and then we advise every three to five years after that, however if a piano is played frequently and continually, it may need more regular servicing to keep it sounding, feeling and looking good.
Cleaning
The best method for cleaning your piano is very simple. All you need is a microfiber cloth and glass cleaner. If it has a polished polyester finish, be very careful as this surface can be easily scratched. Basically, you should treat a high polish finish as if you were cleaning a mirror or a window.
Another thing to note is that you should never use furniture polish to clean your piano. This can leave an unpleasant residue that is difficult to remove and could ultimately damage the finish.
Also, another important thing is that you should never clean the piano strings as any kind of moisture or chemicals will cause them to rust and deteriorate and ultimately will result in them needing to be replaced.
Play it!
Pianos are built to be played, and here at the C. Bechstein Centre Manchester we wouldn't want to see one of our pianos left abandoned in a corner, not fulfilling its musical purpose. So, make sure that you are playing your piano on a regular basis as well as following this care guide, and you will be making musical memories for many years to come.
We are here to help!
We have a team of friendly, helpful staff who can answer any questions you may have about your current or future piano.
So, give us a call on 0161 527 7677 or send us an email at info@bechstein.co.uk and we can help in anyway we can.
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