Frequently Asked Questions About Pianos

Why does a piano go out of tune?

Several things make pianos go out of tune. Probably the most significant cause is seasonal change in humidity. Being made of wood, which expands and contracts in response to the relative humidity of the environment, piano sound-boards swell when it is humid, causing more pressure to be exerted on the strings. This causes the pitch to go up. When the relative humidity in the environment goes down, the wood in the soundboards shrinks, causing the strings to loosen and the pitch to go down. In the winter, the humidity is usually high. At the same time, heaters, while warming the air, also cause it to become drier, and lower the humidity in the room. As a result, the conditions can go from being very humid, to very dry, in a very short span of time. This is hard on the piano, and causes uneven pressure on the soundboard, causing the piano to go out of tune very quickly.

Playing the piano is also a factor in how long a piano stays in tune. Hard and frequent playing does have an affect on tuning by settling and stretching the strings. The piano tuner attempts to settle the strings solidly while tuning, but pianos with actions that are out of adjustment, or pianos with old corroded strings, are difficult to settle during tuning.

Older Pianos & Tuning

A piano can go out of tune if the tuning pins slip. Each string is wound around a steel tuning pin which is driven into a hole in a plank of wood called the pin block. Over the years, seasonal fluctuations in humidity may cause the pin block to loosen its grip on the tuning pins. Cracks may form in the pin block or tuning pin holes may become enlarged. Some remedies exist which may help correct this condition and provide some additional years of use, but controlling the humidity is the best way to prevent this problem from happening in the first place.

How can I minimize the effects of humidity changes on my piano?

1. Hot Air Ducts: Be sure there are no hot air ducts in the vicinity of the piano. A heating vent blowing on the back of a piano will drastically shorten the life of your piano. It can cause glue joints to fail prematurely, action parts to become brittle and crack, tuning pins to slip, and a variety of other ailments to occur. Return air vents (inlets) are less of a problem. If there are heating vents near your piano seal them off tightly or move the piano.
2. Other Heat Sources: Position pianos so they are not near fireplaces, gas heaters, direct sunshine, radiators, or drafty windows. Sources of heat near a piano cause the piano to dry excessively. Sunshine can cause heating and drying of the piano, wreck the finish, and cause discoloration of plastic key tops.
3. Use Humidity Control Systems: There are various humidity control devices or systems which can be of benefit to the well-being of the piano. There are internal humidity control systems which can be installed in the piano by the piano technician which are quite effective in maintaining the proper humidity level. These systems are available for a moderate cost, and consist of a humidifier and a dehumidifier system placed inside the piano case. This system is controlled by a device called a "humidistat", which is similar to the thermostat in your home. When the humidity drops the systems adds moisture to the air inside the piano. When the humidity goes up a dehumidifier is activated, and the air inside the piano is dried. These devices are very effective in upright pianos because of their closed case construction which limits the airflow through the piano. There are models designed for use in grand pianos, as well. Whole house humidifiers should be set to maintain 42% for optimum conditions.
   Plants

Many people incorrectly believe that plants placed near the piano help offset dry conditions. Plants have little or no beneficial effect on the piano¹s wooden parts and present some danger when watering if water were to be spilled on the piano. Do not place potted plants on top of a piano case as the dampness will permanently damage the finish and spillage can create serious damage. Some people believe that a pan of water placed inside the piano will help protect the instrument, but this method does not provide sufficient moisture to be of any benefit and increases the risk of damaging the internal parts of the piano from spills.

Does temperature have an affect on tuning?

Temperature does have a minor effect on tuning stability but is generally not much of an issue. Humidity associated with temperature changes is the real culprit. One exception is in the storage of a piano. A piano allowed to become very cold if stored in an unheated area such as a garage can be ruined by condensing moisture which collects on the strings and tuning pins. If you care about a piano, never store it in a place where you would not be comfortable.

What is a "Standard Tuning?"

A "standard tuning" is when the technician tunes the piano to standard pitch (A440), inspects the piano for possible faults. At that time, he/she may also make some minor adjustments to the piano keys and action. Standard tunings do not include making repairs.

What is a "Pitch Raise"?

A pitch raise is needed when a long period of time has elapsed since the last tuning, when a new piano's strings are still stretching, and the piano has dropped significantly in pitch. Pitch raising is an approximate tuning which brings all of the strings up to their designed tension. Sometimes more than one pitch raise procedure must be made before the piano stabilizes sufficiently to allow for a fine tuning. Pitch raises add to the cost of tuning service.

How often should my piano be tuned?

A general rule is that the piano should be tuned before it reaches the point of being seriously out of tune. For most pianos in the home this means a tuning every six months to one year. Because pianos with good quality pin blocks and proper tuning go out of tune somewhat evenly... that is to say, they still may sound relatively in tune with themselves... but the overall pitch is still likely to drop over time. You may not notice it without comparing the pitch to a tuning fork or another instrument of known pitch, but if the pitch continues to fall, it will not only take much more work to get it back into tune, but it will cause the musician's ear to hear the pitches incorrectly. Correcting slight pitch changes with regular tunings is less risky than waiting years or even decades, and then asking the piano tuner to correct it all in one session. The less the overall pitch must be brought up during a tuning, the less the risk of string breakage, unstable tuning, and structural damage to the piano. For pianos used as furniture once every year or two should suffice to maintain the design tension on the instrument. A piano drops in pitch over the years due to seasonal humidity variation, string stretching and playing. A piano which is allowed to go untuned for a long time will be more expensive to bring back up to pitch because of the time involved and the tuning will be more unstable. Pianos in schools, churches, institutions, clubs and performance halls may need to be tuned quarterly or monthly. Pianos used for professional performances are normally tuned before each performance.

Does moving a piano affect its tuning? (Click here to go back to the top)

This depends. Moving a piano six feet in the same room is unlikely to cause a tuning problem unless it is now positioned in front of a heat vent, a door, or window. It is the change in environment that has the greatest effect on tuning. So, moving a piano from Phoenix to Atlanta would most certainly demand a tuning after a few weeks of adjusting to the new conditions. Same goes for a piano moved from a basement to an upper room or moved from a restaurant to a church. Aside from the local environmental conditions it is entirely possible that moving a piano six inches can put it out of tune! But the cause is different. Pianos are strung with hundreds of steel strings and the combined tension of the strings adds up in tons, not pounds. The tension exerted by the strings may equal the weight of a small house! This is why pianos have such massive cast iron structural plates and heavy wooden frames inside. It is all designed to keep the strings from crushing the piano. How does this affect tuning? Not all pianos are built the same. Some are more massive, rigid and stronger than others. If the piano structure is flexed in any way by moving the piano, it may affect tuning. Small, cheaply made pianos, or pianos with damage, are most likely to suffer from this. Sometimes just lifting one corner of a spinet an inch from the floor will twist the plate enough to change the tuning. Pianos which must be moved around, such as on a stage or in schools, should be placed on a piano dolly with rubber wheels. Rolling a piano on its casters is difficult, can damage floors, often breaks the casters, and requires lifting to ease the weight from the wheels. Sitting on a dolly all the time prevents flexing of the case and structure of the piano and the piano is more likely to stay in tune when rolled from place to place. Piano dollies are specifically designed for this purpose and are made to keep the piano stable. Do not use a furniture moving dolly as they are very easy to tip over. Every significant move is best handled by a professional piano mover.

Children have been killed by old pianos which fell on them by playing around and climbing on them. Vertical pianos are very top heavy and uneven floors or bad casters make them a serious danger. Small pianos weigh in at 400-600 pounds, larger uprights in the 500-900 range, and grands can go as high as 1,200 pounds. Don¹t hurt yourself by trying to move a piano and don¹t let one fall on you or someone else. If you need a mover, call me at (805) 474-1224, or email me at Bonnie@teveldemusic.com, and I will recommend one for you depending on your situation and location.

Should I leave the lid up or down on a grand piano? (Click here to go back to the top)

Usually, it is best to take into account how large the room is. If the room is very large, and needs a big sound to fill it, leave the piano open while playing. If the room is small, it would sound better to keep it closed or on a half-stick. This is because the piano is significantly louder with the lid up. On the other hand,f you leave it open all the time you will eventually be faced with a very dusty piano. The soundboard in a grand piano is very difficult to clean because the strings are in the way. It is best to leave the dusting and cleaning to the piano technician because it is quite easy to damage strings and dampers while attempting to clean the piano. Closing the lid when not playing helps keep the interior of the piano clean. As a side note, technicians are often called to trouble shoot buzzing and rattling sounds in grand pianos only to discover that a paper clip or pencil have been dropped into the piano. Remember that small objects, once inside the piano action, can jam keys so they do not work.

Should I keep the keyboard covered?

Closing the fallboard to protect the keys is a good idea in high traffic areas and it also keeps dust from getting in between the keys. Plastic keytops will eventually yellow from exposure to light so keeping the fallboard closed is a good idea. If you have a piano with elephant ivory keytops periodic light exposure (no direct sunlight!) actually helps keep them from yellowing.

Other Ways to Prevent Damage to Your Piano

• Teach children in the household not to pound the keys.
• Do not allow anything liquid near the piano. Drinks and plant watering spills can cause total havoc with the internal parts of the piano. Keep all liquids away!

How should I clean my piano keys?

Keys are best cleaned with a soft cloth lightly dampened with a few drops of water. Too much water can warp ivory keytops and cause the wooden keys to swell and rub on their neighbors. Never should sprays or liquids of any kind be applied to the keys of a piano.

Should I ever use the vacuum cleaner inside the piano?

With the hundreds of tiny parts inside a piano it is not a good idea to sweep inside the piano. The risk of damage is too great to suggest the use of vacuum cleaners by anyone not trained in the servicing of pianos. Screws and other parts may have worked loose and fallen to the bottom of the case. The technician may often retrieve these parts and reinstall them.

Is a piano ever oiled to keep the action working freely?

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No way! Liquid lubricants, WD40, oils, and silicone should never be allowed near the strings, action, tuning pins or other piano parts. Piano technicians use a variety of lubricants (mostly in dry form) for a select few places in the piano, but liquid lubricants can turn a perfectly serviceable piano into a useless piece of furniture.

How can I keep moths and mice from damaging the piano? (

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Playing frequently is the best preventative. Neither of these vermin, which were major pests in years past, are much of serious issue for piano owners today. All felt and wool parts of modern pianos are mothproofed during manufacture. Mothballs are not suggested! Volatile chemicals in insecticides can cause corrosion of strings and sensitive action parts. Mice are not a serious problem unless the piano is stored in a barn or warehouse. If you think you have a pest problem with your piano, call and have it inspected before you put anything in or on the piano. Call the piano technician before you call an exterminator who just might spray the piano with a damaging chemical.

What is regulation? (Click here to go back to the top)

A piano action has thousands of small parts made of wood, felt, leather, brass, and steel. These parts corrode, compress, springs get weak, wooden parts get brittle, keys warp, and otherwise get out of adjustment over time, and with use. Regulation is the process of going over all of the action parts to adjust and align them, so that the piano plays as it was designed to do. A piano with keys which do not respond correctly is difficult to play and more difficult to tune if the hammers cannot deliver a solid blow to the strings. Regulation can be done in stages, spaced out and completed at the time of regular tunings to spread out the costs. For maximum performance the entire piano can be regulated at once. Regulation requires several hours of meticulous, exacting work by the technician so be prepared for a long visit to have this work done in your home. Pianos can also be moved to the technician¹s shop for total regulation service.

Are the strings ever replaced on a piano like they are on guitars? (Click here to go back to the top)

Most pianos have one set of strings which is used for the entire life of the instrument. Thankfully, no fingers touch the strings during playing so they do last a very long time. Corrosion does take its toll over time and strings lose their former brilliance and clarity. Pianos can be restrung, but the cost can be prohibitive. Many pianos are simply not worth the cost of restringing. High quality older grands (such as Steinway or Mason and Hamlin) are revived during the rebuilding process by the replacement of all strings. Sometimes high quality or better old uprights will have only the bass strings replaced or cleaned to renew their tonal qualities. But, for most pianos, only strings which break during tuning or from failure during playing are ever replaced.

Will strings break on my piano when it is tuned? (Click here to go back to the top)

The danger of string breakage is increased if the strings are very old, rusted or corroded, or if the piano has not been tuned in a long time and the pitch must be raised. The plain steel strings throughout most of the piano can be replaced, at a modest cost, if they break during tuning. Bass strings (the bottom 20 notes or so) are normally wound with a copper outer wrap, and are custom made for each piano. If a bass string breaks during tuning, a new string will have to be ordered, and installed at a later date. If a bass string breaks, save it so it can be measured for ordering/making a replacement.

How old is my piano? (Click here to go back to the top)

The serial number of your piano can often be looked up in a book called the Pierce Piano Atlas and the age determined. They should have this reference book at your local library.

What is my piano worth? (Click here to go back to the top)

Placing a dollar value on an item like a piano is difficult to do. Of primary importance is condition. An antique piano may have a beautiful case but is often untunable and may be a moth-eaten wreck on the inside. It is safe to say that (aside from rare early pianos) most pianos have no antique value. Generally, it is the condition that determines value, not age. Pianos of all quality levels have been made throughout the years so don¹t assume that because it is old that it was built better. Pianos are similar to cars. Think about the car that you own. What did you pay for it? Now, if I told you that I had exactly the same model and year car, would mine be worth the same as yours? Maybe, maybe not. Mine might have a leaky transmission, a blown engine, bad tires, and 350,000 miles on it. But, it might look perfect. The moral of the story is that condition is really important in evaluating the the value of a piano. There are books that list the makes, models, and serial numbers of each name brand piano made. It is a set of 2 books that comes out every 2-3 years. They are the "blue books" of pianos, and can help you find a starting price for the value of your piano. Also, a piano with a matching bench is worth at least $100 more. Just the bench alone is worth that or more, if it matches, so take care of your piano bench, and never ever throw it away.

How much does it cost to have my piano tuned? (Click here to go back to the top)

The basic charge for piano tuning is usually around $110. It usually takes a good piano technician at least 2-3 hours to tune a piano that has been regularly tuned. Considering the incredible amount of training and apprenticeship that the technician goes through just to learn to do it correctly, and then the years of experience that a good technician has, paying $38-$55 per hour is less than you would pay for an average car mechanic. And there are considerably less qualified piano technicians out there who are really good at what they do. I always recommend Beverly Aiken. I think she is the finest piano tuner on the Central Coast, by far. She is meticulous about getting every single note. You can contact her at (805) 801-6958. If you tell her that you've been referred by me, (Bonnie teVelde), you will even get a $5 discount. Please remember that if your piano was last tuned more than 6 months ago, or was tuned by an inferior technician, the job could be a lot more complicated for her. She might have to do the entire piano twice or maybe in three (3) steps, a few months apart. She is always fair about how much extra this will cost. Read the sections above about the difference between a standard tuning and a pitch raise tuning. Remember that repairs are not included in the cost of tuning. Often the technician will make minor adjustments to a few keys at no charge while she is there for the tuning. But any significant repairs will always be discussed fully with you before they are done so you have no surprises. If you decided to have the repair done, fine. If you choose not to that is OK too. It is not her practice to suggest additional work just run the bill up. She will only suggest things that she feels should be taken care of and leave the decision to you. Working this way has made me trust her with all of my pianos at the teVelde School of Music for years.

Buying a Piano

There are several new resources for finding quality new and used pianos, all of which have been generated by the Internet.

There are several ways to check your local newspaper classified ads on-line.

1. Just type in the words "piano for sale" and the zip code, and you will get a list of pianos for sale in your zip code, along with links to the newspapers or sites in which they are listed.
2. Search on Craig's List - San Luis Obispo, go to the musical instruments section, and type in "piano". (no need to use quotes)
3. Search on eBay. Either create an account, or log in. Navigate from the index page to al instruments, then "pianos". On the side bar choose "acoustic", "upright", enter how many miles you are willing to drive to check it out, and your maximum or . Then use the side search bar tool to narrow your search to under 50 miles, and enter the maximum amount you would be willing to pay. If you find a piano that looks good, see if the ad lists a serial number. You can check out the age information by looking up that number in the guide listed above at your local library. You will want to contact the seller and ask to see the piano before you bid on it! When you go to see it, arrange with a local expert to meet you there, and give it a once over for you.(This will cost you about $50.) They will also give you an idea of what it's worth by looking up the serial number for you, and assessing its general condition. This is critically important!. Once you have seen it, determine what it is worth by looking up the resale value, using the serial number, in the guide. Don't get caught up in the competition of bidding against another buyer. Pay only what you decided to pay at the beginning for the piano, and no more. There will always be another piano.
4. Private Parties, Friends, and Relatives. Put it out to your friends and neighbors that you are looking for a piano. Many times, a friend of a friend will be selling one, and you may get a better deal if they know you. When you go to see it, arrange with a local expert to meet you there, and give it a once over for you.(This will cost you about $50.) They will also give you an idea of what it's worth by looking up the serial number for you, and assessing its general condition.