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The Importance of Regular Maintenance
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How often
should I have my piano tuned? |
There are two major "humidity seasons" — spring / summer, and fall / winter.
During spring / summer,
general humidity levels tend
toward the
wetter side. During fall / winter, humidity tends to be drier,
due to the fact that cold air holds less moisture. Further
evaporation occurs as air passes through
furnaces, which can be somewhat cured by adding a
humidifier to a forced air furnace.
The piano soundboard (which the strings pass across)
expands during the wet season, causing the strings to
go up in pitch in the
center of the keyboard. The
opposite effect is observed when
the soundboard
shrinks during the dry season.
For the best tuning stability, it is optimal to have
the piano tuned during each of the two humidity
seasons.
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Does it matter where I place my piano in my home? |
Tuning stability depends on two main
environmental factors: relative humidity and
temperature. Ideal levels
would be a constant
50%
relative humidity, and 70 degrees farenheight.
Piano placement should take these
parameters
into consideration. The ideal location
would then be
in the most stable area of the room, close
to the
center and away from heating registers.
Since modern buildings are better insulated, the rule
of not placing the piano next to an exterior wall can
be somewhat relaxed. Also
it is wise to keep the
piano away from large windows where it might be
exposed to damaging sunlight and less stable
temperatures.
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What about cleaning & polishing
my piano? |
There are several types of finishes applied
to pianos. The owner's manual should be consulted as
to what is the best method
for cleaning the finish of
a new piano.
For fine furniture wood finishes, a soft
cloth should be used, slightly dampened for heavier
dirt.
Commercial household cleansers
and aerosol waxes
should be avoided since they leave an
oily residue and create a buildup of dirt. For heavily soiled or damaged finishes, a technician should be consulted.
For resinous finishes, the soft damp cloth works well,
and special polishes
can be purchased from piano
dealers and technicians.
Do not attempt to clean the inside of your piano, because there is risk of damaging delicate action parts.
Only
a qualified technician should perform interior
cleaning.
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Can I play my piano too much? too little? |
The piano is a sophisticated machine, and like all machines, regular use is beneficial. It keeps
all the action parts free and able to execute the
expressive demands of the musician. Long periods
of
disuse can cause the parts to become stiff through
lack of movement and corrosion and buildup
of dust.
So … play on !
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