Piano Preservation and Maintenance: A How-To Guide

The piano is one of the first instruments most learn how to play and it is almost essential to know for anyone interested in a career in music. This is why it is important to keep your piano in good repair.
 
Everyone knows that a piano’s tuning affects the quality of sound and the piece you are playing. Tension in a piano can change based on humidity, condition of the piano itself, and frequency of playing. You always want to have the music sound as authentic as possible so that an audience can hear the music the way it is meant to be heard. Having your piano adjusted for tuning is one of the more common maintenance services you may need.
 
There is a difference in how music will sound depending on the space you are set up in. That is why there are different types of tuning, like concert tuning. There are approximately 220 strings in your piano, so this is not an easy task to undertake. You want someone who is a musician his/her self and has a good ear to be able to hear if the piano is in tune, without having to heavily rely on a piano tuner to tell them.
 
With possibly up to 14,000 parts in a piano made of wood and felt, wear and tear is bound to happen over time. Piano service reconditioning and regulation includes cleaning, adjustments, and repair. It usually involves the soundboard, bridges, pin locks, and action parts. If your piano’s tone seems to lose dynamic range, you might need someone to look at the action parts.
 
Your hammers may need filling, keys may be too loose, and strings may need proper alignment and spacing adjustments if they are too springy. Bass strings can lose resonance if breaking starts to occur. Cracks may be a sign that ribs are broken. Cracked or broken plates, rust and mold, all hinder the musical sound of your piano. There are so many different parts that factor into the preservation and quality of music your piano produces.
 
The piano is one of the more versatile instruments, playing a rhythm, melody, and harmony part interchangeably. With a piano, you’ll practically have a full ensemble on your hands! If you take care of it, it can continue to help you make beautiful music for years to come.