String Replacements
Strings are the soul of a piano. Without them, the piano has no life. Strings can break and replacing can be an ordeal. We always separate between treble and bass strings. When treble strings are broken, they are always broken in pairs. Bass strings are individual strings; but, as such, they have to be custom made upon replacement. The thickness of the copper, the threading of the loop and the making of the hexagonal steel core of the string are critical to replicate the exact sound image of the neighboring strings. Replacing a string may take up to 3 weeks. Piano Doctor is proud to provide an exact replica of any string on your piano.
Free Piano Music Online
When I grew up in the 60's and 70's, my favorite store to shop at was the music store. Our local piano store would have an assortment of music, or they could order in anything, with a usual waiting time of 5-6 weeks, and at an exorbitant cost. Today, and God bless us for having the internet, most music is available free of charge. Simply go to Free-Scores.com and you should be able to print out just about any piece...for solo or ensemble.
And, if you are in need of a metronome there are multiple apps at the Google Apps Store that provide free ones! Now you should be ready to go!
What Is My Piano's Age?
Simply go to www.bluebookofpianos.com, look up the piano make and reference the serial number of your instrument, and voila...
Sticky Keys
A sticking key can be one of the most annoying deficiencies of a piano. Where humans have arthritis, pianos have sticking keys. Very often, the problem can be resolved right on the spot, without incurring any extra charges. Sometimes, it may be caused by broken parts. Poor humidity control can also be a culprit since wood swells in high humidity environments, preventing the hammer stem's rotating pin to smoothly operate. Also, lack of playing a certain key invites it into a dormant stage, thus making it sluggish. If the problem is persistent or severe, the action may have to be removed and taken to the shop for repair. It does not necessarily cost a lot, but it is "pain" to deal with...the player and the technician.
Hydro-static Control Of A Piano's Environment
Wooden instruments (strings and pianos in particular) are VERY sensitive to hydro-static changes, that is the inter-relationship between temperature and humidity. More specifically: the interaction between the two. This is critical for the tuning stability of a piano.
In Texas we have, inside a home, three separate climate zones, summer and winter and the shoulder seasons.
Summer: Fresh air is pulled in from the outside and the inside of your home is subject to roughly the same humidity reading as the outside. If it is very humid outside, that humidity will be mirrored inside. The problem is that you do not have an instrument to remove humidity in your home.
Winter: You would usually run a heater on the A/C . The outside humidity may read 50%, but the dry air inside is sucking up the hydrogen particles and the indoor humidity reading may only be 25%. This is a huge problem for any instrument as any pin block would react to it and cause a loosening of the pins.
Fall and Spring: These seasons usually mirror identical patterns of barometric pressure and humidity, and A/C controls are usually off. Your indoor humidity reading should loosely reflect the outdoors.
Where Should I place My Piano?
Avoid placing your instrument near drafty/open windows or doors. This will significantly impact how your tuning is holding up! If your home's construction is old and you have drafty walls, uneven insulation, keep it away from outside walls. A piano positioned on an outside wall will have the soundboard directly exposed to an intemperate climate average. In newer construction (post 1990), this is not an issue.
How Often Should I Tune My Piano?
The rule of thumb is every six months. Winter and summer, or fall and spring. The more frequently you take care of your instrument, the better it will be and the more stable the tunings are.
The frequency of a tuning ultimately is decided by how much you can take by it being out of tune. When the Meyerson Symphony Hall in Dallas is in concert, their piano is tuned every 45 minutes. Arthur Rubinstein had to have his piano tuned every 30 minutes of playing! He just could not stand a single note being out of pitch. If you don't tune it regularly (every 6 months), you should at least consider having it done annually.
What Is A Pitch Raise?
When a piano is manufactured, its pitch level is set at Concert Pitch, meaning that A=440hz. Most pianos are not at 440 because they have been neglected, thus their absolute pitch may be somewhere between 440 and 400. Having an instrument at Concert Pitch means that the instrument will have a certain brilliance in the sound and it would easily be able to be used in ensemble playing.
Another circumstance where this could matter is if you want to sell the instrument. If the buyer discovers that the instrument is not at Concert Pitch and they require that, he/she may renege on a purchase.
If ensemble playing, sound picture or worrying a future buyer do not matter to you, pitch raise is not an issue. If your instrument qualifies for a pitch raise (torque resistance on the tuning pins being the decisive issue), it usually requires 3 tunings within a 2-month span.
Practicing In An Apartment
As much as you might enjoy practicing to become the next Liberace, your neighbors hate it if you live in an apartment. A comprehensive damper/muting system can be installed inside your piano which will enable you to practice until you keel over! Always respect the sound environment of your neighbors...
Breaking In A "Fresh" Tuning
So many times do we see that owners almost assault their instruments after it has been tuned. They want to play the most virulent pieces on the repertoire, aggressive Brahms sonatas, Chopin Etudes, Rachmaninoff concertos etc... When a piano has been freshly tuned, play it very softly and gently. After all, train your ear to the sound of a well tempered keyboard. Just a reminder: piano, in Italian, means "soft" or "softly". Treat your piano in such a way and you will have a happy musical partner under your fingertips!
Voicing
Voicing is the action of modifying an instrument's sound panel by adjusting the hammer heads. It is a very demanding procedure to the technician and requires not only technical but also highly attuned aural skills. A piano has its own distinct "voice". When you play your piano, you recognize it as different from all other pianos you play.
Over time, the continuous hammering of the felts on the strings will cause the instrument to change its sound, departing from how it was when coming out of the factory. The felt hardens, compacts and can often sound harsh. A Certified Master Technician should be able to treat the hammers by aligning them, reshaping them, carefully needling them on the lower side or even hardening them if the felts are too loose. Voicing is no task for an amateur. Do not try this yourself.