The Anatomy of your Piano and how to choose one (Page):
Pianos are beautiful and complex instruments that produce an incredible range of sounds. But have you ever wondered what’s going on inside a piano when you play it? In this blog post, we’re going to explore the anatomy of a piano, from its keys to its hammers and everything in between.
The Keyboard
At the heart of a piano is the keyboard, which consists of 88 keys arranged in a specific pattern. When you press down on a key, it triggers a series of events that ultimately produces a sound. Each key is connected to a hammer via a complex mechanism that allows the hammer to strike the strings inside the piano.
The Action
The action is the mechanism that connects the keys to the hammers. It’s made up of many different parts, including the keys themselves, which are attached to wooden levers called wippens. The wippens are in turn connected to the hammers via a series of springs and felt-covered wooden parts.
The action is responsible for translating the force of your fingers on the keys into the force that’s needed to strike the strings. When you press a key down, it lifts the wippen, which in turn lifts the hammer. The hammer then strikes the strings, producing a sound.
The Strings
The strings are what actually produce the sound in a piano. There are three strings for each note, except for the lowest notes, which only have one or two strings. The strings are made of high-tensile steel wire and are attached at both ends to the piano’s frame.
When the hammer strikes the strings, they vibrate, producing sound waves that travel through the air and reach our ears. The pitch of the sound is determined by the length, thickness, and tension of the strings. The longer and thicker the string, the lower the pitch; the shorter and thinner the string, the higher the pitch.
The Soundboard
The soundboard is a large, thin piece of wood that amplifies the sound produced by the strings. It’s located directly beneath the strings and extends the full length of the piano. When the strings vibrate, they cause the soundboard to vibrate as well, which in turn produces a louder, fuller sound.
So there you have it – the anatomy of a piano! Pianos are incredibly complex instruments that require a delicate balance of components to produce the beautiful sounds we all love. From the keys to the hammers to the strings and soundboard, every part of a piano plays an essential role in producing its unique sound. Whether you’re a musician or simply an admirer of the piano, understanding its anatomy can deepen your appreciation for this remarkable instrument.
How Much a Grand Piano Weighs?
Grand pianos are designed with a variety of features that make them so prized among musicians—of course, with all those features, comes the need for an instrument big enough to house them all!
A question that customers keep asking us is: How much a Grand Piano Weigh?
Now, we will be exploring the weight breakdowns for some of the most common kinds of grand pianos
(as well as a few reasons why opting for a professional move might save you time, money, and sore muscles!). Take a look.
How the grand piano earned its name
The Oxford Dictionary defines something “grand” as “denoting the largest or most important item of its kind.” When it comes to the prized grand piano, this description is more than fitting! Concert grand pianos can reach more than 1,000 pounds (that’s half a ton, or a quarter of the weight of your car!). “Parlor” or living room grands are slightly smaller, but still weigh in at more than 600 or 700 pounds. When it comes to your baby grand piano—the smallest of the family—you’re still dealing with a sizable instrument that can weigh more than 500 pounds.
Your grand piano might just be the biggest piece of “furniture” in your home. Even enormous, high-tech refrigerators will rarely climb past 300 or so pounds. Today’s smart, flat-screen TVs are large but thin and light—with most weighing below 50 pounds—while your three-seater sofa will typically weigh below 300. Your grand piano is built with quality—not portability—in mind, so it takes careful equipment to move it safely.
Shape matters, too
Of course, the shape of a grand piano also adds to its difficulty in moving. With a large soundboard that extends far beyond the playing area, your instrument is asymmetrical and, as a result, tough to balance between two, three, or even four inexperienced movers on their own.
Different types and qualities of wood can also impact the weight of your piano. And, it all depends on the brand. For instance, some brands, such as Bösendorfer or Fazioli, or some older pianos, can sometimes be heavier than a standard Steinway. As you can see, there are many factors that affect the weight of your piano.
The effects of heavy lifting
We all know the basic moving rules—lift with your legs, not with your back—but even these smart tips can’t always help you move something as large as the grand piano. Moving can be tricky enough, so don’t worry about taking a toll on your muscles during the process. Our equipment can help handle even the heaviest of grands, so that you can focus on the other elements of your big move.
Let Miami Piano Movers do the heavy lifting! We have the tools and expertise needed to get your grand piano—no matter how heavy—to your next destination.
How to Select the Perfect Piano
Perhaps you used to play piano as a kid, but life put that hobby on hold. Or maybe you’re just getting started with the instrument, regardless of your age.
Whatever your unique situation, the fact remains that playing piano is a timeless joy. In fact, some health experts say practicing and performing music can actually improve mood and help you live longer. What better reason to start playing, or pick up where you left off?
Of course, the first step is finding a piano to play. But not just any instrument will do. Instead, it’s best to find the right piano for your specific desires and requirements. Here’s how to get started:
Know Your Budget
As with any purchase, pianos come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and price tags. From inexpensive to luxury prized possessions, the first step in finding the right piano for you is to assess how much you’re willing to spend.
For instance, casual players might be content with a solid and functional piano that fits their basic needs. However, if you play professionally (or are looking to start), it might be wise to invest in a larger and more exquisite instrument that can help you secure performance events.
Regardless of price, it’s important to select a piano in good working order. Instruments in need of excessive repairs and tuning will quickly add unnecessary cost to your purchase.
Consider Space
Pianos range in size from a grand piano to a parlor player and everything in between. Along with budgetary requirements, the amount of space you’re able or willing to commit to a piano will determine the type of instrument you’ll decide on.
Some players have opted to forego large furniture or other décor in their homes, in order to fit their pianos into certain rooms. Whatever your choice and space limitations, don’t let logistics get in the way of fully enjoying the instrument.
While you might be wondering how to move a piano, the fact is that there are many safe, convenient, and affordable methods. That includes partnering with a trusted and dependable piano moving company.
Evaluate Your Playing Style
As mentioned, it’s wise to first determine how and when you’ll use your piano. Consider that the soundboard and length of strings are integral factors in the overall sound the instrument can produce.
That means a grand piano produces greater volume and resonance than a smaller instrument. Still, these pianos are typically used to play classical music. If you’ll be playing mostly jazz, pop, or another genre, you may want to see another style.
Also, consider that smaller pianos have fewer keys. This could be important, depending on your desired octave range and other factors. On the other hand, children and beginner piano players might benefit from (and be less intimidated by) pianos with fewer keys.
Assess All Options
In the end, the “perfect” piano is the one that’s best for you. That stated, and whatever your specific situation, it’s important not to let price or any other factor get in the way of accomplishing your musical goals.
Some folks own a piano that’s currently stored in another locale. That’s when using a piano delivery service makes sense. In the last 20 years, we’ve helped countless people across the country safely and efficiently move their pianos. Fully licensed and insured, our trucks are specifically-engineered for transporting these majestic instruments.
In addition, our climate-controlled and security-monitored warehouses ensure your piano is protected and secure at all times. That’s partly why we’re known as the most reliable and reputable Florida piano movers. We ship and pick up from anywhere in the contiguous United States. International shipments can also be arranged.
Contact us today to learn more about how convenient, affordable, and safe it is to transport your piano with Miami Piano Movers.
How to Choose the Best Piano for New Players
Learning to play the piano is an exciting and challenging journey. While many new players begin taking lessons outside the home, they still need a piano of their own so they can practice. For those new to the piano world, it can be difficult to know how to select the right option.
There are a lot of decisions to make, from the model and the price point to which piano moving company you choose. Here are a few tips for choosing the best piano for new players.
Consider a Used Piano
New piano players are often tempted to purchase a brand-new piano, but that often isn’t necessary. Even under average conditions, a piano can last 50 years. Consider purchasing a used piano from a former player or a family who no longer needs it.
You can have the piano inspected to make sure of your purchase before taking it home. Investing in a used piano is often less expensive and it will work just as well as a brand-new model.
Decide on Keys
When choosing a piano for a new player, know how many keys you are looking for. While standard pianos have 88 keys, digital pianos and keyboards can also come with 72 or 66 keys.
While a lot of music can be played on any keyboard, some music requires all 88 keys — particularly classical music. If you are a new piano player and not interested in classical play, you’ll likely be just fine with 66 keys.
Consider the Future
When you are new to playing the piano, it can be difficult to determine right away what your piano future will look like. But this is an important consideration when purchasing a new piano.
If you are an adult who wants to play casually, there’s no need to invest in an expensive, classic keyboard.
However, if you are purchasing for a new young player who plans on taking lessons for years, more of an investment may be warranted. Remember, you can always start out with an affordable option and upgrade down the road.
Consult an Expert
When choosing a piano, the best thing you can do is take your time and consult the help of an expert. Most piano stores will have staff who are knowledgeable and more than happy to help you with a recommendation.
Piano experts have years of experience that they can leverage to help you determine what works best for you. They will usually let you try out various models. If you are new to piano, there’s no replacement for the recommendation of an expert.
After Your Purchase, Hire a Piano Moving Company
With the excitement of a new piano, it can be easy to overlook the details, like moving the piano to its new location. Miami Piano Movers are your best bet to ensure your new purchase gets to its destination unharmed.
The last thing you want is to spend time selecting a piano that’s right for you only to have it damaged during the move. Don’t take any chances with your new piano — hire a piano moving company.
Piano Maintenance, Tuning, refinish and Cleaning (Page):
How Often Should I Have My Piano Tuned
This is one of the most frequently asked questions by piano owners everywhere and applies to people who regularly play their piano at home. Optimally, you want to have your piano tuned twice a year and it all has to do with the weather. Temperature changes and humidity can have a strong effect on a piano’s working parts. That’s why we recommend getting your piano tuned twice a year in line with the changing seasons. This means you should be tuning your piano once in the spring and once in the fall.
However, this changes when it’s a brand new piano, in which case we recommend having it tuned four times in the first year of ownership. That’s one time for every season. This proactive tuning will help your new piano stretch its strings and allow your instrument to remain tuned for longer between sessions.
This of course is all based on how much you use the piano and personal preference. For example, a recording studio will have the piano tuned before each recording session. Professional pianists will ensure to have their piano tuned before each performance.
But overall, Miami Piano Movers recommendation is to have your piano tuned twice a year, which will not only make your music sound better but will increase the lifespan of your instrument.
Piano Maintenance: Humidity Control
Pianos are very particular when it comes to weather. They don’t like it too hot or too cold and they need the humidity to be perfect. This is an important factor to consider all year long.
Pianos are made of wood and that’s what causes all the problems. Wood is amazing for producing a piano’s signature sound, but wood is also very sensitive to environmental changes. Moisture in the air will cause the wood to contract and expand. So, you may be wondering, why is that so bad?
Problems Humidity Can Cause To Your Piano
Turning pins become loose.
Steel strings can start rusting.
Tuning will become unstable.
Felts may harden.
Swelling in action parts and keys could result in sluggish and sticking notes.
Just as too much humidity can cause issues for your piano, so can too little humidity in the air. A good rule of thumb in the winter is that if your skin is feeling dry because your heater is cranked, chances are that your piano could be in danger of being damaged. Here are a few things you can do to mitigate this problem during the coldest months of the year:
Never Place Your Piano Near:
Fireplaces
Radiators
Heating vents
Ovens/Stoves
Space heaters or gas heaters
Drafty windows
You should also consider how sunlight falls across the room during the day. It’s best to avoid direct sunlight if at all possible. Some people used to say that you should never put the piano along an outside facing wall, but that point is irrelevant in today’s modern homes with their significant amounts of insulation. The safest bet is to add a humidity control system.
Your piano is made from thousands of parts but approximately 90% of your piano is just metal and wood. At first thought, those may sound like some of the most durable materials you could possibly use, but wood is actually a highly sensitive material when it comes to temperature. Changes in humidity and pressure will cause wood to shrink and swell. This movement of the wood then pushes against the metal parts. This is a recipe for broken and damaged piano parts affecting the quality of the piano’s sound and ultimately its overall health.
During the summer months, the wood inside your piano will take on a lot of moisture because it’s so hot and muggy. This humidity is a powerful force that’s hard to tame. Even the most energy-efficient home with the latest climate control technology will not perfectly protect the wood from absorbing moisture in the air. This causes the wood in your piano to swell. Contrarily in the winter, the super dry air will suck up any remaining moisture out of the wood and cause it to start shrinking. This back-and-forth game of shrinking and swelling can have a devastating effect on your piano’s metal and wooden parts as the years go on.
The action of wood swelling and shrinking with the changing seasons is causing great stress to your piano’s inner workings. It pushes the wood against the metal parts, which will make it harder and harder to tune your piano properly. Fun fact: There is actually more than 20,000lbs of pressure on your piano caused by the strings pulling on the tuning pins. The pins are attached and fastened to a large block of wood called a pin block.
With the constant shrinking and swelling of wood components, including the pin block, this wood will become less stable and could experience structural failure. All that pressure will pull the pins out of place causing the piano to go out of tune.
Humidity control systems will make your tuning last longer
Humidity control systems protect your piano’s value
Humidity control systems will extend the lifespan of your piano
These facts are important to know because there is something you can do to slow down your piano’s aging and preserve its health. You can’t stop the wood in your piano from absorbing moisture, but you can control how much humidity is inside your piano. You can have a top-of-the-line air conditioning unit or HVAC system in your house, but you will not be able to make conditions 100% perfect for your piano. There are always leaks near windows and doors that can affect your home’s environment. Thankfully, there is an affordable solution available to all piano owners.
Humidity Control Systems
There are humidity control systems made specifically to work with pianos. Essentially, these devices have built-in humidifiers and dehumidifiers to ensure a stable environment. You choose the setting and the system will work to maintain a consistent humidity level in the room where you keep your piano. This should eliminate virtually all shrinking or swelling of the wood, while also preserving the soundboard and metal tuning pins. In addition, the device should greatly reduce the occurrence of sticky keys and you’ll need to have your piano tuned way less often.
Need more? Here are some other benefits to humidity systems:
Rust prevention. These systems keep metallic elements in the piano such as the strings from rusting. Rust is poison for a piano, making the instrument more difficult to tune and even causing the strings to snap.
If your piano is projecting a harsh tone that sounds too bright, it could be that the humidity in the piano is preventing the hammers from hitting firmly enough to produce the right notes. Regulating the humidity will prevent this.
You’ll have a better shot at reducing glue failure in your piano. Moisture can loosen felt around the keys or glue that holds the dampers in place. If any of these malfunctions, it will cost you a lot of time and money to get them fixed.
It’s easier than ever to protect your piano’s fine finish.
Maintaining optimal humidity levels will also keep your hammers from getting too soft, which if left unchecked, could give your piano’s notes a muffled sound.
Piano Finish Care
Prevent direct sunlight and extreme temperatures
Avoid abrasions at all costs
Clean regularly
The piano stands out from all other musical instruments because, in most people’s homes, it also functions as a piece of furniture to admire. Throughout modern history, the piano has been such a staple of interior design in western culture. In fact, “piano finish” is generally used to describe the utmost quality in wood finishes for other furniture pieces including dining room tables and wardrobes. Taking the time and money to maintain your piano’s finish will extend its life and help you preserve the instrument’s value should you ever decide to sell it.
Things to Keep in Mind About a Piano’s Finish
The easiest way to maintain your piano’s finish is to avoid direct sunlight, extreme temperatures, and humidity as well as abrasion. Regular cleaning will help as well.
Humidity control is important for the internal components of your piano, but it’s just as important for the external finish. Wild temperature swings will trigger expansion and contraction of the woodwork, eventually leading to cracks and could even cause the finish to start separating from the wood.
Place your piano in a room where the temperature remains fairly stable and avoid direct sunlight. This will slow the aging process of your piano, preserving playability and lifespan while mitigating any fading that could occur.
To stop scratches on your piano’s finish, never set objects on top without a cloth or piece of felt underneath.
You should never put drinks or plants on your piano. Even the tiniest bit of condensation or spillage could majorly damage the finish.
Even the smallest specks of dust can cause abrasions. Avoid this by using a duster or damp fiber cloth. Don’t use coarser materials such as paper towels because their composition could scratch the piano’s finish.
Polish can leave your piano looking sharp, but don’t use it unless necessary. Standard household lemon or furniture polishes can hurt your piano. Overall, you should avoid using any aerosol products as these sprays can get inside the piano and hurt internal components including tuning pins, action parts, and strings.
One of the most recent advances in piano finishing treatments is the use of polyester. This modern chemical technology is designed to give you the best-looking finish and protection on the market today. Polyester is an incredibly stable material that is virtually impervious to the effects of weather changes. However, the downside of polyester is its strength. Having a solid layer on top of a constantly moving material such as wood can lead to cracks in the polyester, which could damage your piano’s wood by inflicting abrasions on the surface. However, this varies by piano, as some companies will use a special formula on top of a piano’s finish to give an additional stable layer of protection for the polyester to be applied onto.
Once this special layer and polyester are properly applied to the piano, your instrument’s finish should be indestructible with extra protection against the sun, heat, spills, and other threats which could potentially damage your piano’s finish. These added layers of security are as much as ten times thicker than a traditional lacquer, beautifying and protecting the wood from changes in humidity for years to come.
Many different types of wood finishes can be applied to a piano and it might be difficult to determine in some cases what original finish was used, so there is no universal rule for cleaning and polishing the finish of your piano, but here are few pointers to follow:
Don’t use polish not meant for pianos
Don’t put your piano in direct sunlight
Don’t use products containing silicates
It’s important to avoid using any products which contain silicone. Your piano’s finish will absorb silicone and can saturate the wood, leaving it damaged and making it difficult to repair.
When cleaning any piano, no matter the finish, you can never go wrong using a damp fiber cloth followed by a dry cloth. If your piano has a polyester finish, there are special polishes you can buy from piano stores.
Piano Regulation
What Is Piano Regulation?
There are about 37 adjustments for each key of a piano’s action mechanism, enabling you to play the instrument within a certain specification. Once the process is completed for one key, it must then be done on all the other 87 keys on the piano so that they all respond and feel the same. Despite having your piano regularly tuned by a professional, every piano needs regulation eventually. No amount of tuning or cleaning can prevent this necessary action from being taken.
The more you use your piano, the more often it will have to be regulated. The need can be accelerated by several factors including wooden parts suffering from excessive contraction and expansion, weakening of the piano’s steel springs, normal wear, and tear, felt compression, insects who like to chomp on the felt inside your piano, as well as general neglect of your instrument. The margins for error are small with pianos. Movement equivalent to a few thousandths of an inch with the piano’s tolerance can cause significant changes to the sound of your piano. You will notice a big difference in how the keys feel and the piano sounds. Parts of your piano will inevitably shift over time, so it’s important to have it regulated so you can get the best sound and keep your piano in a pristine and playable condition for all to enjoy.
Responsible piano owners will access regular service for their instruments. Even during a routine tuning, an experienced technician will search for issues with your piano’s action and perform some minor regulation fixes as required. A full-on regulation involves adjusting thousands of parts that comprise the action on a piano and this has to be scheduled separately from a standard tuning session because it takes so much time and focus to carry out. When done together, regular tuning and regulation adjustments of your piano will keep it in great condition and ensure that you and your family can enjoy playing it for years to come.
Piano Cleaning
Various types of materials have been used to cover piano keys throughout the years including:
Walrus
Plastic
Celluloid
Ivory
The tricky part about cleaning the keys also comes from the glue used to adhere the coverings to the keys themselves. You never know what today’s chemical cleaners will do when they react with the glues. The safest way to take care of these keys is to use a white cloth that’s been dampened and then follow that up with the use of a dry cloth. Under no circumstances should moisture penetrate the wood of the keys. If you must use something stronger, try a gentle soap mixed with water.
Cleaning Inside and Underneath Strings
You will occasionally need to clean the inside of your piano and underneath the strings. Use a vacuum to suck up all the dust and dirt that collects in the action cavity and other internal components of the piano. There are reasonably priced specialty tools that you can buy to clean the area beneath the strings.
Piano Voicing
Over time, the felt hammers in your piano will harden. Generally, this happens because the felt gets compressed from thousands of impacts over the years. That repeated contact with the strings will also form grooves in the felt. You’ll notice when the hammers are getting too hard when the piano will make notes with a brighter tone, which over time will become unpleasant to listen to.
Here are some instances when your piano could benefit from voicing:
The piano will no longer play softly
It doesn’t sound good even after a professional tuning
Your piano sounds different from when you bought it
You notice a radical variation between notes
When you voice the piano, you are altering the quality of tone for each note inside the instrument. This is done through a tension adjustment for each piece of hammer felt. Professionals will use needles to gently make the felt more flexible, reducing the tension on each hammer. Another method for adjusting a hammer’s tone response is to add special chemicals to the felt. This is an easy way to achieve similar effects. Voicing is the final step in the total overhaul and maintenance regime for a piano. Before voicing can be carried out, the piano must be in good tune and be in good regulation. The hammers should also be in good shape and not too worn out.
If they are the wrong shape, it may not be worth voicing at all. Keeping a good tone in your piano demands high-end hammer felt that has been maintained by professionals who could reshape and realign your old or worn-out hammers. Brand new pianos need voicing sometimes too. This operation should not take place until the piano has been moved into its final position in the new home. This is so your professional voicing technician can take into account the acoustics of the room. Taking the time to do this will ensure that your piano sounds as perfect as possible. Also, if you’re a serious pianist, you may desire a different shade of voicing than another pianist. It’s a very personal experience that needs to be discussed in detail before the voicing job takes place. Don’t be afraid to ask a lot of questions about how the piano will sound after the voicing is done.
Piano Hammers
As a piano is used through the years, its tone will change. It’s inevitable. The hammers will get worn out and compacted leading to a tone that’s too harsh and bright for many people’s liking. Most pianists should prefer to produce delicate and sweet-sounding notes. If parts of the action become uneven due to worn-out parts, preventing the fingers from properly transmitting motion to the hammers, the person playing the piano will lose the ability to control the tone as well as volume. As you regulate tone with the voicing of your piano, you might notice it’s very much like moving the bass or treble up and down on your favorite stereo system. A lot of piano owners don’t know that the tone of their instrument can be customized to meet their desired tastes. Voicing can also correct tone to work with the acoustics of a specific room as well to compensate for an old or deteriorating piano. A good tuning by a professional should take place before voicing begins. The technician needs to do this so that they can assess the piano’s current tone and identify the instrument’s most dire needs. While needles are often used to soften the felt on the hammers, some people like to use a chemical solution. Once the felt has been made more pliable, the technician can adjust individual notes to the piano owner’s liking. A pianist’s inspiration can be greatly increased with a well-tuned and voiced piano that’s been maintained by professional hands.
How To Whiten Ivory Piano Keys:
Pianos used to have ivory keys before they were banned in the 1950s in the USA while Europe followed shortly after in the 1980s. It’s impossible to find a new piano with ivory keys these days, but a simple web search will yield plenty of vintage instruments. Ivory keys have a unique touch and grip that made them quite popular in the 1940s. They were porous, so they always felt cool to the touch. The entire key wasn’t made of ivory but rather the thin keytop layer. There were some downsides to ivory keys though. Do you own a high-end piano, or have you ever come across an old piano made prior to the 1950’s? If so, chances are that your piano has a high probability of being made of ivory keys. The first visible thing you will notice is the keys are dull and yellowish which is a characteristic that happens to ivory over time. Do you want to know how you can whiten ivory piano keys? I will explain several helpful ways to accomplish this task.
To whiten ivory piano keys is by using a combination of white toothpaste and milk. Below are steps to whiten your discolored keys safely:
Squeeze a small amount of toothpaste onto a dry cloth.
Begin gently buffing the piano keys one by one.
Allow the toothpaste to rest for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Take another cloth and dip it in milk.
Buff the toothpaste off of the keys with the milk dipped cloth.
Dry the piano keys with a new cloth.
Check for leftover residue and wipe until completely dry.