Chapter 26: Care, Maintenance, and Moving

Where to Put Your Piano

The comments in this chapter mainly apply to acoustic pianos, as they are generally more susceptible to damage due to changes in temperature, humidity, and so on. However, there are also some care and maintenance issues to bear in mind when using electronic keyboards.

Before going to buy an acoustic piano, you should decide where you are going to put it (i.e., in which room in your house). Of course, you’ll want the piano to be in a visually pleasing location, especially as it is an elegant piece of furniture. The two main places to avoid are a) near a window that gets direct sunlight, and b) near a heating or air conditioning duct, or radiator.

Sunlight is not good for acoustic pianos. The wood can become dried out or warped over time, and the ultraviolet rays can damage the finish, causing blisters or bleaching to occur. Eventually, this can also affect the keys and hammers, causing the piano to go out of tune. So although you may be tempted to place it near the window so you can be inspired by the view— don’t! Electronic keyboards are somewhat “hardier,” however it’s still not a great idea to place them in direct sunlight.

Sudden temperature changes are also not good for your piano, and can cause the piano to go out of tune. Even worse are abrupt changes in humidity levels. These cause the wood in the piano to shrink or swell, which can result in cracking and damage to the joints. The expansion of the wood also causes the tuning pins to slip, and the piano to go out of tune. Condensation can also result from high humidity, which can then rust the metal parts. Many acoustic piano owners use a humidifier to regulate humidity levels in the room where the piano is located, and you can get these from your piano dealer, or from a department store. Good ventilation in the room also helps, as it prevents excess moisture from building up inside the piano.

You also want your piano in a place that is accessible and easy for you to play. Most people put pianos in a “main room” of the house, such as the family room or living room. This normally works, but make sure you can play the piano when you want to (i.e., if it’s near the TV, you may be constrained during your family’s favorite programs!). If this is a problem, consider putting the piano in a spare room (if there is enough space). If you live in an apartment, condo, or town house, you’ll want to consider any potential disturbance to your neighbors. For example, you should avoid placing the piano next to a wall shared by your neighbor, or in a room above their bedroom. These factors are not a problem with electronic keyboards, which will normally have a “headphone output” for practicing, and are also more portable than their acoustic counterparts. Lighting is also an important factor to keep in mind. I’ve played in plenty of dimly-lit clubs over the years, but when I’m playing at home, I like plenty of light, whether or not I’m actually reading music. If the room your piano is in needs some more light, you can always set up an extra lamp near your keyboard.

Keeping Your Piano Clean and Healthy

An important rule to remember, whether you’re playing an acoustic or electronic piano: never allow yourself or anybody else to have food or drink around your keyboard. Drink spilled onto an electric keyboard is very likely to cause damage, and is also dangerous if the instrument is switched on! An acoustic piano is also very vulnerable to damage in this way, as it has many delicate moving parts and mechanisms inside. Don’t even think about it!

Many acoustic piano owners use a feather duster to dust the piano keys and other parts. Periodically you’ll want to get in between the keys to clean a little more thoroughly, which is ideally done with a small paintbrush (one that hasn’t been used for painting!). When cleaning the wood surface, you can use a soft damp cloth, or a cleaner that is recommended by your piano dealer. In our house we use a Mirror Glaze™ finish enhancer on our Young Chang grand piano, with good results. I’ve always used Windex™ or a similar glass cleaner on my electronic keyboards (while they are turned off of course!) and this has worked fine.

Don’t use regular furniture polish on your grand piano. This can ruin the finish!

Periodically your acoustic piano will also need to be tuned. This is done normally after the piano has been moved, and on average every 6–12 months afterwards. If your piano also doubles as a “studio” piano, you’ll normally get it tuned at the beginning of each recording session.

Unless you are one of the small handful of pianists who are also expert tuners, always get a professional tuner to tune your piano, rather than tinker with it yourself. There are lots of good technical reasons for this… just take my word for it!

A piano tuning will generally last a couple of hours or so, and will cost around $70–$100 for a good technician. If you don’t know any piano tuners, I suggest you get a recommendation from your teacher or local music store. Playing your piano right after it has been tuned by an expert will be a sheer delight, and well worth the cost!

If you need to get an instrument repaired (whether acoustic piano or electronic keyboard), again it’s always best to use a professional technician. If you’re buying a new instrument, hopefully you shouldn’t have to worry about repairs for a while! If buying used, however, this situation is more likely to come up (sort of like with cars!). On acoustic pianos, you may get problems such as broken strings, broken hammers or dampers, or even a broken soundboard if the piano is not moved properly or has been exposed to humidity changes. On electronic keyboards, you may get problems such as the unit not powering on, distorted sound, no sound at all, LCD not working or showing gibberish, keys or buttons getting stuck, and so on. If you don’t know a qualified technician or repair center, you can inquire at your music store or dealer, or directly with the manufacturer. Most professional-level keyboards these days are pretty sturdy, and should work hassle-free for a long time, provided they are not abused!

Moving Your Piano

I have one very important piece of advice to give you in this section:

Always use a professional, qualified piano mover when moving your piano (for example, when you’re moving to another house). Never try to move it yourself or with a group of friends, and don’t trust your regular “home movers”! Piano movers are specially trained to move these instruments, which are much more than furniture.