If you are a professional musician you already know how to take care of your instrument. Perhaps instead you have a piano you play ocassionally or you bought or were given one that ends up more of a piece of furniture. Pianos are complex machines and beautifully crafted pieces of art in one. As to complexity a full grand piano  has over 12,000 parts, 10,000 of them moving. The craftsmanship combines as much as a dozen species of wood in a single piano. Pianos, made mostly of wood, have many pieces that can change slightly in shape and size due to temperature and humidity. To be kept in prime condition and to look and play at their full potential they must be regularly cared for.

What is involved in the care and upkeep of a piano? What services are available for my piano?

With all services, deciding what an appropriate level of commitment or responsibility is, will be important. Top care is ideal for all pianos, but especially suited to pianos worth a few thousand or more. Folks owning $700 pianos will want to adjust accordingly. Expert local piano service companies can provide:

• Tuning. A well tuned piano invites play but also keeps tensions in balance. Professional recommendations are for twice per year. Basic tuning means being in tune relative to itself. Ideal tuning is to concert pitch in which A is set to 440 cycles per second. Regular tuning will move a piano which is  off of A 440, slowly toward its mark so as not to damage the piano.
• Regulation. Regulation involves aligning the movement from keys to actions to strings. It is ideal to check and perform regulation service along with tunings rather than reserving it for a once-in-a-long-while activity. As with other components, temperature, humidity, and playing affect actions and they need to be attended to.
• Voicing. The tonal quality of the piano is affected by the hardness of the felts. Your preferences for bright, medium, or soft come into play here. Technicians have many techniques with which to adjust for these.
• Restoration and Rebuilding. Any number of the wooden piano parts can become broken or damaged and these must be expertly repaired. Metal and other parts can wear out. For perspective, there is eighteen tons of pressure across the strings of a piano; closer to thirty tons on a grand. This is the opposite end of the universe from the DIYer.
• Refinishing. The nicer the piano the more important it is to use a professional with ample experience with pianos and fine furniture. Less valuable works might come under the realm of the carpenter, painter, or DIYer. I once owned a piano with a colorful history, over a century old, but whose exterior was of veneer wood. It had a solid cast brass sound board. It was interesting, very heavy, and worth very little! Low end pianos are open season for your own artistic whims.
• Appraisals. The voice of a professional here is worth more than your friends.
• Moving. Maybe it is okay to move an inexpensive piano with two guys and a truck, but you will likely have to get it tuned. Professional piano movers know their craft and should be used with pianos of value. Real movers secure internal moving parts without damaging them.
• Storage. Piano storage is tricky. A number of storage companies offer “heated storage.” This still results in a variance from the thermostat setting of around 60 degrees to as hot as it gets in summer. They may have an insulated building and attic space which helps, but not AC. Piano storage worthy of the name will have temperature stabilized within 15 or at most 20 degrees and fairly stable humidity.

Pianos are ubiquitous. Some are not worth much and you can guide their journey as you please. Others are invaluable. Most deserve to be treated with respect.

Find a recommended local expert piano service technician near you