Stay Tuned with Advanced Pianos: Tips for Piano Maintenance, Tuning & Repair

"There's many a good tune played on an old piano"

Stay in Tune with Your Piano

Even a starter piano can be a big investment. Yet, with proper care,(regular 6 monthly or yearly tuning) your piano will maintain or even increase its value over its lifetime.

Never try to tune or repair your piano yourself. Pianos, with their over-500 working parts, are very complex and what you believe is causing the problem may not be the real problem at all! In our experience, we find that amateur piano repairs often increase repair expenses and may decrease the value of your piano. Even a repair that seems as simple as reglueing an ivory needs to be done with the proper supplies and the precision tools we use at Advanced Pianos.

We've put together the following tips to help you and your piano stay in tune!

Piano Maintenance

Environment

A friendly environment is as important to your piano as it is to you.

Don't let your piano get sunburned! Keep your room in filtered light. In addition to damaging the finish of your piano, the heat of the sun can cause major problems in the working parts of your piano.

Try to maintain an even room temperature. Keep your piano distant from fireplaces, heating and air conditioning vents, and out of drafty areas caused by open windows and exterior doors.

Either too little or too much humidity can cause problems with the inner mechanics of your piano and also damage the glues and felts used on your piano. Ideally, a humidity of 40% to 50% will keep your piano in top condition.

Piano Care

Keep plants, cut flower arrangements, beverages and any liquids away from your piano to prevent spills that can ruin your piano's finish and may damage the internal piano components.

In case of a spill inside your piano or between piano keys, don't try to mop it up. Call Advanced Pianos to find the correct solution to the problem!

Never try to dust the inside of your piano. Don't touch strings, felts, or other internal parts of your piano. The natural oils from your fingers may also leave residues on piano parts that cause damage. Let Advanced Pianos take care of interior cleaning during regular piano tuning and maintenance.

Pianos usually have one of two types of finish, the traditional matte lacquer piano finish or the newer polymer finishes.

Rub a liquid furniture polish into the lacquer finish of your piano. Moisturizers in liquid furniture polishes are great for maintaining the balance in the external wood of lacquer-finished pianos.

The newer polymer piano finishes are easy care and generally only need regular dusting with any clean, soft cloth. If your piano becomes soiled, use a weak solution of mild detergent and water and clean it with a soft, damp (not wet) cloth, immediately wiping away any moisture with a clean, dry cloth.

Keep all strong chemicals and cleaners away from your piano. Bleach damages the finish and other wooden parts of a piano. Solvents like alcohols (including liquor!) and paint thinners can damage both the piano's finish and its key covers.

Always make sure you play your piano with clean hands. Use only a damp cloth to clean key surfaces.

Piano Tuning

With some exceptions, you should schedule piano tuning twice a year.

New pianos and those that are moved from one climate to another generally need four tunings during their first year in their new environment. When you neglect piano tuning for an extended period (two or more years), your piano may fall out of pitch and need several quarterly tunings to correct the pitch.

How often your piano needs tuning also depends on its environment, age, model, and frequency of use.

Schedule tunings a month into autumn and a month into spring to counterbalance heating and air-conditioning changes as well as differences in seasonal temperatures. Regular piano tunings also allow us to repair small piano problems before they become major expenses.

Moving Your Piano

Even a small piano is no lightweight! Because of its many parts, moving your piano requires special tools and the personalized attention you get from Advanced Pianos.

To prevent injury to yourself as well as damage to your piano, always use piano moving professionals. Unlike furniture movers, at Advanced Pianos, we have the expertise and the tools to prepare your piano for the move, load it, transport it, and set it up in its new home.

After moving your piano, be sure to schedule a piano tuning a week or two after your move (to allow your piano time to "settle in"). It's also a great time to let us give your piano a thorough checkup!

We're Keeping Australia in Tune!

We hope our tips help you get a lifetime of enjoyment from your piano. Contact Advanced Pianos for experienced, affordable services in piano tuning, repair, and moving!