6 Tips For Keeping Your Piano Well-Tuned
If you own a piano and want to play it on a regular basis and not just use it as a decorative piece, you need to keep your piano tuned. There are steps you can take on your own to keep your piano tuned and other steps that will require professional assistance.
Tip #1: Clean the Outside of Your Piano
Start by dusting the outside of your piano. Ideally, you should dust the outside of your piano daily. By keeping the outside of your piano clean, you should be able to keep dust from getting into the inside of your piano.
Tip #2: Clean the Strings Inside Your Piano
Taking care of the strings on your piano is one of the most basic steps you can personally take to keep your piano well-tuned. Dust can really have a negative impact on the way your piano sounds.
After you dust the outside of your piano, open the lid and dust the strings off inside the piano. Use a microfiber cloth to wipe off the strings. Then, use a nylon brush to further clean the strings. These are the two best methods you can use to clean the strings.
You can also use a vacuum with an arm attachment to clean the strings. Gently hover the arm attachment over the strings to remove the dust; don't directly touch the arm attachment to the strings, as this could damage them.
Tip #3: Clean Off the Sounding Board
You also need to clean the soundboard. Use a long, flat cleaning brush to remove the dust from the soundboard. You can find dusters that are long and flat that will smoothly allow you to wipe off the sounding board without encountering other elements of your piano.
Tip #4: Keep the Hammers in Good Shape
Third, you need to take care of the hammers on your piano. The hammers are made from felt and should look nice and rounded, without any grooves. If you notice your hammers have grooves in them, that is the time to bring in a professional to file the hammers down so that they are smooth. With regular care and inspections, you will know when this needs to be done.
Tip #5: Get a Professional Inspection
At least once a year, if not more often, you should hire a professional piano tuner to come and tune your piano. A professional piano tuner will not only make sure your piano sounds good, but they will also fix minor issues with your pianos, such as a bolt that is loose, a string that is worn-out, or a hammer that is worn-down.
Tip #6: Play Your Piano
After you dust or take care of your piano, you should always test your piano. Testing your piano is the best way to make sure that everything still sounds right and will allow you to identify if something is off after you clean your piano. Additionally, playing your piano every day, even for just five minutes, will help keep your piano tuned.
When it comes to keeping your piano well-tuned, you can dust the strings and keep the sounding board clean. Hire a professional to keep the hammers in shape and test the piano to make sure it is properly working.
For more information, contact a piano tuner.
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