24 December 2021 Can I Buy a Piano With Ivory Keys?

Can I Buy a Piano With Ivory Keys?

posted by

What does buying a new piano mean to you? Are you looking for an antique, one that graced the home of an influential person in the past? If you’ve done your research and focused on one from years ago, you might have found a piano with ivory keys. 

Is it legal to buy it?

Real ivory keys on a piano may be beautiful, but they are also illegal. Ivory keys were made from the tusks of elephants or similar animals and filed into ivory veneers that fit delicately on the piano key tops. They are made from keratin – the same material as hair and fingernails. Ivory has the added bonus of having a slightly rough texture, which gives you the grip you need while you play. 

The ivory trade worldwide came to a halt in 1989 with the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES). This put into law that anything using real ivory would no longer be able to be bought or sold, shipped across state lines, or out of the country. This applies to all ivory – from small statues to entire pianos made from ivory.  A complete ban made the value drop, and the desire to trade non-existent. 

Still, ivory is out there. What if you own it?

Although you cannot buy, sell, or trade ivory anywhere in the world, you can keep ivory if it’s already yours. If a piano with ivory keys is already in your family, the idea of not wasting something that’s already in place comes into use. 

Just keep in mind that they have no value. The keys only have a small veneer that sits on top. It’s not the entire piano key made from ivory. This thin slice would have little value even if you could trade it. 

Because they are made from a material similar to your fingernail, they are also likely to crack and break over time. 

Restoration services may be able to reattach ivory if it falls off. They also have the ability to match ivory with cruelty-free replacements. Thanks to today’s materials and technology, they can often replace it to look so close to the original, you’ll be hard pressed to tell which one isn’t ivory. 

If you no longer want your ivory keyboard, restoration technicians do take it in to replace other vintage pianos and keep them as original as possible. This is to ensure that this precious resource doesn’t go to waste. Donation is the only way to part with this material. 

Do you have a piano with ivory keys? 

Filed Under: Buying a Piano Tagged With:
21 December 2021 Finding a New Piano To Best To Suit Your Needs?

Finding a New Piano To Best To Suit Your Needs?

posted by

Certain products are easy to buy. You visit a store, pick one off the shelf, and bring it home to use. 

Finding a new piano is a little more difficult. If you do any research at all, you’ll quickly discover that pianos come in all shapes and sizes, and are rated and ranked in a way you might not understand. 

But that doesn’t make the decision process difficult. With a little research, you can determine what type of piano is right for your needs. 

In general, there are two groups of pianos: performance-grade and consumer-grade. 

Performance-grade pianos are designed with:

  • The highest standards
  • Custom refinements that expert players will notice
  • Individual care, in small quantities that ensure a legendary status
  • Performance features in mind. They are built with music halls in mind. 

Performance-grade pianos are the brand names everyone in the industry knows. They are handcrafted to achieve perfection in both looks and sound. 

Consumer-grade pianos are built to be sold at an affordable price. While they might not be completely mass produced, they do have materials, workmanship, and prices that reflect affordability to those who choose to play at a hobby or amateur scale. 

While every piano is built separately and will bring its own nuances to the music, you’ll notice fewer differences when you compare a consumer-grade piano. They are designed to be the workhorses of the industry. They are created to bring the joy of music to everyone who chooses to do so. 

If you’re new to playing the piano, a quality consumer-grade piano will give you years of enjoyment. The more you practice and play, the more your skills will develop as a pianist. That’s when it may be time to move up in design, and invest in a piano that better suits your needs. 

Are you ready to invest in a new piano? How can we help you find the best one to suit your needs?  

Filed Under: Buying a Piano Tagged With:
18 December 2021 Piano or Technology? Which Offers Your Child More Benefits?

Piano or Technology? Which Offers Your Child More Benefits?

posted by

You don’t have to look very far to determine how we’re incorporating technology into children’s lives. From birth on, we focus on technology. Ever seen a child under one with a smartphone in hand? Whether they’re watching videos or listening to sounds, they’re already enthralled with these handheld devices. 

But is that for the best? There’s no denying our culture pushes STEM on kids from the time they can walk. But are they missing out on something greater? 

Can music still benefit humans? Is piano still a skill set that benefits a child’s life? Should you bring piano or technology into their daily activities? Are there enough reasons to bring both to life? 

Today’s kids will pick up digital skills; it’s required in the classroom. They get it whether you introduce it or not. 

But piano brings a lot of other benefits to a child’s life, all of which can help them for a lifetime.

Piano playing helps develop intellect

The mere act of learning music, understanding how notes come together to create sound, can help develop and improve a child’s IQ. They become better at focusing, which means they focus better at school and work activities. 

Piano playing improves listening

There’s a lot that goes into playing the piano: hand-eye coordination, music reading, and listening to name just a few. They also have to listen to the instructor and put new skills into play. If you teach piano early in life, it’s a skill that will help them for a lifetime. 

Piano playing provides stress relief

Unlike sports, piano is a skill that can last a lifetime. There’s something calming about sitting down at the keyboard and losing yourself in a song. You can’t do that kicking or throwing a ball in your seventies or eighties. Plus, there is significant evidence that music theory helps with memory as you age. 

Piano playing boosts self esteem

Whether they showcase their work individually, or join a band and create music together, this is one way children can express themselves creatively, and enjoy the process. It’s a great way to teach kids that if they set goals, they can accomplish anything. And hear the outcome after a little hard work. 

There’s no question technology will be a part of your child’s life. It’s the way of the world. 

Music offers additional benefits you can’t find in a computer keyboard. Whether they’re dreaming of starring in the next pop band, or you simply want to instill a lifelong love of music, piano may be the perfect way to achieve your goals. 

Filed Under: Piano Playing Tagged With:
14 December 2021 What Piano Playing Offers Kids In a Technology Driven World

What Piano Playing Offers Kids In a Technology Driven World

posted by

Helping kids select suitable after-school activities can be challenging. Sports will keep them active. The arts will broaden their perspective. With so many choices, what’s a parent supposed to do?

While there was once a piano in almost every home, the numbers have been declining. Even for those parents that value music, there are a wide array of options. Is piano the right choice? Or violin? Or what about technology – should you rely on apps to bring music to life?

The way we learn has also changed in recent years. While it once took hours of research and attention to understand a subject, now, with a click of a mouse, you can open up entire databases on a topic and learn something new in an afternoon. 

Especially Generation Z and beyond, their attention spans are quite different from older generations. We’re now living with instant gratification. Unless you’re committed to a lifetime in the arts, many wonder what point really is. 

Piano is a core instrument in the world of music. That’s because it’s one of the easiest instruments to learn, and it’s unique in playing both melody and accompaniment with every song. You can play and enjoy it alone, or bring in other instruments for blending. If you want to progress in music, piano is one of the best places to start. 

It’s also a gift that keeps on giving. If a child plays soccer as a child, they may enjoy the game for a lifetime, but won’t be able to participate for more than a handful of decades. With a piano, it can bring a lifetime of enjoyment. It’s as easy to sit down at a piano at 10 as it is at 100. 

Studies also show that piano brings many benefits at every age. It helps with reading and comprehension skills. It can enhance hand-eye coordination. More medical students have a past in musical arts. And as you age, it can enhance memory association, and is often used in various therapies. It brings a calming effect to help reduce stress at any age. 

Whether you’re looking for an activity for your child, or want to pick up a new hobby for yourself, there’s never been a better time to bring the piano into your life. 

Filed Under: Piano Playing Tagged With:
10 December 2021 It’s Time To Prepare For Your Christmas Recital

It’s Time To Prepare For Your Christmas Recital

posted by

Running a piano business is an ebb and flow of keeping your students excited. 

For many, students get started in new directions in August and September as the temperatures cool down and we start spending more time inside. It’s fun to dig into new pieces and discover talent all over again. 

Yet after weeks of practice, as the days grow shorter, attention spans start to wane in late October or early November. That’s when preparing for a Christmas recital can add pizzazz back into your piano students’ routine. 

The best place to start is by selecting your piano recital date and moving backward for planning purposes. Whether you meet in person or handle everything virtually, your students should feel prepared, not overwhelmed. 

Because a lot happens in the month of December, select a date that works for your students. The end of November or early December is often best. 

Then have each student choose their favorite music. You can help by ensuring the music they select is skill-appropriate. Will they have enough time to learn the piece? Will it be enough of a challenge to keep them on their toes? 

Stress that this process shouldn’t overwhelm. If they enjoy a song, it’s often easier to play the tune. 

Like other music they learn, they don’t have to be good at playing the very first time they sit down with the music. Break it up into sections, giving them a chance to learn the song in small bursts. Then put it all tougher when they’re comfortable with the individual sections. 

You can also work with your students to create different themes. Maybe you’ll focus on winter wonderland, or how about a gingerbread theme? This gives an added boost of excitement to the recital, knowing everyone who participates will approach the theme in their own unique way. 

As a teacher, you stress to your students that repetition is key. This is especially true now that a deadline is in place. Continue to stress that to your students as the big day approaches. Keep fun in the process by adding to the theme. Maybe they collect gingerbread stickers by practicing and achieving goals. If they receive enough, they get a “holiday surprise” on the day of the recital. 

On the day of the event, being present is everything. Make it a fun process for you, your students, and their families. While listening to every performance is key, you can incorporate other short games and projects into the process to keep everyone entertained. 

Make this a day to remember! It’s something your students will look forward to each and every year. 

Filed Under: Piano Playing Tagged With:
4 December 2021 How To Tell When Your Piano Is Out Of Tune

How To Tell When Your Piano Is Out Of Tune

posted by

Whether you’ve been playing your piano for years, or have recently purchased your first piano, determining if your piano is out of tune seems like a straightforward task. If you play a few notes, you should be able to hear if something is “off.”

But it’s not as simple as that. 

It might be your first clue. If you play a song and it sounds tinny, sharp, or flat, it’s your first indication that it’s time for a tuning. 

But a piano’s pitch may be off long before you notice it in the way you play a song. 

Pianos can go out of tune for a number of reasons:

Humidity – humidity can impact your piano quickly, especially if it changes frequently inside your home. Music rooms should be kept at a minimum of 68 degrees, with humidity levels between 50 and 70 percent. Not only will a stable environment keep your piano in tune, but it will also prevent damage from the wood swelling. 

It’s always a good idea to be conscious about where you place the piano in the room. Too much direct sunlight can further damage the wood. If you notice consistent fluctuations in the temperature or humidity levels inside your music room, it may be wise to invest in a dehumidifier to help keep the room’s conditions constant. 

Lack of tuning – pianos need constant care. If it hasn’t been tuned in a while, it will take more maintenance to return it to playing conditions. When you work with a regular tuner, they can get a better understanding of what your piano needs to stay in tune. Once or twice per year is standard for a piano once it resides inside your home. 

If you haven’t tuned your piano in years, it might not be able to hold a tune without extensive restoration. A full inspection can help you further understand the condition of your piano. 

Poor tuning – while you can find videos online that will help you tune your piano, tuning isn’t something you can learn from watching a video. The best tuners have thousands of hours of experience. If you have your piano tuned, and realize it’s out of tune just a few short weeks later, there’s a chance it’s been poorly tuned. 

Tuning an acoustic piano today means using electronic instruments as well as a well-trained ear to determine the proper tone. Don’t look at price alone when selecting a tuner – some may cut corners simply to bring in a customer base. Once you’ve found a piano tuner that you trust, try to maintain the relationship to ensure your piano stays properly tuned. 

Age – age impacts playability. The older an instrument is, the more maintenance it will take to continue sounding its best. 

That’s not saying a used instrument is bad. If you know its history and maintenance schedule, it can be a great investment. Still, realize that everything has a useful life, and the older it gets, the greater chance it will need maintenance work to keep it in good working condition.  

When was the last time your piano was properly tuned? If a piano is out of tune, it won’t sound its best, and will be more difficult to play. To create the best sound possible from your piano, get it tuned today. 

Filed Under: Owning a Piano Tagged With:
28 November 2021 How To Whiten Your Yellow Piano Keys

How To Whiten Your Yellow Piano Keys

posted by

Pianos aren’t something you keep in a faraway corner of the house. Pianos are often center stage in the most frequently used room. What better way to bring music to the center of attention. It’s a great way to keep it in your family’s lives. 

Yet cleaning a piano can be a difficult chore. A soft microcloth can do wonders to keep the dust bunnies away. But what happens when your piano keys start yellowing? How do you whiten them in such a way as not to hurt the keys?

First step – determine if the piano keys are ivory or plastic

“Tickle the ivories” is a saying developed long ago when piano keys were still crafted from ivory. That practice has been illegal for decades, but if you have an antique piano handed down through the generations, you may still have a piano with ivory keys. 

Depending on what your keys are made of determines how you can restore the look of your keys. Plastic keys are smoother than ivory. They usually are jointed at the base. 

How to clean plastic or ivory piano keys

With both ivory and plastic, avoid using soap and water. If water seeps down between the keys, it can damage the inner workings enough to call in professional help. 

Avoid using harsh chemicals when you clean. Most cleaning products on the market today will harm the finish and do more damage to the keys. When in doubt, stick with basics. 

Always start with a soft cloth. Microfiber works well for a variety of cleaning needs. If you do use any liquid products, be sure to dab them onto the microfiber cloth before rubbing the keys. Liquid directly on a key spells disaster. 

Natural over chemicals is also best. Dilute vinegar in water. A little milk on ivory keys can also be a good choice. Ivory is dental bone; using a child’s toothbrush can help you get to all surface areas and whiten them up. 

For both types of keys, it’s important to clean one key at a time. Avoid rubbing the cloth over all keys at once – this is what can allow moisture to seep between the keys. Work back to front, allowing each key to dry thoroughly. 

If you have questions, it’s best to seek professional guidance before you begin. We can help recommend the right cleaning tools for the job. We can also recommend a professional to help you with the task. 

If it’s ivory, leave it alone

One final thought if you have yellowing ivory keys. Some people prefer them to age naturally, and consider yellow keys a part of the charm. This keeps the piano in age-appropriate condition, and may even add to the value. 

If authenticity is important, consider speaking with an expert before you make any changes to your piano.

Filed Under: Owning a Piano Tagged With:
24 November 2021 Owning a Piano With Ivory Keys – What You should Know

Owning a Piano With Ivory Keys – What You should Know

posted by

Tickle the ivories. It’s long been a phrase that refers to playing the piano, with possible roots referring to the fact that piano keys were once solely veneered with ivory. 

Of course, the use of ivory is no longer an acceptable practice. In fact, it’s illegal to sell anything made from ivory. 

That opens up a host of other questions about what happens if you have a piano with ivory keys. What do you do with it? Can you move it? Can you sell it? 

Until the 1940s, pianos were often constructed with an ivory veneer used to top the white piano keys. The key itself was created using wood, topped with a thin layer of ivory to give it fluidity. It didn’t require very much ivory – the top layer is paper-thin. That also means these coverings are prone to cracking, chipping, peeling, and flaking. You might also find they yellow pretty bad. 

The advantage of using plastic for the keys is they stay their true color, and hold up well, no matter how much playtime they receive.  

But if you have ivory piano keys on an antique or heirloom piano, what do you do? 

Selling this thin veneer ivory would be a waste of time. It’s such a small quantity, it wouldn’t have value. Plus, it’s illegal. Try to put up an ad with a piano with ivory keys, and it will be deleted as fast as you put it up on eBay or Craigslist. Try and move it with a professional moving company across some state lines, or to another country somewhere in the world, and you’ll receive another steadfast “no.” 

It’s a very small source of ivory, but it comes with a big problem. 

Some piano tuners, retailers, or restorers will buy out old pianos with ivory still in place. They save the keys for restoration projects where it’s important to keep the piano in original condition. Special consideration is given for this type of restoration. But even this has laws in place to ensure it isn’t overly used. 

Have additional questions about ivory piano keys? We’re here to help you find the answers you need. Give us a call today. 

Filed Under: Owning a Piano Tagged With:
21 November 2021 Are Piano Sales at Your Local College a Good Deal?

Are Piano Sales at Your Local College a Good Deal?

posted by

Whether you’re alumni of a local college, or live in an area where a university plays a big role in your community, you may have received a notification of piano sales at the end of each term. 

The concept may pique your attention. It seems like a good deal. 

The college sends out a message of a pending piano sale. The college has old pianos in its music school it needs to sell in order to make room for the new pianos it’s bringing on campus. These can be anywhere from practice instruments to concert pianos on display as pianists showcase their talents. 

Who doesn’t want a good deal? And when you combine it with the thought of helping out your local college or university, it’s a win/win for everyone. 

The trouble is, it’s not. 

What’s happening instead is a bait and switch tactic. A piano manufacturer or dealer approaches a school offering a few new pianos for free for the chance to open up and hold a sale for the public. The school gets a few free pianos. The dealer gets the opportunity to bring in a variety of pianos from their retail location and sell them to the public. 

Will you get the “good deals” promised in the advertisement? There are only a few of those available. Instead, you’ll be left bargaining with the dealer on purchasing a new or used piano directly from their saleroom floors. 

Here’s the other thing you should know: the proceeds do not benefit the college or university. The only way the school benefits is by receiving a few pianos in exchange for using the space to hold the sale. The college may get use of these “free” pianos for a year. But they won’t get a cut of each sale. 

The final thing to consider before buying from one of these events is about who will service your piano after the sale. With a dealer in your local community, you can always return with questions and concerns. Want a referral for a piano tuner? Have a question about the way your piano sounds? We’re here to make sure you fully enjoy the experience. 

When you buy through a piano sale on a local campus, you won’t have someone to return to for warranties or questions. You’ll be on your own. After spending potentially thousands on what started out as a good deal. 

Before you head out and shop at a college piano sale, stop by our retail location instead. We’ll be here for you today and tomorrow, and ensure you get the piano that works best for you. 

Filed Under: Buying a Piano Tagged With:
18 November 2021 How To Find The Right Piano Teacher

How To Find The Right Piano Teacher

posted by

Are you searching to find the right piano teacher? Whether you’re trying to find your first, or are looking for specific qualities to build on what you’ve already learned, there’s an art form to finding a piano teacher you’ll resonate with and work well with over time. 

Before you even begin the search, take a few moments and ask yourself a few questions. 

  • What do I hope to accomplish?
  • What are my goals?
  • How do I learn best, group or individual lessons?
  • How much time can I dedicate to lessons? To practice? 
  • How proficient do I hope to become? 
  • Do I want well-rounded instruction, with history and music theory? Or do I just want to play songs? 

Once you become more aware of your goals and desires, you can use that to find the best instruction to suit your needs. While there are a lot of great piano instructors out there, they won’t all necessarily be what’s best for you. Don’t be afraid to interview a variety of them before you settle on the right one for you. 

Consider their experience – when we look for any type of instruction, we first go to experience. But there’s more to experience than how long they’ve been teaching. Look at their approach to playing the piano – when did they start playing, where have they played, what can they bring to the table? If your goal is to play professionally, learning from someone who’s “been there, done that” may far outweigh someone who’s been teaching for twenty years without professional experience. 

Test your communication – what matters most is who you resonate with. By interviewing several instructors, your gut will automatically lean towards one over another. We learn best when we enjoy the process. If you feel you’ll get a lot of help from an instructor, it’s often the best place to start. 

Pay attention to your goals – if a teacher is heavy on classical music, and your goal is to play in a rock and roll band, it might not be the best fit. Once you’ve defined your goals, share them with potential instructors. If they see your vision, they can help you map out a plan to bring you closer to your goals. 

How do you find the right piano instructor to suit your needs? Don’t jump at the first one you find. Pay attention to the teacher that will help you achieve your goals. It’s the best way to ensure you enjoy the process for many years to come. 

Filed Under: Piano Lessons Tagged With:
« Previous Page
Next Page »