17 March 2016 Regulating Your Piano

Regulating Your Piano

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A grand piano has about 14,000 parts in total. It includes as many as nine different types of wood, and the action contains many different types of leather and felt.Regulating Your Piano

In all, there are about 20 different things that can be adjusted on each key to make it play better. And if you play the piano, playing the best is something you strive for each time you play. You want the notes to sound perfect. You want perfect harmony when multiple notes are played at the same time. You want them to move with ease. You want to be able to create the right amount of power. These adjustments are called regulating the action, or regulating the piano.

Many pianos come from the factory in fairly well regulated. Others need service to bring them to optimal condition. And once a piano is in place, in an owner’s home, by the time its been played even a few years, it almost always needs regulation to bring it back to its prime.

Why does this happen?

Wood shrinks and swells with changes in the humidity (with nine different kinds of wood intact, they can each change at a different pace.) The keybed, the keyframe. The key height, the hammer height – all have changed based on the environment, how much the piano was played, maintenance, regular tuning sessions, etc.

And that’s just the wood. The felt and leather have all been used over and over again, worn and crushed under the pressure of each key being striked as music is created. Some parts may hold up while others fade away. Their relationship to one another changes from a variety of things.

Most modern day pianos are made in assembly line fashion. That means each piece of a piano is the same as the piece next to it. If a piano was made before the 1950s, most were handcrafted by hand, meaning each piece was created individually. Which also means less consistency from piano to piano. Parts are regulated down to a couple thousandths of an inch. The more consistency there is from key to key, the higher the level of performance when played.

If you’ve ever wished you could play better, wanted your piano to make a better sound, some of it could be your piano. If you’ve ever wanted to be able to play faster repetitions, or find finesse on slower features, it could be your piano.

That’s where regulation comes into play.

Is it time to regulate your piano?

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11 March 2016 Creating The Perfect Piano Practice Space

Creating The Perfect Piano Practice Space

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So you want your child to begin piano. You’re ready for them to start piano lessons and be introduced to the world of music.

Buying the piano is the first step. And purchasing the right piano does take a little thought.Creating The Perfect Piano Practice Space

But once you get your piano home, there’s something worth thinking about even in greater detail; the ambiance of where your piano will live.

Depending on house size and living patterns, a piano can wind up in many places. A grand piano may take center stage in your living room. An upright may be buried in a corner deep in your basement.

And while having access to a piano for regular practicing is important, the setting is equally important. If your child is competing with a stack of laundry and a pile of papers when trying to find the keyboard, motivation can quickly decline.

If you want your child to love piano, you have to create an environment that is conducive to regular, meaningful practice.

Choose a prime location
Your child will gravitate more towards playing the piano if its where the action is. While you don’t have to have it in the middle of the family room so your child is always on display, don’t move it to a spare bedroom either. Place it in an area where they are free to practice regularly. Make sure it doesn’t compete with dishwashers and televisions.

Make the space welcoming
If your child will spend 30 minutes a day sitting at the piano, make sure it is a warm and welcoming place to be. Is the lighting good? Is it comfortable, with the right bench in place? Also remember a piano is not a piece of furniture, a table or a shelf. Avoid placing anything other than music on top of the piano to avoid distractions.

Keep everything they need near by
Teachers may give your child a variety of assignments to carry out each week. Keep everything they need to stay on top of homework in close range. Pens, highlighters, music, paperclips, post-it notes should all be in a basket easy to grab as they need.

Encourage the family to listen
A small audience is always welcome as a child gets better at each song. Beanbags, chairs, pillows and couches near by encourage family members to pull up a seat and listen. It can also promote music skills to other family members that may not be practicing the piano.

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9 March 2016 Why Tuning Your Piano Is A Bad Idea

Why Tuning Your Piano Is A Bad Idea

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Think you can tune your own piano? Think it must be an easy process? After all, you can find videos and Internet sites dedicated to helping you “do it yourself.” Why shouldn’t you give it a try?Why Tuning Your Piano Is A Bad Idea

While a five minute video may give you the impression tuning a piano is easy, it’s anything but. Professional piano tuners receive many, many hours of training. It requires years of practice to understand the nuances and perfect the skill. Even so, professionals can take an hour or two to bring a piano back into great working condition. And the longer it takes, the more exhausted your ears become trying to find precision in every note that is played.

If someone who is trained for it can become exhausted, how about someone who isn’t?

Each piano’s temperament is tuned in a slightly different manner depending on the piano. Each piano will have a different gage, different lengths of strings. And therefore the sound of one piano will not be replicated in other pianos. Today, professional tuners use sophisticated piano tuning software to calculate how to tune the temperament of each individual piano.

Each individual key is worked on one at a time, with the tuning pin and string set and secured in place. A tuner will move the pin only as much as necessary to get the pitch. Once its achieved, the pin is set into place. If not done right, one strike of the key and the note will pop back out of tune. This is called tuning stability. And it’s the last thing a professional tuner will do to make sure his work is stable.

If a string is adjusted too far, or if the string is old and severely out of tune, it can be prone to breaking. Replacement is also a skill that takes time and practice to build to proficiency. A professional tuner will have the appropriate tools and skills to replace piano wire, knowing that in some cases restringing with existing wire is sometimes best.

If you want enjoyment every time you play the piano, it’s best to tune your piano on a regular basis. If you are considering tuning your own piano, chances are it’s currently nowhere close to its optimal pitch. And to bring it back to proper pitch takes time, energy and knowledge. Skill that all great professional tuners have.

And why allow your piano to be anything but the best?

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6 March 2016 How To Structure The Perfect Piano Lesson

How To Structure The Perfect Piano Lesson

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Is there such a thing as the perfect piano lesson?

The answer, most obviously, is no. After all, there are many approaches to playing the piano, both from the instructor and from the learners point of view. What works for one won’t necessarily work for another.How To Structure The Perfect Piano Lesson

Still, as a piano teacher, it’s important to structure the lessons you teach. It’s important to give your student a well-rounded approach to piano playing. And for most teachers, structure is a part of the deal.

A thirty-minute lesson will often include warm-ups, technical work, repertoire, maybe some piano games, even a little ear training. And it’s often structured five minutes here, five minutes there.

In some cases, that works. But sticking to that every day of the year can leave both you and your student feeling a little board.

Structure ever month differently

March can bring on anxiety from upcoming recitals. July can be relaxed and hassle-free. September can bring about new things, both from school and changing seasons.

So why structure your piano lessons in the same manner? If a student is overwhelmed and is focused on an upcoming recital, press structure in helping them with performance skills. If they are relaxed and in a vacation mindset, games and improv work can be a welcome relief.

Tie lessons to the student, not a training schedule

For teachers in a classroom, establishing one schedule to teach the entire class is a must. But if you teach one student at a time, your teaching plan can adjust with every student that walks in. Some students may learn best from playing games. Some students may be completely obsessed with repertoire. Find a way to capitalize on each of their interests and cater specifically to them.

Structure every lesson with excitement levels

There are only a certain number of things that can be accomplished in a short time frame. Instead of stopping and moving to another topic, take the lead from the student. Are they having fun with an activity? Let them do more of it. Are they bored? Move on. Never feel you “must” do anything. Do what works.

Look for alternatives all the time

When was the last time you tried something new? Have you grabbed a book to learn more about piano improv? Have you downloaded an app and tried a game? Learning the piano is always changing, always growing. Which means as an instructor, it’s important to change and grow too. Find new things that work. Eliminate things that don’t. The more you cater to the individual needs of your students, the more they’ll enjoy working with you.

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3 March 2016 Restore Your Square Grand Piano

Restore Your Square Grand Piano

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Nostalgia. Just one look at the antique sitting in your room can bring back long-ago, simpler times.

But this isn’t just an antique; it’s so much more.Restore Your Square Grand Piano

For nearly 150 years, square grand pianos were the piano of choice in both Europe and America. Yet today, very few people have even seen them.

Also referred to as a box grand, the square grand piano is an earlier form of piano that is built in a rectangular shaped cabinet. It sits squarely on four legs with its strings running left to right rather than front to back that had been common up until this point. They became very popular because of their smaller size and more stylish appearance.

By the late 1800s, the upright piano became more favorable, taking up even less floor space than the square grand. And by 1900, the last was produced here in the US, all but becoming obsolete.

Yet today, there’s a growing interest in the square grand piano. Collectors and musicians alike are beginning to appreciate and preserve these instruments, making them quite valuable.

If you find one in your grandmother’s back room, it may be time to bring it back to life and restore it to all of its glory.

Some piano tuners may tell you that a square piano in its original, unrestored condition can’t be tuned. In fact, they are correct. Square pianos built long ago used tuning pins shaped differently than modern tuning pins. And if the piano hasn’t been tuned in years, decades, the old strings, felt and leather tend to have deteriorated over time. There is an estimated pressure of 12 to 14 tons of tension on a piano when it is in tune. And when this tension is put back on these deteriorated parts, it simply can’t hold the tune properly.

A proper restoration will fix all of these components – tuning pins, felt, strings, leather – thus bringing the square grand piano back to life.

With a square grand piano, the pins are located in the back of the piano. Which means the piano tuner will have to lean over more during the tuning process to reach the parts and service them correctly. It’s a little more effort, but just as effective as tuning any other modern day piano. And it’s required to keep your square grand piano in good working condition.

Have a family heirloom you’d love to restore back to its original condition? Give us a call today.

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1 February 2016 Advantages Of Practicing On A Digital Piano

Advantages Of Practicing On A Digital Piano

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Debating whether to invest in a digital piano for your child, or sticking with the ever-faithful acoustic piano? Each have their distinct advantages and disadvantages.Advantages Of Practicing On A Digital Piano

For most piano players, their roots stem from an acoustic background. And in many cases acoustic pianos offer a world of benefits to every level of piano playing. But in today’s technological world, digital pianos do offer some distinct advantages.

Advantage #1: Lots of opportunity to change the sound

When you look at a high quality digital piano, you can’t miss the buttons and levers that bring different sounds to life. Push a button and your piano instantly turns into a harpsichord. Push another and you’ll move to an organ. And that’s just the beginning. Each voice has it’s own variations, with the ability to switch things quickly to make it brighter, or more mellow.

You can adjust things to match your playability. Like a lighter touch? Change it with a button. Want different reverb options? Change it stronger or lighter. Not only can you change it based on the song your are playing, you can use the different functions to change the mood, add creativity into every song you play. The ability to change the sound at the touch of a button can add to your creativity, and make you a better player. Boredom will never come with this many functions.

Advantage #2: The recording function can improve your playing

One of the best ways to become a better piano player is to hear how you play. In fact, people have been recording themselves for years. (Only digital makes it easier.) Play a piece until you’re reasonably sure you play it well. Record. Listen. Then use it to change and correct the errors you heard in what you played. When you’re busy playing, you miss the tiny details that become oh so obvious when you listen. This can improve your playability in just a short period of time.

Advantage #3: Use the headphones

Using headphones while you practice offers many distinct advantages.

Feel like playing and practicing … at midnight while the rest of your family sleeps? Headphones give you the ability to play any time without a sound.

Feel a little self conscious when you pick up a song for the very first time? Headphones allow you to plunk away at a tune and play it badly, until you repeat it many times to help it improve.

Get easily distracted while you play? Headphones can bring you to your own private world. It helps you stay focused while you play.

Of course there are many other advantages to practicing on a digital piano, these are just three. And is digital playing perfect? Nope, there are always advantages and disadvantages to everything. But if your ultimate goal is to become a better piano player and have fun with it along the way, owning a digital piano may give you options you would never have with an acoustic. They are amazing instruments, one you’ll fall in love with from the beginning.

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26 January 2016 Why Is A Grand Piano Better?

Why Is A Grand Piano Better?

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When someone mentions the word piano, what comes to mind? For many of us, it’s the thought of a grand piano. We don’t see an upright piano in the corner. Instead, we see the grand piano commanding attention in the middle of the room.Why Is A Grand Piano Better?

But is a grand piano better? Is that the piano all piano players strive to play? Aesthetically, the answer may be yes.

While grand pianos usually command an audience in a room, uprights are generally placed in a corner or off on the side. Out of sight, out of mind.

But what about quality?

With a grand piano, it is all about the size. A concert grand piano is 7 to 10 feet longer than an upright; a baby grand measures in at about 5 feet. The length of the strings and the size of the soundboard increases at the same ratio.

Longer pianos have longer strings, which produce richer, more in-depth sound. The shorter the string, the more the human ear perceives it as a harsher tone.

The action also changes. In a grand, the action remains horizontal, working with gravity to create sound. In an upright, the action is sideways and requires force to create the same sound. Because grand pianos are often place in better rooms, better conditions, they often command a better sound. Compare that with an upright placed in a corner, out of the way.

Yet none of this changes the fact that a high quality piano – upright or grand – has the ability to produce beautiful music.

Is a grand piano better? It depends on your point of view. It depends on your ability, the maintenance, the quality of the piano. Both can offer you years of enjoyment, from any room in your home.

Which do you prefer?

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21 January 2016 Vintage, Antique and Used Pianos, What’s The Difference

Vintage, Antique and Used Pianos, What’s The Difference

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People use the words vintage, antique and old interchangeably when describing a piano.

The adage “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” can describe many things. And often times the words we use to describe are subjective at best.Vintage, Antique and Used Pianos, What’s The Difference

But is there a difference in the way the labels are used? Does one hold more value than the other?

In general terms, the word antique describes an object of considerable age valued for its aesthetic or historical significance. While time periods change depending on who’s valuing an item, antique is usually associated with something 100 years or older.

Vintage is usually used when describing an item that was popular in a different era. It’s not necessary that the object was produced within that time period, simply that it mimics the look and feel of the item that peaked in popularity during that time frame.

In some cases, people look to labels to help determine value. But this only holds true if both sides agree. Arguably, antique should be used to describe a piano with considerable age. But in all other cases, your good judgment will come into play.

In a physical situation, where you can touch, feel and listen to a piano, you can decide quickly how well it meets your qualifications. If evaluating it from a virtual world, a picture online, being conscious of the meaning and what is used to place a piano in that category will be a judgement call at best.

Which brings us to used. The term used applies to everything that can no longer be sold as new. It’s been used on a showroom floor. It’s been owned by a previous owner. Antique can be used. Vintage can be used.

No matter what label a piano has – antique, vintage or used – playability is never guaranteed. A piano can easily be classified as an antique, and not be able to produce a sound. A piano listed as vintage can be severely out of tune. A piano with the used tag can be comparable, even better than a new one in some cases, depending on upkeep and maintenance.

In all cases, research is your best course of action. Learn all you can about your potential purchase. Do your research online. Trust a piano expert who can guide you along the way. Then purchase the right piano for you.

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17 January 2016 Piano, Pianoforte or Harpsichord

Piano, Pianoforte or Harpsichord

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Have you ever looked at the history of a piano? You’ll find a variety of keyboard instruments listed throughout time. But are they all related to the piano?

The harpsichord was a very popular instrument in the 18th century. While a piano uses hammers and dampers to strike the strings and create a sound, a harpsichord performs the function differently. When the keys on a harpsichord are depressed, the strings are plucked rather than struck. Therefore the sound produced will be different than what you hear from a piano.Piano, Pianoforte or Harpsichord

Today, if you purchase a spinet piano, you are purchasing a small harpsichord. Spinets have only one string per note. Because they are smaller, they will have less volume, less harmonics, less sound than a more traditional harpsichord or its piano counterpart.

With the popularity of the harpsichord in the 1700s, changes quickly followed in an attempt to make them even better. According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the pianoforte was invented in the early 1700s by artist Bartolomeo Cristofori. He was charged with caring for the harpsichords belonging to the Florentine court of Grand Prince Ferdinando de Medici. While maintaining them and attempting to make them better, he designed a harpsichord with loud and soft capabilities, which eventually came to be known as a pianoforte.

This invention mirrored today’s pianos, a harpsichord with hammers and dampers, two keyboards and a four range octave. They were highly complex instruments that were also very expensive to produce. Over time, pianofortes were reinvented, reincorporated, and redesigned, eventually becoming what we today call the piano.

You will sometimes find pianofortes also described as an antique. In reality, not many pianofortes survive.

Today’s pianos provide a rich sound quality that we’ve come to know and love. Are we still reinventing and redesigning? Yes, all the time. We’re moving into the digital world. Many are relying equally on acoustic and digital pianos to create the desired sounds.

Stop by today to see our entire line of acoustic and digital pianos.

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9 January 2016 How Long Will It Take To Learn The Piano?

How Long Will It Take To Learn The Piano?

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Have you decided playing the piano is in your future? How long will it take to learn the piano? It’s a difficult question to answer as it depends on a variety of factors.

How much time do you have to dedicate to learning the piano?How Long Will It Take To Learn The Piano?
A small child of 6 or 7 years old may only have the attention span to play 10 minutes per day a few days per week. An adult may be able to focus 40 minutes per day or more. However, this practice difference doesn’t always equate to improving your skills. A child of 6 or 7 doesn’t have the fear factor in place. She isn’t distracted by her abilities, or let previous setbacks cloud her mindset. She may be able to more easily play things simply because she chooses to do so. Yet in most cases, you’ll reap the rewards by putting more time into the process.

What is your inspiration?
Nobody can learn to play the piano if the desire isn’t behind them. Forcing your kids will never make them great piano players. Instead, it’s important to stay motivated from week to week, always having an understanding of why you want to learn in the first place.

How good of a teacher do you have?
Have you ever tried to learn something on your own? While it’s easy to pick up books or follow a software program, it can be difficult to stick with it long term. You need motivation. You need a teacher that will continue to push you from week to week. When you’re having trouble moving forward, they will guide you along the way. They know how to push you to achieve more.

Do you have time for regular practice?
Learning music is like learning a new language. Every time you put it to use, it helps you progress further in your knowledge. Forget assigning a time frame; a rigid schedule of thirty minutes a day on the clock can make you lose motivation. Instead, create regular time frames in your days for challenging yourself with concepts you need most. Give yourself tasks: I will play this new piece three times. Be patient; you’ll advance the more you work at it.

Do you love it?
When we love things, we spend more time with them. We strive to be better. We attempt all we can to learn more. Look for the things that help you stay motivated to reach your goals. Then continue to do them every day.

Realize you or your child will probably never be a world renown piano player, and that’s okay. Everyone is capable of playing the piano at some level. Depending on how you apply yourself, you can create beautiful music and enjoy the process for many years to come. You don’t know how much talent you have until you apply yourself. It’s the journey, not the destination. Make it a fun and enjoyable ride.

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