Tips on How to Care for Your Grand Piano

Your grand piano is more than a musical instrument, it’s an investment. To protect your investment and keep it sounding as beautiful as it looks, it needs proper care. Read this informative article and find out some tips on how to care for your grand piano.

1. Choose a Proper Location

Although it’s a very large instrument, your grand piano is still delicate. Wide variations in temperature, as well as too much, or not enough, humidity in the air can adversely affect it. Changes in air moisture, for example, cause the wood to swell and shrink. Drastic changes can cause the wood to crack and joints to loosen. To avoid this, place your grand piano in a room where the temperature is a steady 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. The humidity level should remain at 50%, or close to it. Your piano should also be located out of direct sunlight, and away from heating and cooling vents.

2. The Lid and Keyboard Cover

Opening the lid of your grand piano and propping it open allows a louder and more resonant sound to come out while it’s being played. After every use, though, the lid should be closed. This will protect the strings and other inner workings from dust. It will also protect them from damage caused by spilled drinks and other hazards. In between plays, keep the keyboard cover closed to protect it too.

3. Clean Your Piano on a Regular Basis

Another valuable tip on how to care for your grand piano is to keep it clean. Lightly dust the exterior wood with a clean, soft, lint-free cloth. Dust in the straight direction of the wood grain, not against it. To remove dirt and heavier soil, refer to your owner’s manual to find out what cleaners the manufacturer recommends. You can remove dust and light dirt from the keys by dusting them as well. To remove dirt and grime, mix-up a solution of warm water and mild dishwashing detergent. Dip the corner of a clean, soft cloth in the solution and wring it out well. Clean a few keys at a time on your grand piano, then buff them dry with the other end of the cloth. Use this cleaning method on ivory or plastic keys.

4. Keep Your Grand Piano Tuned

To keep the musical notes that come out of your piano in key, have a professional tune it at least once a year. If you play it often, it should be tuned twice a year. Your piano may need tuned more often if it’s not located in a room where the humidity and temperature are properly controlled. New grand pianos may need to be tuned as much as four times the first year. The first year is the breaking-in period, and the strings stretch quickly.

The professional should also inspect your piano to ensure its workings are in tip-top shape. They should make any necessary repairs and replace broken parts. If the inside of your grand piano needs cleaned, they can do that too.

Resources

http://www.pianofinders.com/faqs/ownersfaq.htm

http://www.hollywoodpiano.com/caring-for-your-grand-piano.html

http://4tepiano.com/home/care-steinway-grand.html

http://www.carlsonmusic.com/faq.asp