Frequently Asked Questions

Your piano is best placed away from radiators or direct sunlight as temperature fluctuations will cause it to go out of tune or dry out.

Direct sunlight may also adversely affect/fade the cabinet.

Historically, the rule was to never place the piano on an external wall due to temperature variations however with modern insulated houses this is less of an issue.

The environment around the piano has a direct effect on its perceived volume.  For example:  If you have wooden floors, bare walls and tall ceilings, the piano will not be as muted as in a carpeted room with lots of soft furnishings and drapes.

Voicing can also be performed to give the piano a softer tone to suit smaller environments.

It is possible to fit a celeste rail (also known as a practice rail) into the piano.  This can be switched on or off to mute the piano for practicing.  Please see the 'Our Services' page for details of the costings involved.

The stability of the temperature and humidity of your room is key to a healthy piano.  Around 50% humidity is advised.  Open flame fires and log burners tend to dry the air in a room, as well as underfloor heating.  Keeping plants in the room can help to keep humidity at a good level.  You might wish to invest in a humidity level indicator to keep an eye on the levels.  If the temperature and humidity vary wildly this can cause cracks in the soundboard and bridges as well as loose action parts or sticky keys.  Put simply, the stability of the environment in the room is more important than the conditions themselves.

We recommend twice a year, usually to coincide with summer/winter.  Having your piano tuned annually should avoid the need to perform a pitch correction tuning.

The touch weight on pianos can vary and is a personal preference, so there is no right answer.  A heavier touch will help to develop your finger muscles but if the touch is too heavy it can be unpleasant to play and we would advise the piano be regulated to give a lighter touch.  This is something which can easily be done in your home.

This is normal.  Most pianos only have dampers up to around note D6 on the keyboard.  This is due to the length of the strings and the brevity of the sound produced.

The top end of the piano is allowed to resonate in sympathy with the rest of the piano to give a richer tone.

Usually when the sustain pedal is not depressed the damper springs assist in returning the key to the upright position.  When you depress the sustain pedal you are removing this assistance.  If your keys stick down when the pedal is depressed, your key bushings may be too tight and regulation is recommended.

If your piano is tuned annually, the piano should stay in tune for approximately six months (provided the environment is stable).  After this you might start to hear wavering or impure unisons.  Tuning stability comes from regular tuning.  If your piano has not been tuned for several years it may need pitch raising which (if a large adjustment) may not last as long.  Subsequent tunings should last longer.

Of course,  Peter is fully DBS cleared and happy to visit wherever your piano is based.