Tips: Care of Pianos

This was sent to me back when I was a student at the University of South Florida's School of Music.  I didn't know some of these tips about caring for pianos...


Dear Music Students,

Four reminders:
1. Please remember to close the lid and the fall-board of the pianos in the practice rooms
2. Always cover the pianos in the Recital Hall and the Rehearsal Halls. If you have to move the piano, make sure it is covered.
3. Do not put anything on top of the concert grand piano located in the Recital Hall backstage area
4. Keep the thermostat at 71-72F - pianos go out of tune if the temperature keeps changing.

Thank you,
Svetozar Ivanov

Stellar Review on Pianos

I would not hesitate to by a Japanese piano manufactured in Japan... I have seen them age beautifully through rigorous use. 

A digital piano like I have is a wonderful instrument as well, with many advantages.  However, if you can get a good acoustic, get it! 

Dealing with Broken Pianos

 
Here are two sites to help: 
http://www.amadeuspianos.com/faq.htm#faq12
 http://www.balaams-ass.com/piano/chap-4.htm


It was neat to read some of the information from these sites.  For example, I never would have guessed that the best pianos were manufactured from 1920 to 1960.  Now, in the last couple of decades, the quality has mounted significantly.  

A peak in the life of a tuner:

Cut out the noise:

I tuned recently in a nice home. The folks there were not noisy because of rebellious teen agers, nor because of fighting New Joisey oldly weds (for noise, they is the woist). This home had a cockatoo that screamed a flat E all the way through the tuning, the lady of the house tried to vacuum the house in C# while I tuned, and the daughter turned on musical cartoons while I was trying to do the treble.