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How Do I Maintain My Piano?

Many people consider the piano as a luxurious and prestigious item to purchase. Not only does it give your home an atmosphere of music, but it also undeniably adds splendor and elegance to your home. However, after owning your dream piano, you'll soon come to the realization that like any other piece of valuable furniture, the piano needs regular maintenance. Doing this regular maintenance process takes knowledge, care, and some sense of responsibility. Maintaining your piano is extremely important because by effectively preserving the said instrument, you actually preserve your musical investment and ensure to yourself and your family many years of satisfaction and enjoyment. This article will show you some practical tips on how to maintain your piano and give it the longest lifespan possible.

The first tip that you must be aware of is to never use any alcohol, detergent, or soap when cleaning the piano keys. In fact, it is highly advised that you avoid using water at all. Why?Because if you let any wet substances or moisture get through the piano keys, over a period of time this will accumulate and lead to decay or deterioration. I'm sure you've seen old, creepy houses where there are century old pianos which have yellowish keys. That yellowish color more often results from many years of accumulated moisture, either from human hands or from temperature changes. The fact is, if you clean your piano with wet substances, you hasten this decaying process. It is much more advisable to use a clean, dry cloth when cleaning the piano keys just to get rid of dust and moisture from human fingers.

Time and again, you make seasonal changes in your home. Slight adjustment of furniture arrangement, or redecorating your living room, are very common happenings at home. In these kinds of situations, the piano is often one of the furnitures which are moved and transferred to another place in the house. You must take extreme caution when doing that because transferring your piano carelessly can lead to damage and cause the instrument to be permanently out of pitch. Before attempting to move your piano, make sure there are people who will help you do the job. Don't let the piano have strong impact to the ground or other objects, as this can have serious damage on the internal strings.

Whether you like it or not, your piano will become out of tune or pitch in the future. Even piano manufacturers agree that it is unavoidable. For this reason, it is recommended that you perform piano tuning at least twice a year. You can choose to learn how to do this very important task, or you can hire the services of a tuner-technician who is more suited and equipped to do the task. Keeping the piano in perfect tune is vital, because it allows the instrument to remain useable regardless of how old it is or how faded it looks. At the end of the day, it's the piano sound that counts the most, added with a pianist's ability to generate wonderful music through this particular instrument.