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Thank you for choosing Nairobi Piano Technicians. The piano is the most versatile of musical instruments. But it is also one of the most complex and delicate. Generally pianos are extra ordinary rugged-built by a combination of traditional craftsmanship and advanced technology. But even the finest instruments needs proper care to give long life and dependable service.

TIPS ON HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR PIANO

1. PROVIDE ENOUGH VENTILATION

Pianos need ventilation but the wrong kind of ventilation can damage them. The best location for your piano is in the centre of the room or against a wall that divides two rooms. If possible, avoid placing it next to an exterior wall where outside weather conditions might cause tone quality and volume to suffer. If there is no choice however at least make sure that the piano has adequate ventilation on all sides

 2.  AVOID WINDOWS

Try not to place the piano near window.Its cabinet is made of wood and must be protected against direct sunlight, humidity and sudden changes in temperature. Windows which opens on the out out-of –door s offers the least protection. If you must place the piano near a window use a heavy curtain over the window for protection.

 3. AVOID HEAT

Keep the piano away from sources of heat such as radiators or hot air registers. They may damage the finish and internal parts causing tone and balance to deteriorate. Make sure that no radiant heat or hot air draft strikes the piano directly.

 4. PROPER CODITIONS MEANS BETTER SOUNDS

A piano works best & sounds best when the temperature and humidity are right. Proper ventilation is also important .Generally speaking a relative humidity of between 50 – 60 percent is ideal for pianos. The use of materials such wood, felt and cloth in piano construction means that many parts are quite delicate .If not properly care for they can be damaged easily .Therefore we are unable to assume responsibility for damage resulting from abuse or harsh treatment.

HOW HUMIDITY AFFESTC A PIANO

Felt, cloth, leather and the precision wood parts-some of them machined to tolerance as fine as 1/100mm – used in such critical parts of the piano as the action are extreme sensitive to humidity.

Too much humidity will result in dull hammer action and unclear notes, rusting of internal parts and sticking keys.

Before this happens the piano should be repaired

HOW TO PROTECT AGAINST EXCESSIVE MOISTURE

Depending on your area climate, styles for protecting a piano against excessive moisture differs, nevertheless

Few general tips for proper care are:

• On cloudy or rainy days, close all windows in the piano room.
• Be sure to close the top board each time after playing
• The pianos thick cloth covers absorbs moisture in damp or rainy weather, therefore it should be taken off and dried on clear days.
• Be especially careful about excessive moisture if you live one of the following places

• Along a sea cost or in a rainy or humid region
• In a valley, in a hose facing hills, or in an area with poor drainage
• In a concrete building not more than one or two years
• In an area where air exhausts are directed into a room or in a dark, dank room facing north

BEWARE OF EXCESSIVE DRYNESS

Too much humidity is a problem, but excessive dryness is an even more serious one, especially where heating or cooling systems are used to create artificially de-humified rooms.

Used in naturally dry climates the piano has enough natural moisture to prevent excessive drying.

How ever if the air becomes too dry the wooden and felt components will shrink. In an extreme cases the soundboard, joints and other laminated sections may even come apart, even though they have been glued together carefully. Slight distortion of the parts may cause noise, and tuning pins may work loose, making it difficult to keep the piano in tune.

To avoid excessive dryness it is best to keep some leafy plant or a humidifier in the piano room

AVOID SUDDEN TEMPERATURE CHANGES

When a cold room is warmed suddenly, moisture will condense on the piano strings and other metal parts, causing them to rust. Felt parts will absorb moisture, dulling their action and resulting in unclear sounds. Be especially careful about sudden temperature changes when moving your piano into a room in a cold northern climate or into an airtight room inn a concrete building

PUT YOUR PIANO WHERE IT SOUNDS BEST

        The pianos should be placed in a room where the sound will be evenly distributed. A room where all the sound gathers in one spot will produce sound lag and echoes.

        The best room for your piano is one in which its sound will reverberate to produce pleasant, full – bodied tones without harsh echoes.

DON’T PLACE OBJECTS ON TOP OF THE PIANO

 A heavy object may cause poor tone or noisy vibrations if placed on the piano.

A vase of flowers may look attractive on the piano but if it should spill and water enters in the piano serious damage can result.

Water will rust the metal parts of the piano and damage the hammer and the action.

Avoid costly accidents and never place anything except form the music sheets or a metronome on the piano

AVOID PLACING OR SPILLING ANY OF THE FOLLOWING N THE PIANO

• Plastic products (Except polythene)
• Vinyl Products
• Anything containing alcohol
• Liquids such as cosmetics, insecticides, any kind of aerosol, paint thinner or petroleum based products

DO NOT ALLOW THE PIANO TO BECOME DUSTY

Dust can dull the hammer action and cause noise. Dust the piano frequently with a soft cloth or feather duster and wipe the finish with soft cloth

Piano covers also can save the situation

KEEP THE KEY BOARD CLEAN

The keyboard should be wiped periodically with a soft, dry cloth.

Never use cleaners containing alcohol as the keys will become cracked.

If the keyboard is very dirty, wipe it with a cloth dipped in a solution of soap and water and wrung out well

The same cloth should not be used for cleaning the surface of the piano, how ever.

A good habit to cultivate is never to play the piano with dirty hands

That way the keyboard will stay clean for a long time

TIPS FROM OUR HEAD TECHNICIAN

                  Mr. Nelson Ndegwa

 Pianos are delicate instruments which needs professional attention periodically.

Basically there are two types of professional piano care

• Tuning
• Adjustment

Tuning

Its correcting the pitch of every of every note by retightening the strings.

Each piano string is normally stretched to a pressure of about 90 Kilogram’s (198 & a half Pounds), but eventually it will stretch further with use and loose some of its tension, causing the piano to loose its correct pitch. The strings need to be tuned once or twice a year to restore them to their proper tension.

Adjustments

Involves the entire piano action, keyboard and pedal movements. A proper adjustment is especially important for grand pianos. Whether the piano will perform properly or not depends on how accurately the adjustments is made

Tuning and adjustments should be done by an expert.