Checking your Piano

Check your piano before you play it for the first time. This is important, because if anything is wrong, the piano may be difficult to play or sound unpleasant - both of which could take the fun out of learning to make your own music.

First, find out when the piano was last tuned. Your piano will need to be tuned as soon as possible, unless it has been tuned in the last six months. It will also need tuning if it has been moved from one house to another, or up or down stairs since it was last tuned.

Next, check that every note plays properly. Do this by striking each key on the piano, one at a time. Make sure that every key pushes down equally easily, and comes back smoothly and silently to the level of the other keys when you take your finger off. Every note should sound as loudly and clearly as the note next to it. If any notes are weaker than the others or sound out of tune, or if any of the keys are noisy or stiff, something is wrong and the piano needs attention.

Finally, press down each of the pedals to make sure they work smoothly and silently. Even though you will probably not need them for a while, it is as well to have them adjusted, if necessary, when other work is done or when the piano is tuned.

What do you do if the piano needs tuning or has any faulty notes?
If the piano is your own instrument, you need to find a good piano tunertechnician, if you do not already know one. If the piano belongs to someone else and seems to have something wrong with it, tell the owner that it appears to need tuning or repairing.

In either case, the piano should be tuned or repaired as soon as possible.

Should you play the piano before it is tuned or repaired?
If all of the keys in the middle of the keyboard work properly, and the notes they make sound reasonably good, you can start to play while you wait for the piano to be tuned or repaired. However, if any of the middle keys do not work properly, or if their notes sound bad, be patient and wait until the piano has been fixed before you start playing. It would be a pity if faulty keys or a poor sound make piano playing less enjoyable for you.

Please continue to the next piano lesson page on having your piano tuned Next

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