According to The Piano Book by Larry Fine, the Charles Walter console piano is superior to Steinway and Yamaha. Both of these legacy brands fail to build a “musical standout” in the 43-45” segment. However, CW achieves this remarkable top honor!

Fine writes “Proof that a 43” piano can be made musical, and it’s made in the U.S.A.

If you are searching for a high-quality piano such as a Kawai, Yamaha, Steinway, Boston, Ritmüller, Essex, Baldwin, or the like, you will absolutely want to visit Dave’s Piano Showroom of Tampa and add this to your list of must-see pianos in Tampa Bay, Clearwater, St. Pete, Bradenton, Sarasota or beyond!

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Japanese workmanship is synonymous with precise execution and attention to the most minute detail.  While Boston pianos are naturally equivalent to their Kawai counterparts, Boston pianos tend to be more expensive than Kawai.  This is due to the fact that there is an additional layer of markup, as Kawai does not build the Boston pianos out of the kindness of their heart. Kawai charges Steinway a sizable premium to construct the Boston. This additional layer of markup must then be passed on to the consumer.

A new Boston studio piano of this size retails for just under $10,000. At just $5,990 this is an incredible opportunity for someone to own a fine Japanese instrument for a small fraction of the new cost. If you are searching for a Yamaha U1, Yamaha U3, Kawai K300, Steinway upright piano, in the greater Tampa Bay area, you should certainly put this piano on your must-see list!

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1. Tune it Regularly

Even if you’re not playing the piano on a regular basis, it’s important to have it tunned around once a year. Invest in a reputable piano tuner who will be able to ensure your instrument stays in great condition and in perfect tune. If you have moved the piano recently, wait a few weeks and then have it tuned. This will maintain the health of your piano and keep the strings in good condition. It also keeps your instrument sounding fantastic.

2. Be Careful When Moving

If you need to move your piano from one property to another or even from one room to another, do not treat it like any other piece of furniture. It’s much easier to damage a piano or knock it out of tune. Contact a reputable moving company that specializes in moving pianos if you need to move your piano. Transporting the piano yourself or enlisting the help of a regular moving company could mean that you risk breaking parts of the piano or leaving it exposed to damage if it is not covered properly.

3. Monitor the Room Temperature

Pianos don’t require a huge amount of care, but one critically important thing is the temperature of the room it lives in. Your piano should be consistently kept at a temperature of around 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit. If you want to keep your instrument in great condition, it’s essential that the temperature stays consistent all the time rather than changing drastically throughout the year. Keep a thermometer in the room so that you can accurately monitor the temperature and adjust the heating or air conditioning as needed.

4. Clean Your Piano

Clean your piano regularly and remove any dust which has settled. Depending on the type and size of piano you have and the environment, you might find that dust settles quickly and in larger amounts. You should use a soft cloth to ensure the finish of the instrument is not damaged or compromised. Avoid using any liquids, wax, or cleaning agents on the piano, and instead, use either a very slightly damp cloth or a dry cloth. Rub gently but firmly to remove any visible marks on the surface of the instrument.

5. Keep It Away from Sunlight

Direct sunlight can damage your piano in more than one way. You should avoid keeping a piano near windows or glass doors where it will be exposed to direct sunlight. Instead, keep the curtains closed or ensure your instrument is out of the way of the sunlight.

Sunlight can cause the wood to fade and can also ruin pianos that have a glossy finish. Even just a few days in direct sunlight could leave your instrument permanently damaged. Leaving your piano under direct sunlight could also cause it to go out of tune, bringing additional costs to have it re-tuned.

Finding Your Perfect Piano

Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned professional, finding your perfect piano in Tampa has never been easier. Dave’s Piano Showroom has a wide variety of pianos available to buy, as well as piano moving services and restoration. It’s simple to find the instrument of your dreams and get all the piano services you need in Florida.

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The key lies in having consistency

The key to finding time to practice piano lies in balancing the responsibilities with piano practice. If you work out for a couple of hours on a single day of the week, it doesn’t help you. But if you can work out for 30 minutes five days a week it will make you stronger. If you are looking for steady results, you are going to need consistent habits. You will enjoy greater headway when you practice piano if you can take consistent efforts no matter how much time you can spend.

Establish a schedule

Nobody is going to give you the necessary time to practice piano. You will have to find the time yourself. Therefore, establish a schedule. You can set a timer for 30 minutes each day say after dinner. It sounds simple, doesn’t it? Otherwise, you can try and incorporate the piano practice time before your breakfast in the mornings. It can be perfect and consistent. After you play piano, you can move on with the rest of the day. As you have started with a creative and stress-relieving activity the day may turn out to be a great one. You can also use the lunch break, or early periods in the morning before the children wake up for practicing piano.

Develop a routine

This is similar to setting a schedule for practice time. Developing a routine for yourself is a useful strategy especially when you have limited time available for practice. If you are aware of what you will be practicing and for how long, it will become simpler to manage. In addition to that, you need to identify and isolate the things that create a skilled pianist. Developing and following a piano practice routine is a sure-fire way of achieving measurable success and targets during your progress. It will boost your confidence and raise your satisfaction level.

Get the entire family into it

When you are worried about spending family time on piano practice, just skip the worry and get the entire family involved in the endeavor. It is wonderful for the entire family to play music together and spend the time together as a single unit. In addition to this, you can let the family enjoy some of the fun aspects of playing the piano. You may get them motivated to start becoming serious about music more in their lives. You may end up having a family band.

One of the fastest ways of motivation loss when you practice piano is when you stress out during the practice and compare your skills with other popular musicians. Keep in mind that the key is in enjoying the sessions. You need to bring this feeling into playing the piano every time. These sessions should be like a game and not a daily chore. You may even end up becoming resentful of the instrument and even yourself. Avoid getting involved in this trap by not stressing out too much about these sessions. If you reside in Tampa and Brandon, FL area, and looking to buy a new piano, get in touch with Dave’s Piano Showroom for top services.

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But Why Are Soundboards Made of Wood?

Well, the simple answer is that metal amplifies both low-pitched and high-pitched notes in the same way. However, wood amplifies only low-frequency sounds and reduces the high-frequency sounds.

The sound produced by piano strings is essentially metallic jangling noises. If the sound had to be amplified, the piano would end up as a giant noise generator. However, as woodcuts off the higher harmonic components, this doesn’t happen. It leaves only the sound components that are musical and sound good to our ears. It transforms them into richer and resonant tones.

Hence, soundboards are boards transmitting vibrations while also being a board that stops vibrations. This is the reason why the spruce family is highly valued for their soundboard materials specifically the Alaskan Sitka spruce which is commonly used in some pianos. This particular species absorbs high-pitched overtones effectively. They only transit pitches perceived as mellow and round in a specific rich fashion.

In case you are looking to buy a new or an old piano in Tampa, FL, check out the collection by Dave’s Piano Showroom. They have an exclusive range of pianos for all purposes and every budget. They also service pianos for their customers and you may even take their service if you wish to move your piano from one location to the other.

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The best approach is to use three clean microfiber cloths and a dishwashing liquid. Use them in the following steps to efficiently clean the piano keys.

Step 1

Soak a microfiber cloth in lukewarm water. Add a small amount of dishwashing liquid and wring it out in a manner that prevents the water from dripping over the piano keys. Using the cloth gently wipe the keys in a toward the player motion. It means you should start from the key farthest from you and move to the one closest.

Step 2

Now use another microfiber cloth soaked in lukewarm water only. Wring it out in a manner that doesn’t drip the water over the keys. Now wipe down the keys in the same approach as done in the first step.

Step 3

Take out the third microfiber cloth and wipe down the keys in a similar manner till they are dry.

After you complete the steps above, clean your hands thoroughly before playing the piano. It ensures a high level of playability and increases the life of your piano. In case you use a sanitizer containing any ingredients mentioned above, touch the keys only when your hands are completely dry. Lastly, when your piano is not in use, make sure you keep the key cover closed at all times.

If you are searching for an expert who can help you maintain, clean, and service your piano in Tampa Bay, FL, contact Dave’s Piano Showroom. You may also purchase old or new pianos from their store.

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Since 1992 Kawai has been the official builder for Steinway & Sons (Boston line). Steinway selected Kawai due to their long illustrious history and nearly 100 year reputation for constructing high quality pianos.

Since 1927 Kawai has been producing some of the finest pianos the world has ever seen, in Hamamatsu, Japan. Much like Lexus, Kawai does not believe in functional obsolescence, stagnation in design, nor adopts a philosophy of “good enough”.

Kawai has been perfecting the art of piano making for nearly a century; constantly innovating, pushing the envelope and challenging the status quo with their ground breaking designs.

Just as the ivory keytops, materials taken from wildlife proved to be less than an ideal material due to cracking, chipping and discoloration; so too are wooden parts in a piano’s action. Piano designers did absolutely nothing wrong 100, 200, 300 years ago. They utilized the available materials of their time. However, using wood in an action today is as sensible as breeding elephants for the purpose of fabricating keytops.

Kawai’s Millennium III action is a thing of beauty and art in motion. Traditional actions are comprised of thousands of wooden parts. Kawai embraces science and technological advancement in materials and design; thus utilizing carbon fiber, ABS Carbon ABS Styran, and other infinitely superior materials compared to wood.

These components do not flux with temperature change. Not only are they virtually impervious to fluctuations in temperature and humidity; these modern materials are significantly stronger, lighter and yield an action which is unparalleled in its repetition, sensitivity, uniformity and control.

That is of course to say nothing of Kawai’s warm melodic, singing tone. Dave’s Piano Showroom of Tampa Bay is the exclusive Kawai dealer for Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Polk counties. If you are a resident of one of these counties, visit DPS to receive an additional discount off of the listed price!

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Cristofori worked for the Florentine court of Grand Prince Ferdinando de’ Medici during 1688. His task was to look after harpsichords and other instruments. In 1700 as mentioned by Medici instruments, Cristofori invented an Arpicimbalo i.e. an instrument that resembled the harpsichord. It had a brand-new hammer and damper mechanism with two keyboards and a range of four octaves (49 keys).

Later in 1711 Scipione, a journalist and poet described this invention as “Gravicembalo col piano, e forte’” or Harpsichord with loud and quiet sound. It is here when pianoforte found its name.

Composers Felt The Need to Expand Their Range of Music

Just after people came across Cristofori’s amazing musical invention, composers started working on more and more music for the piano. However, the four-octave range of the instrument was limited which made piano manufacturers design new pianos having more keys to let composers like Mozart and Haydn write challenging materials for a fuller keyboard.

Later when Romantic composers such as Liszt and Chopin started writing music in the mid-1800s, pianos started to have seven octaves that allowed them to compose pieces having more ambitious range such as bafflingly virtuosic ‘La Campanella’.

The Invention of the 88-Key Piano by Steinway

By the late 1880s, Steinway a piano manufacturing company created an 88-key piano and since then this model has been the standard and still in use. This model had seven octaves and three additional lower notes (B, B flat, and A) below the bottom C. It comes with 52 white keys and 36 black keys (sharps and flats), with each octave made of seven white keys and five black keys.

Why Didn’t The Piano Manufacturers Go Beyond 88-Keys?

Most composers today write piano music fitting within the range of the 88-key model. The manufacturers also accept it as the limit because anything beyond it is considered too low or high for the human ear. However, there are exceptions. In 2018, Stuart and Sons came up with their 9-octave piano having 108 keys.

There is another piano with 97-keys sold by Bösendorfer having nine extra black colored keys helping to distinguish this model from the standard 88-keys. However, the additional keys are rarely used but their extra bass strings do add harmonic resonance contributing to the rich, overall sound of the instrument.

If you are looking to buy a new or a used piano in Tampa Bay, FL, contact Dave’s Piano Showroom. They have a wide variety of pianos for sale suiting almost any budget and requirements.

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Schimmel pianos are handmade in Germany. As a result, they are rated higher than Yamaha and in the upper echelons of the quality scale, as are all German-made pianos. This is according to all piano connoisseurs and aficionados, such as Larry Fine, author of “The Piano Book”.

If you are considering a Yamaha, Kawai, Boston, Essex, or even vintage Steinway baby grand piano, in a brown wood tone, you will absolutely want to put this piano on your must-see list; certainly, if you live in Tampa, Clearwater, St. Pete, or beyond!

New handmade German pianos can cost $50,000, $80,000 and even over $100,000! At just $12,500 this is truly an exceptional value!

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Time is an asset

Learning piano depends a great deal on the amount of time you are willing to invest in practice. In most cases to learn piano is a lifelong pursuit and it never really ends. There are several avenues you can explore and you may spend your lifetime exploring things for hours each day. Although it does not take too much time to learn the basics of playing the piano. You may learn the fundamentals such as basic finger patterns, chords, and scales and become capable of playing some songs that you may enjoy. You can learn to play by the ear by developing it and learn to play the instrument without having to read the music.

What do you need to practice?

Keep in mind that you will be able to achieve the required dexterity for the hands and fingers only when you are practicing regularly and consistently. Have a specific time reserved every day for your piano practice to improve your skills rapidly. The greater your skill level, the greater will be your capability to learn and play the instrument. You will also be able to access more material in such cases. The more the number of hours you spend practicing piano better will be the sound you are making. This knowledge will push you further to work harder.

Memorize all notes

To learn piano and any music you need to approach it similar to learning a language. There is always a new alphabet to learn apart from learning the finger placements on the piano keyboard that will correspond to the newer letters. You need to spend time learning about these letters and the corresponding keys of the piano as a first step towards learning piano. If you are not aware of sounds, how can you learn the instrument? You will quickly find out that many patterns repeat over the keyboard. After you have learned it, you would have unlocked the mystery of the instrument.

Using a program or an app

One of the fastest ways of learning piano is by following a structured program that guides the progress. It will not take up a lot of time just around 10 to 20 minutes every day. However, a structured program you can follow is designed by music professionals and teachers and it allows you to achieve all the benefits associated with music learning. There are many apps available on the internet that are designed to give you a step-by-step program for developing your piano skills fast and simply. By using a well-designed app to learn piano you will find out that the whole process of learning piano doesn’t take all that long.

Learning basic finger patterns and chords

Your piano is full of different patterns such as a computer or a matrix. You may learn piano quickly by learning these fundamental finger patterns. There are some fundamental finger patterns while playing the piano that repeats in several different ways. Similar to this, there are also some chord patterns and progressions that give you almost hundreds of songs that may include some that are your favorites. A chord is just a blend of two or more notes played together.

The reality is that to learn piano you need just two things, having the machine available all the time and devotion to the practice. Find a piano that is suitable for you and get familiar with the new machine. You can learn the instrument via several tutorials and videos available online. You need to begin practicing each day to accelerate the learning process. Set goals such as playing in front of an audience within a couple of weeks. If you live in Tampa Bay, FL area, you can get the new piano from Dave’s Piano Showroom that is a professional place for everything related to the instrument.

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