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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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.

Picture Credit: Freepik

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When Should You Use a Metronome?

While Learning A Song For The First Time
Using an online metronome is useful when you are learning a song for the first time. Setting the BPM at a really slow tempo is important. It helps in executing the rhythms in the song accurately and imprinting them in your memory. You should set its tempo as low as possible to ensure you can play the piano without losing time or getting stuck.

After you gain confidence, you should speed up the metronome’s tempo and consequently turn it off altogether. In case a particular section of a song causes issues, you can turn the metronome back to the slow tempo. You can also practice smaller sections while giving close attention to the timing.

For Improving The Sense of Rhythm
It’s important to have a good sense of rhythm as well as inner timing when you are performing. This becomes more important when you are playing with other musicians. Your ability to play and maintain a consistent speed ensures that you stay in sync with your bandmates.

To get the feel of playing a song along with a band and evaluate your timings, try playing along with the lessons. You shouldn’t worry if you cannot keep up with the timing in your first few attempts. It’s better to stay patient and give a few more tries.

Record To A Click Track
While recording different parts of a song, either at a music studio or home by using music production software, you would require recording parts to a click track. Your confidence matters a lot along with the accuracy to ensure your parts sound are good and in time with the remaining track. You should not get overwhelmed by the thought of playing the click track but practice playing with a metronome. Your timing would surely be great to lay down different parts as their time comes.

Playing Rubato
During a performance either as a solo performer or when improvising in a band, it’s not always great to play at regular speed. The impact of a song could be better if a player speeds up or slows down the tempo. The tempo is known as Tempo Rubato and to get a better idea of the way it works, you should try out specific lessons.

Concluding Remarks
Summarizing the entire article, it’s good to remind you that no musician on this planet has the perfect timing. Even the greats like Beethoven or Bill Evans may eventually speed up or slow down if they didn’t have a metronome. Thus if you are serious about playing the piano at high levels, you should spend considerable time playing along with full bands.

If you already own a piano and looking for servicing or restoring your old piano, you can consult Dave’s Piano Showroom. They have been serving clients all over Tampa Bay, FL for the last several years. You may also check out their collection of pianos for sale.

They have some of the best and well-maintained pianos featuring in both old and new categories. You may even rent out pianos on offer if you are looking to practice at your house. Also, if you have any questions or requirements for your piano, you can reach out to their experts and they will both help and guide you with the best solution.

Picture Credit: Unsplash

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What is the basic difference?

Acoustic pianos are the original pianos having a solid wood case that cradles the soundboard. It comes with 220 strings, hammers, and several other movable parts.

On the other hand, digital pianos are electronic and do not come with many moving parts. Built-in speakers produce sampled piano sounds. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. So, which one should you go for? You need to make some considerations before selecting one. Important ones are:

• Space: Digital pianos take lessor space in comparison to acoustic pianos. Grand pianos would take anywhere between 5-to-9-foot space in your house. Hence, if you are short on space, go with digital pianos.
• Noise Level: Digital pianos are not as loud as acoustic pianos. You have an option to lower the volume but acoustic ones do not give you any such feature.
• Considering the piano player: Experts would always prefer an acoustic piano. But if you are a beginner or an intermediate player, digital pianos would be fine.
• Estimating your Budget: New acoustic pianos might cost you anywhere between $2000 to $50000. You may also buy a second-hand piano for a lower price. Electronic pianos are comparatively cheaper.

Upsides of Acoustic Piano

Organic sound is primarily the best thing about an acoustic piano. Electronic piano manufacturers have been trying to improve the quality but are still far behind. Playing classical music on an acoustic piano is a treat especially on the beautiful and sturdy piece of furniture that can add elegance to any house.

Downsides of Acoustic Piano

Its size and weight are the major downsides. Once you have placed it in your house, it would remain there as it is difficult for anyone to move easily. The least a baby grand piano weighs is about 500 lbs. A piano needs to be tuned regularly which is highly dependent on usage which generally people would only do twice a year. Additionally, you should be dusting the piano at least once each week using a soft cloth.

Upsides of Digital Pianos

Each year manufacturers launch improved versions of pianos that are better than their predecessors. Some products come fitted with wooden keys that respond like acoustic pianos. You may also find options that have actual hammers coupled with similar striking action despite having no strings for the hammer to hit. Further, the sound produced by them is better and at times it becomes difficult to differentiate them from an acoustic piano.

Also, digital pianos are lighter and you can easily move them from one room to another. You also don’t have to tune them which saves you both money and time. The major advantage is that you won’t be disturbing your neighbors as you have the option to lower the volume or connect your headphones. Other advantages include MIDI capability, the option to record your sessions, multiple sound choices, etc. Lastly, they are more affordable as the most expensive option would be around $2000.

Downsides of Digital Pianos

Notes don’t give the same feeling like an acoustic piano and this is one of the major reasons pianists don’t prefer the digital ones. However, some great products in recent years have transformed this belief and feel to an extent. Acoustic pianos are more sensitive to their surroundings as compared to digital pianos making the latter a less preferred option.

You will surely miss the feel of using a pedal, resonating each string with the other, a lively feel, vibration sound, etc. that isn’t possible for a digital piano to match. They also don’t have the wow factor as you could easily miss out on noticing a digital piano in a room but not the acoustic one.

Closing Remarks

It would be sensible to buy a digital piano if you are a beginner and not sure if you would be going to get on. However, if you have the budget and a decent experience of playing the piano, you should always be opting for an acoustic piano.

If you are planning to purchase a piano, contact Dave’s Piano Showroom and schedule an appointment. The showroom serves customers across Tampa Bay, FL.

Picture Credit: Freepik

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However, the industry in the last 10 years has evolved quite a bit. Yamaha has been and continues to be more focused on their digital and player piano lines and has done nothing to perfect the art of piano making. In fact, I would argue that it has gone backward. Readers need to understand that 85% of what Yamaha sells today is not built in Japan. Globalization has shifted production to countries such as China and Indonesia, where labor rates are favorable.

Leaving Japan and going to China is not at the heart of the problem.  Yamaha or any other piano manufacturer is fully capable of producing a quality piano anywhere in the world. The issue is for some peculiar reason Yamaha strips out all of the refinements they are known for, from their Chinese, Indonesian and Taiwanese made pianos. Why this is done is not clearly understood. One piano craftsman in Japan costs $75,000 per year. In China, it is less than 20% of this amount. This means there is a significant amount of monies left over to refine the piano. It is widely believed Yamaha does not produce a Japanese caliber piano in China, because if they did, not a single tremendously more expensive Japanese made piano would ever sell again.

With the Japanese resting on their laurels and the Internet age coming alive; the European hybrid formula was born. The definition of a European hybrid piano is the fusion of European componentry assembled where labor rates are favorable. In these pianos, the absolute best materials are used. Every tangible component that can be measured or observed, in each step of the building process, is incrementally or substantially better in a piano such as a Ritmüller, than that of a similarly priced Yamaha.

Ritmüller pianos date back to the late 18th century. Recently they were completely redesigned by Lothar Thomma, with the goal being to fuse the best components the world has to offer, chiefly from Europe, with the most accurate forms of modern construction, such as the use of more precise CNC machinery.

The importance of Lothar Thomma’s involvement can not be overstated. For decades Lothar sat at the helm of the engineering department at the world’s highest rated piano maker, Bechstein; a handmade piano built exclusively in Germany. Thomma was hired by the world’s largest piano manufacturer, a brand which also is the official builder for Steinway’s Essex line of pianos, to breathe new life into an old standard. Thomma has achieved world wide success and notoriety with his new Ritmüller designs.

This is illustrated perfectly in the Piano Book by Larry Fine and is likely the single most powerful point that can be made with regard to the quality of a Ritmuller piano. You will notice in the following chart that there are three areas of concern.

https://www.pianobuyer.com/Articles/Detail/ArticleId/243/The-New-Piano-Market-Today-Staff-Picks

Classical / Perennial Favorites – This is essentially what is popular.

Musical Standouts – Amongst
connoisseurs and aficionados what is considered musically sublime.

Good Value – Best bang per buck

Most people respond that musical standout status of these three categories is the most important and this is precisely what I would like to bring your attention to. But before I point this out, it is important to know that size matters in pianos. The longer a grand piano is the larger the soundboard is, which is the speaker in the piano, and the longer the strings become. String length and soundboard size determine decibel production or overall volume. Therefore, smaller pianos are more difficult to make musical. While larger pianos are easier to make musical.

Scroll down and look at baby grand pianos between 4’10” – 5’4”. Is Yamaha or even Steinway present as a “musical standout”? They are not! Ritmüller is! Fine writes, “Amazingly good performance from such a small piano”. He also naturally checks the boxed under “good value” for this piano.

If one wants a “musical standout” from Yamaha one would have to spend $57,000 for a 6’7″ semi concert grand.

At least this is less than the nearly $90,000 Steinway O, which measures5’10.5”

Ritmuller somehow finds a way to make an inherently nonmusical size piano a “musical standout.”

This NEW Ritmüller baby grand in Winter White has a list price of $19,195.  It is being offered for sale at just $16,900 only at Dave’s Piano Showroom of Tampa Bay!

The sale includes:

* Tuning

* Prep work

* One tuning

* 10 year Ritmüller warranty

* Matching bench

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1. Pianos are heavy

You can look at the instrument and can tell that it is quite heavy. Are you aware of how heavy? The smallest upright pianos available in the market viz. Spinet pianos weigh close to 300 pounds and the larger ones weigh anything between 500 to 800 pounds. The largest of the lot are grand pianos that weigh close to 1300 pounds. The reason behind the weight of the piano is that many internal components of the instrument are made from cast iron and the other major parts of the piano such as the soundboard and the casing are made from solid wood. The piano moving companies are equipped with special equipment for the move such as moving trucks having motorized lifts for lifting the load of the piano.

2. Pianos are expensive

When you have decided to move the piano the first thought that comes to your mind would be how to maintain the costs involved to a minimum. Although this thinking is understandable keep in mind that pianos are expensive. Depending on its model and make a piano can cost from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. You have in all probability paid a fortune for the instrument and damaging the product in a DIY attempt will not help the cause much. You are also required to tune the piano after the move which will cost around $200. It is a better option is to leave the move to the pro piano movers.

3. There is a sentimental value to the pianos

Pianos are terrific musical instruments and in most cases, they have a sentimental value for the owners of the machine. Unlike the branded furniture that you do not care about, most people love their piano and would be eager to have it placed in the new house. For many people, the instrument will go with them no matter what it takes. Sometimes the piano in the home is a family heirloom passed on to the next generations for years. Therefore you should think twice before placing yourself and the piano in any danger rather than hiring a professional piano moving company.

4. Possibility of moving day accidents

There is one thing you need to keep in mind right from the beginning. No matter how significant or valuable the great musical instrument is to you, there are things that more important and valuable such as your health and the health of your family. Because of the heavy nature of the machine, its delicate nature, and the excessive dimensions, the piano move falls under the category of one of the more dangerous things to do while moving.

The DIY attempt can lead to an accident on a moving day and can cause an injury of some sort. Of course, the professional piano movers will charge you for the move but they will get it done quickly and safely. If you live in the Tampa, FL area the Dave’s Piano Showroom can help you with a professional move.

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Get the necessary material and moving supplies

Firstly, you have to ensure that you have everything you need to securely move the piano. For moving both upright and grand pianos you will need a lot of moving blankets for its protection. The last thing you need is scratches. You may use blankets or thick towels for covering the piano. You will also need a lot of tapes to make sure that the blankets stay in place. Moving the piano also needs a dolly with the requisite strength to hold the piano.
Because of the size and structure of the grand pianos they are more complicated to move and need additional supplies. Apart from the moving blankets, you can also get appropriate piano boards for handling the move. For holding the piano in place on the skit boards you will also require straps with a screwdriver.

Get helpers

Once you get all the necessary material in place you will have to put together a team of helpers. You are going to need at least four persons or even more depending on the size of the machine and the difficulty involved in the move. The best way is getting your friends, neighbors, and family members with the experience of moving such heavy items and they also need to be in reasonable shape. Ensure that they wear all the necessary clothing required for moving and sneakers with excellent traction.

Measure the staircase, doorway, and hallway

Before executing the move you will have to take into account the places in the home where the piano has to pass through. Ensure that you have measured all the staircases, doorways, and hallways to check how easy it is to maneuver the piano through them. It is a wise idea to keep the doors open and floors properly protected. The furniture that is likely to get in the way must be removed before moving the piano. If there is a concern that the instrument might nick a corner or get scratches during the process, try to cover all the sharp edges by using additional towels or baby-proof bumpers.

Protecting the keyboard and lifting the piano

Moving both kinds of pianos “upright” and “grand” requires a lot of preparation. While moving the pianos you must ensure that the keyboard lid is locked. This will ensure that the keyboard is protected during the move. It is necessary because the piano keys are fragile. If there is no lock on the piano, keep the lead closed while wrapping up the instrument. While lifting the piano keep in mind not to lift it by the legs. They are extremely vulnerable. Keep the machine in an upright position.

Keep in mind that every time a piano is moved it is necessary to tune the instrument. Although a piano is a solid object the inner working is sensitive to bumps and movements. If DIY piano moving is not for you, you can get professional help from Dave’s Piano Moving in the Tampa area. It is a licensed and insured company so you can rest assured that the piano move is in safe hands.

Picture Credit: Pixabay

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Why Play Your Instrument Frequently

Typically, these instruments have a long lifespan. Abuse, not use, is what’s usually responsible for its deterioration. This is because the inner mechanism is very sensitive. This is what makes the engineering here so marvelous. Although its inner parts are sturdy and designed to withstand the test of time and the hardest blows your fingers can deliver, they must be in good condition to one another and overall for this to happen. Here’s a great reason to play your new piano as often as possible. By doing so you’ll appreciate its great craftsmanship and artistry.

Where to Place Your new Piano

As long as your home is well insulated, you can place your piano against any wall there. You don’t want to place it in direct sunlight or near an air vent though. Once there, try to keep your room between 72°F – 75°F. Keep the humidity in the room between 40% – 50%. This is important because excessive dryness or humidity will harm your instrument in several ways:

• Your soundboard and cabinet components will be damaged.
• The pinblock’s glue joints will grow weak.
• Rust will form on the strings.
• The soundboard and its active parts will swell making the keys sluggish and sticky.

No piano is immune to these issues. These things will result in costly repairs.

How to Move Your Instrument

Different types of pianos need to be moved differently. For instance:

• Vertical pianos with legs that aren’t attached to its main cabinet should be lifted off its front casters and rolled on its rear casters.
• Upright pianos with legs attached to a toe block can be rolled on all four casters.
• Grand pianos should be lifted and carried, not rolled.

Every piano is really heavy and could leave imprints on your floor. This is why you should have someone who’s qualified and bonded move it for you. Someone who’s inexperienced could use the wrong equipment and cause serious damage.

Tuning Your Instrument

You also need to tune your piano, which simply means bringing each string to its proper tension. With about 230 separate strings, each with 160 – 200 pounds of tension, this is a big job since each string must vibrate 440 cycles per second. Even if your piano is just ½ step below pitch you could be dealing with 3,000 – 5,000 pounds of tension. This is what technicians mean when they mention that your piano needs a “pitch raise.”

Now that you have a solid understanding of how to care for your new instrument, you should stop by Dave’s Piano Showroom. Here you’ll find a great choice of pianos to choose from, including one that will make a great new addition to your home.

Image credit: Hallet Davis

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