Piano Care

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The keys of a piano serve a great purpose to the player.  They activate the action parts that make the hammers strike the strings to produce a sound.  Their condition is important to the player.  Keys that stick or are sluggish, chipped, not level, or inconsistent in any way, are a distraction to making music, and may even hinder it.  

Keys should be kept clean of dust.  Most pianos have a key cover that will keep dust off.  It is a good idea to close the keyboard cover when it is not being played.  This will not only keep the keeps clean, it can protect them from being chipped from dropped items or prevent items such as guitar picks, paper clips, coins, Christmas decoration pieces/needles and other thin things from falling between the keys.

A player should always have cleans hands and there should never be food or drink on or around the piano.  Although today most natural (white) piano key tops are made of acrylic or polymer, in the past key tops have been plastic and ivory.  If you have an older used piano, some key top materials absorb containments such as smoke which can discolor the keys permanently. 

The material under the key natural top (the actual key stick) is a soft wood typically spruce or basswood.  Cleaning of the keys should only be done with a dry or damp soft cloth.  If liquid drips between the keys, the soft wood under the key top, can swell causing temporary and even permanent swelling, warping or twisting of the key.

Only fingers and soft cleaning clothes or dusters should touch the keys of your piano.  Be careful if you use a wood stain marker or other finish touch-up products on cabinet parts.  They will stain key tops.  Never use anything but a mild detergent on a soft cloth.  Nail polish remover will “melt” and ruin the material on keys.  Most students are advised by their teachers NEVER to wear nail polish.  It can leave marks on the keys that may not be able to removed.  Closing the key cover can also prevent small children from banging on the keys with hard toys.

Damaged key surfaces can be repaired or replaced by a reliable piano technician such as John at JK Music Services.  If you have chips in the front of a key, a metal nail file can be used the soften or even round the chipped edges so the player does cut the insides of his or her fingers should their hands slide while playing.  New keytops can make the keys an older piano feel and look like new!  Making it much more enjoyable to play.

Uneven keys can be made level again by a good piano technician.  Each key stick rides on two pins, one at the fulcrum (or balance point) and one under the front of the key.  These pins have a felt washer that may have been worn, or if it’s an old piano, moth larva may have damaged or eaten it.  These felt washers can be replaced and the level is finely adjusted by a wide selection of paper and cardboard washers of different thicknesses.  Once the keys are leveled, it is likely the action will need to be adjusted or "regulated," because the key dip effects the internal mechanism.  If keys are severely damaged, a new set can be made, but this can be very expensive and is best to be avoided.

Finally, if you have a older piano with ivory keys, ultraviolet light helps to keep the keys white.  Some people “treat” their keys several times a year by place ultraviolet lights such as “grow lamps” over the keys for a week at a time.  Discolored ivory keys can be made whiter or white again with special peroxide treatments.  If you can any questions contact John at JK Music Services.