When listening to some of the great pianists of all time like Horowitz and Rachmaninoff, sometimes the fast finger passages sound almost jewel-like in the shimmering clarity of the notes. One of the secrets to developing this kind of technique is practicing slowly with raised fingers. You see, it is not just the placement of the attacks of the notes that creates this pristine evenness, it is the precise release of notes that gives the even spacing that creates the trademark sound that is so beautiful.
Try putting your fingers on a table and lifting each finger separately. You will notice how difficult it is lifting up individual fingers, particularly the 4th finger. By practicing slowly with raised fingers, you will develop the strength of the release of notes which will enable you to get that glistening stream of even notes in your fast passage work that is so compelling.
The heart and soul of your piano is its soundboard. Like the top of a Stradivarius violin, the soundboard is the wood beneath all the strings and plate of the piano which gives it its unique quality of sound. There are certain things you should know about soundboards:
Tight cracks usually present no problems.
Crown, the slight upward arching of the soundboard is essential for good tone.
The ribs beneath the soundboard must be firmly attached at all points to avoid buzzing.
Soundboards can be fixed, but only by removing the strings and plate and rebuilding the piano.
Watch the video to learn how to check the soundboard on your piano.
In a perfect world, you would have a tuner living next door and they would come over every day and keep your piano in tune. Because pianos start going out of tune right after being tuned simply by being played. How often you should tune your piano depends upon several factors:
Stability of the environment
How much the piano is played
Level of refinement required
A new piano or newly restrung piano requires more tuning than one that has been tuned regularly for a long period of time. As a general rule, a piano should be tuned whenever there is a change in seasons. Certainly when going from heat to air conditioning and visa versa necessitates tuning even if the piano sounds O.K. This is because the entire piano may shift slightly up or down. It’s important to develop consistency. If you tune your piano regularly, eventually it will become quite stable. So, like changing the oil in your car, regular tuning is preventative maintenance for your piano.
If you play the piano even casually, you probably know that the sustain pedal on the right makes all the notes you play hold until you release the pedal. The other 2 piano pedals are not as clear cut. In fact, only the sustain pedal operates on upright pianos. The other pedals do various things, but seldom what they are designed to do. Even some grand pianos pedals don’t operate the way they are intended.
The left pedal, sometimes referred to as the soft pedal is actually called the une corde pedal for “one string”. Indeed, early pianos had 2 strings for each note and the une corde pedal shifted the action so that the hammers only struck one string. Modern pianos have 3 strings for each note throughout most of the piano. So the une corde pedal shifts the action so that the hammers strike only 2 of the strings squarely. This is significant because it not only makes the notes quieter, but if offers a change of timbre. Upright pianos usually offer a soft pedal that changes the feel, not the sound. It does this by shifting the hammers closer to the strings making it harder to play loud.
The middle pedal is seldom used and even more seldom understood. Most pianos didn’t have functioning sustenuto pedals as they are called until the end of the 19th century. Many European piano manufacturers didn’t include middle piano pedals until well into the 20th century. Like the sustain pedal, the sustenuto pedal holds notes after you release the keys. The difference is that subsequent notes that are depressed will not hold, only the notes that were depressed when the middle pedal is engaged. This is useful in a few scores of Debussy and other 20th century composers. It’s like having a 3rd hand to hold notes in another register without blurring the harmonies with the sustain pedal. However, the sustenuto pedal is only called upon in 20th century music and very few compositions. It is by no means essential but could be important for someone specializing in 20th century piano music.
Check strings for rust particularly at the pins and hitch pins.
Play the keys going down to the low notes. If you notice a change of tone of the copper wound strings compared to the steel strings, this can indicate problems.
Check the sound board by climbing under the piano or the back of an upright. If there are cracks you can see through this can be a problem. Hairline cracks are a normal part of the aging process in most parts of the country. Make sure the ribs are not detached from the sound board at all. You can try to wedge a business card between the ribs and the sound board to see if they are firmly attached.
Wiggle the keys to see if the felt bushings cushion the keys. If you hear clicking, this indicates a worn action.
Look at the hammers particularly in the treble section to see if there is much felt left. If the hammers are heavily grooved and flattened, they can be reshaped through filing provided there is enough felt to work with.
If the piano is wildly out of tune, find notes that are particularly bad. Pluck the 3 strings of the notewhile holding the key down to hear which one is lowest. If you find other notes with strings that have dropped in pitch, see if they form a straight line at the pins. This could indicate cracks in the pin block which requires rebuilding of the piano.
Below are 10 of the most common FACTS and FICTION about Steinway and Sons pianos.
Steinway started as a German company.
FALSE: Steinway began in New York by German immigrants. Later they opened a factory in Hamburg, Germany. Today Steinway pianos are manufactured in both New York and Hamburg.
Steinway was owned by CBS in the 1960’s and 1970’s.
TRUE: Steinway was owned by CBS in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Many people agree that the quality of manufacturing was generally lower during this period of time.
Boston is a lower line piano made by Steinway.
FALSE: Boston is a stencil piano. The name was invented by Steinway to sell pianos through the Steinway dealer network with pianos manufactured by Kawai.
In the early part of the 20th century, Steinway and Sons treated action parts in a way that made them seize up years later.
TRUE: Steinways from the early part of the 20th century often suffer from a condition known as verdigris. The treatment which was thought to avoid corrosion on action parts caused action parts to seize up and require extensive restoration.
Steinway used Teflon in their actions so they wouldn’t wear out.
TRUE: During the CBS period of ownership in the 1960’s and 1970’s and even into the early 1980’s, Steinway experimented with utilizing Teflon instead of the usual felt bushings in their actions. Most technicians found it difficult to deal with clicking noises that resulted over time.
A Steinway 7-foot piano is actually 6 feet 10 1/2 inches.
TRUE: Steinway 7 foot pianos are an inch and a half short of 7 feet. The 9 foot concert grand is also an inch under 9 feet.
All currently produced Steinways have the Accelerated action.
FALSE: New York made Steinways have Accelerated actions. However, Hamburg produced Steinway pianos utilize actions made by Renner and do not employ the Accelerated actions.
A new Steinway direct from the factory is more refined than a Yamaha from the factory.
FALSE: New out of the box, a Yamaha is far more refined than a Steinway. Steinway pianos come to dealers in an unrefined state. It is up to the dealer to have extensive regulation, voicing, tuning and other adjustments to get the pianos playing on a high level.
Used Steinways represent an excellent value in a high quality used piano.
FALSE: While a good used Steinway piano may be a better investment than a new Steinway, there is a premium you must pay on a Steinway piano compared to comparable pianos from other top tier manufacturers because of the recognition of the name.
Steinway is the number 1 selling American made piano.
TRUE: There were only 1600 pianos produced in the United States last year and Steinway produced over 1000 of them.
When you hear your favorite singer, you know who it is instantly by the voice. Even listening to wind players and string players, you often can identify the player by the tone. What about piano? Can you tell who is playing just from the sound they get? The answer is, yes, sometimes.
The secret to getting a great tone out of a piano (or a more pleasing tone out of a lesser instrument) is to support the tone like a singer or wind player supports the phrase with the breath using the diaphragm. String players utilize the bow for a smooth line and spend years developing a technique to get a beautiful sound. So what is the analog to the breath on the piano?
A phrase generally has a rise and fall, just like a breath. If you were to calculate each note of a phrase played on the piano to make each note successively louder to the peak then each note softer than the next to the end of the phrase, you would end up with a very calculated type of playing! The secret is to use a constant weight of the arm which grows to the top of the phrase and diminishes to the end of the phrase. The fingers support the weight and transfers the weight smoothly from note to note. So you exert downward pressure on the key not just on the attack, but throughout the length of the note. This enables you to get a smooth line by using the weight of the arm as the constant like the breath of a singer.
When playing large chords loudly, you can get a beautiful sound by playing from the surface of the keys. If you strike from above with the arms, this creates a slapping sound which is harsh and ugly. By staying in contact with the key and releasing energy to the bottom of the key bed with strength, you will get a beautiful sound no matter how much energy you expend. Try this in these 2 different methods and listen to the difference in the sound. You will be amazed.
