All posts by Robert Estrin

Does a Steinway Piano Need Steinway Parts?

There is a lot of conflicting information about this topic floating around online. When it comes to rebuilding a piano or buying a rebuilt Steinway piano, you will encounter a lot of different opinions from various sources.

There are some people who believe that if you rebuild a Steinway with different parts (other than those provided by Steinway directly) the piano shouldn’t even be considered a Steinway anymore. This might sound a little extreme but there is some truth to this claim. If you replace the soundboard on a piano, it is a fundamentally different instrument. The soundboard is responsible to a great extent for the tone of the piano. Replacing it changes something intrinsic to the instrument. Much like removing the top of a Stradivarius violin means it’s not a Stradivarius anymore. The same rule applies to pianos – if you remove the soundboard it’s no longer the same as the original piano.

However, there are a lot of other parts on the piano besides the soundboard. What about strings, hammers, felts or one of the dozens of other parts on a piano? There is a lot of misinformation out there about this subject and I will do my best to clear this up.

There are two reasons you will hear people dissuade you from purchasing a rebuilt piano or rebuilding one of your own. On one side you have people who are generally trying to help customers avoid making mistakes. There are some rebuilders out there who will use substandard parts or not deliver the quality of instrument they really should. This is not a common practice but it is something to be aware of and why you should really have a technician check out any rebuilt instruments if you’re buying from an unknown source.

On the other side, the largest competitor to new Steinway & Sons pianos are used Steinway pianos! The market for used Steinway pianos is very strong because there is a large market for Steinway pianos in general. New Steinway pianos often cost a significant amount more than used Steinways and many people have their minds made up that they will only purchase a Steinway piano. Instead of breaking the bank, a lot of people will purchase high quality used pianos. It is in Steinway’s interest to sell as many new pianos as they can and dissuade buyers from purchasing used Steinway pianos.

So when it comes to the original question, do you need to rebuild a Steinway with Steinway parts? Yes, if they are the right match. There is a big caveat to rebuilding with only Steinway parts; they are not actually a parts manufacturer. The only parts they have on hand are for pianos they are currently building. So let’s say you had a 1932 Steinway Model M and a novice rebuilder wants to replace many of the action parts. They might call up Steinway and ask for parts for a Model M. After the rebuilder finishes and installs the parts, he might find out that the specifications are not correct for that particular piano. Some of the new parts won’t match what they had made in the past: the action weight could be off, the geometry might be wrong, there is a whole host of possible issues.

In some cases, Steinway parts are not the appropriate parts to use. For example, you could purchase Abel hammers or parts from Renner that could match the original specifications much closer. In fact, Renner provides all the action parts for Steinway pianos made in Hamburg, Germany. So no, it’s not wrong to use other parts from high quality manufacturers many of which will provide parts that match particular vintages of pianos better than what Steinway may have available at that time.

The biggest factor in rebuilding a piano is to use high quality parts that are the right match for that particular piano. It takes a knowledgeable rebuilder who has worked with Steinway pianos a great deal to make the right choices.

Thanks again for joining me Robert Estrin Robert@LivingPianos.com

Does a New Piano Need to be Broken In?

This is a topic that many people might not be familiar with but it’s actually very important to be aware of. When it comes to buying a new piano, do you need to break it in? Much like getting yourself a new baseball glove, you may wonder if you need to spend time with your new piano to get it to loosened up so it’s easier to play.

The answer is a little more complex than a simple yes or no. There is definitely some truth to the claim that you will have to “break in” a new piano. I actually know some technicians who don’t like to perform voicing on new pianos until they are broken in because the sound will change anyway. However, in the hands of a great technician a new piano can be brought to an extraordinarily high level even if it hasn’t been played much.

The biggest factor when it comes to new pianos is getting them to become stable and that requires tuning them many times. Tuning a new piano multiple times will help it settle into the correct tuning and become stable. So not only does the piano need to be “broken in” but it also needs to be adjusted so that it will continue to hold a stable tuning.

The action of a piano has almost 100 parts for each note. Wherever there is friction, there are felt bushings. These loosen up as you play your piano. So, the action becomes somewhat easier over time.

When you press a key down on a piano the hammer will strike the strings. As it hits the string continually the hammer will start to develop grooves in which you can see the indentation of the strings on the hammer. These grooves are compacted felt and over time the harder felt will produce a brighter tone. This is something that happens naturally over time but a skilled technician can treat the felt on the hammers to produce the same type of tone right away, even with new hammers. If you just play the piano casually it could take months or even years to finally achieve a brighter sound.

So yes, over time the sound of your piano will change a bit as you break it in. In a perfect world you would work closely with your technician to achieve the sound you are looking for with your piano. As you continue to play the piano the instrument will become more stable and voicing and tunings will last longer than they did when you first bought your piano.

On the other side, as your piano gets older (and this is an issue especially with Asian pianos that tend to have harder felt to begin with) you might find that your piano is getting too bright. A technician can try and remedy this by treating the hammers, needling them or shaving some of the older felt off to try and get a more mellow sound but in some cases you might need to replace the hammers altogether if there isn’t enough felt to work with. This is something that can happen on any piano with age and it’s always a good idea to speak with your technician and see if this is a concern because replacing hammers can be an expensive job.

After a couple of years your piano should be at optimal performance with proper maintenance. Everything will have been broken in nicely and with regular tunings your piano should be stable. With regular maintenance and care you should be able to keep your piano at a very high level for years to come. The only occasion where a piano would wear out quickly and need repairs within a few years is if it is abused or played for many hours every day (like a practice room piano in conservatories).

I hope this has been helpful for you and if you have any more questions or comments about this topic or any other please contact us directly: info@LivingPianos.com or (949) 244-3729.

Morton Estrin – Celebration of Life – 1923-2017

This is the time to celebrate the life of my father, Morton Estrin who was a world renowned concert pianist, recording artist, and master teacher. His uplifting spirit will be missed.

My father knew early in life that he had found his passion, and would devote his life to the piano. His influence in the world of music has been far-reaching from producing a musical dynasty within his own family, to the legacy he passed on to his countless private students as well as being distinguished professor of music for over 50 years at Hofstra University. A good number of his students have achieved prominence and fame in their own right including John Mauceri, Deborah Gibson, Jeffrey Biegel and Billy Joel.

My father was known for his mastery of some of the most demanding music in the piano literature. He performed the complete Preludes of Rachmaninoff at Lincoln Center. His historic first ever recording of the Scriabin Etudes opus 8 earned “Record of the Year”. He continued learning and performing music including the massive Mussorgsky, “Pictures at an Exhibition” when he was in his eighties.

My father enriched me with a foundation in music encompassing all aspects of artistry from mastering the piano, to developing my musicianship with his clear, concise teaching which I have shared and continue sharing to people personally and through media. We all owe a debt of gratitude for the giving nature of one of the great pianists of the Romantic tradition which lives on in his recordings as well as the thousands of students who continue sharing the great insights and passion for music my father offered.

 

Scriabin Etude opus 8 No. 12 in D-sharp minor

This is the last of the 12 etudes opus 8 of the great Russian composer, Alexander Scriabin. My father was the first to record the complete set of the opus 8 etudes which garnered rave revues as well as record of the year. The Russian tradition of his heritage and musical lineage is evident in the performance of these magnificent works.

Rachmaninoff Prelude Opus 32 No. 5 in G-major

My father had massive hands and could reach spectacular heights with his tremendous strength reaching the last row of the largest concert halls. But he also had the utmost delicacy in his playing which is evident here in this gem of a work, the Prelude in G-major from the Opus 32 Preludes. You can listen to the complete set which is available on YouTube.

Brahms Rhapsody in G minor, Opus 79 No. 2

While my father had a great affinity for Russian composers, his interpretations of Beethoven and Brahms had epic architecture so rarely heard. This is the famous G-minor Rhapsody. His Brahms album used to be a favorite of radio stations around the country and throughout the world. My sister and I would delight in going to record stores and finding the bin with all of my father’s records!

Schumann Symphonic Etudes

One of the trademarks of my father’s performances was his command for extremely large works. While the Symphonic Etudes are essentially a set of theme and variations, in his hands the music has an architecture which makes the whole greater than the sum of the parts – not just a bunch of technical achievements (although it is that!), but a cohesive performance that has great meaning and emotion far beyond just playing the notes. This was a single take from a recording session of this piece that never got released. All I had was an audio cassette of the session. So, there is absolutely no editing in this performance.

Solfeggio Part 2: What Does the Minor Start on?

Last time we discussed the differences between Fixed Do and Movable Do Solfeggio. Today we are going to go a little bit more in-depth and discuss how to handle minor keys in movable do solfege.

There are different schools of thought about how to approach the relative minor in solfeggio. We know that “Do” is always the tonic of any major key in movable Do solfege – so with no sharps or flats, C is “Do”, if you add one flat, F would be “Do”, and so on. But what about the minor? If you have no sharps or flats you could be in the relative minor of C major, which is A minor. So what syllables do you use then?

Some people will say that “Do” is always the tonic, so in the case of A minor, A would be called “Do”. I personally don’t like this approach and will explain why using “La” as the tonic of the minor makes perfect sense.

The great thing about using “La” as the tonic of the minor is that you don’t have to use accidental syllables where there are no accidentals found in the music. For example, if you were in A minor and there are no accidentals, if you started the tonic on “La” it would be: La, Ti, Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La. However, if you tried the same thing starting on “Do” it would be: Do, Re, Me, (accidental syllable), Fa, So, Le, (accidental syllable) Te, (accidental syllable) Do. This makes no sense; Having accidental syllables where none exists in the music is confusing.

Just think about dealing with pieces based on modes. The tonic can start on any of the tone degrees. Imagine figuring out all the modes starting on Do. This would be an arduous task! Instead, all the modes are simply like starting the major scale on different tone degrees. A dorian mode would be Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do, Re. So, all the modes are that simple to figure out!

Needless to say, I am a big proponent of starting the solfege on “La” when it comes to relative minor keys. It is particularly helpful in pieces that go back and forth between the major and relative minor. I would love to hear your opinions on this subject.

I hope this is helpful and if you have any questions about this topic or any other, please email me Robert@LivingPianos.com for more information.

Can You Replace Just one Piano String?

Last week we talked about how long piano strings last, today we are going to discuss whether or not it’s possible to replace only a single string. This is something I deal with on a regular basis. I have very intense practice sessions and I regularly break strings on my Baldwin SD-10 concert grand piano.

When it comes to piano, you should always have an experienced tuner or technician replace the string for you – unless you are well versed in servicing pianos. You must install the correct gauge string properly so it matches the other strings – you will want to make sure it’s wound tightly and that the becket (the part of the string that points out from the hole) is flush, among other issues that must be addressed when replacing a string. It’s not a job for an amateur.

If you’re familiar with other string instruments, like guitar for example, you know that replacing a single string can be a bit problematic. In the case of a guitar, replacing one string will cause that string to stand out from the older ones on the instrument. It will have a brighter sound and it will go out of tune much more easily than the strings you already have on there until it stabilizes. When it comes to piano, you will find similar problems.

Replacing a single string on a piano will cause that string to go out tune quite regularly. It will need to be touched up regularly – possibly eight to ten times before it holds a tuning. What a lot of piano tuners will do is to stretch the string a little sharp and insert a small rubber wedge to avoid hearing the out of tune string. The next time they come to tune the piano the string will probably hold pitch better and they can hopefully get the piano back to normal.

What I suggest for serious players is to become somewhat competent in touching up the tuning of your piano. I own a tuning hammer and a set of wedges and I constantly touch up the tuning of my piano. This enables you to enjoy your piano without having to constantly have a technician or tuner come over to tune your new strings. It’s worth learning if you find yourself breaking strings regularly. Not only that, but you can keep your piano in tune longer by touching up the tuning between piano technician visits.

When it comes to copper wound bass strings, there is a bit more involved. These strings are very specific and it may require you to send in the string to the manufacturer and have them send you a replication. Mapes is a great string manufacturer that provides this service. If the piano is very old and the bass strings are a bit tarnished, a new bass string could be significantly brighter than the others. At this point you might consider replacing the whole set of bass strings which could really brighten up the sound giving new life to your piano.

It’s not the end of the world breaking piano strings, but it requires some work and the help of an experienced tuner to remedy the situation. If you find yourself breaking strings regularly, you should consider learning how to touch up the tuning on your piano. You may also consult with your piano technician to see if there are issues with your piano that are causing strings to break.

Thanks again for joining me Robert Estrin Robert@LivingPianos.com

Which is Better: Movable or Fixed Do Solfeggio?

If you’re a musician, you are probably familiar with solfeggio (or solfege). But, if you are unfamiliar with the term or need a quick refresher course, please check out our full video on What is Solfeggio?

So, what do we mean by movable-do or fixed-do solfeggio? These are two distinct types of solfege and there are a number of variations on those styles as well.

With Fixed-do, C is always “do”, D is always “re”, E is always “mi” and so on through the scale. You don’t account for flats or sharps. So, it is basically note naming. The notes: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C are called: do, re, mi fa so, la, ti, do.

Movable-do is different from fixed-do except for the syllables. The notes in movable-do are based on pitch relationships so that “do” is the tonic of the major key you are in. So, in a piece with no sharps or flats, C is “do”. In a piece that has one sharp, G becomes “do” because you may be in G major. In a piece in G major (with F-sharp in the key signature) with movable-do, the notes: G, A, B, C, D, E, F#, G would be: do, re, mi fa so, la, ti, do! This is true for all keys. “Do” is the tonic (first note) of whatever key you are in. So, for example, if you had 5 flats in the key signature, D-flat would be “do”! You might wonder what the purpose of this is.

You also account for accidental syllables:

do – di – re – ri – mi – fa – fi – so – si – la – li – ti – do

Descending chromatic scale is:

do – ti – te – la – le – so – se – fa – mi – me – re – ra – do

Movable do can be extremely valuable for developing your ear. It enables you to hear all intervals since all scales have the same pitch relationships. For example, a perfect fifth will always be a perfect fifth whether it’s a C to a G, or a G to a D, or anywhere else. Utilizing movable-do can help you learn the pitch relationship between notes. It is a great tool for comprehending the music you hear.

Movable-Do

A great tool for hearing music

As a young child I was taught solfege and it is an extremely valuable skillset I utilize whenever I hear or play music. In fact, whenever I hear a piece of music, I automatically translate it into the syllables which helps me know the notes of music just from hearing it. It makes it possible to play by ear and to transcribe music I hear into written notation.

The problem with Atonal music

The whole idea of movable-do solfege is based on tonal music – having a tonic – that is having a starting note of the scale and all the pitch relationships between. Without this context, movable-do is meaningless and doesn’t work with atonal music.

Fixed-Do Solfege

Note naming is more important than you might think.

If you play the piano or the flute, it is probably not a big deal naming notes. Once you know how to read music, the notes are the notes and translating them to syllables may seem pointless.

But if you are a conductor, things are quite different. You have a many instruments in different keys and different clefs. It can be a great challenge knowing what notes you’re looking at. Note naming becomes an essential tool in this case for having a baseline for all the notes and naming them appropriately. It is also essential to communicate pitches with members of the orchestra.

Which One is Better?

This really depends on the situation and what your goal is.

If you want to be able to hear music and develop the ability to sight-sing music, transpose at sight, and transcribe music, learning movable-do solfege is an extremely valuable tool in achieving this. You will learn the relationship between notes to a very advanced degree that will make reading, transposing, and dictating music much easier.

Fixed-do solfege is a valuable tool in learning how to read a conductor score filled with various transpositions and a variety of clefs and being able to know what the absolute pitches are. If you’ve ever seen a conductor go through a score and digest it on the fly (realizing the music at the piano) it’s awe inspiring.

I hope this is helpful and if you have any questions about this topic or any other, please email me Robert@LivingPianos.com for more information.