All posts by Robert Estrin

How Many Strings Are On a Piano?

Like most things when it comes to the piano, this question does not have a simple answer. There is no absolute standard for how many strings are on a piano but there are some general guidelines that can shed some light on this question.

Some people might assume that since there are 88 keys on a piano, there would be 88 strings; but this isn’t the case. Most keys on the piano actually strike 3 strings when depressed. They are steel strings that run from the highest treble all the way to the bass section. Once you hit the bass section of the piano, the strings become copper wound and there are less of them per note (2 and eventually 1 on the lowest notes).

Now the problem in figuring out how many strings are on a piano depends on something called scale design. Scale design is a complex topic which I’ve covered in the past:

But basically what you need to know is that all pianos have unique scale designs with different numbers of strings in each section. Each piano switches from the triple steel strings to copper strings with different numbers of dual and single copper bass strings!

So the simple answer is you can’t say how many strings are on a piano exactly, but it ranges generally from about 220 to 240 strings.

Now this really should give you a renewed respect for your piano tuner if it hasn’t already! They have to tune every single one of those strings making sure they are all in proper pitch with each other. The octaves and intervals have to sound as pure as possible; their are also overtones to deal with – the process is actually quite complex.

Thanks again for watching and reading; there is plenty more on the way. Robert Estrin: Robert@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729

What Do Two Dots do to a Note?

Welcome back to our two part series on dots and notes. Last time we covered What a Dot Does to a Note. Today we are going to discuss what two dots do to a note.

Last time we talked about how adding a dot to a note adds the value of the next faster note. So what do two dots do to notes?

You might have seen these before:

It’s a little bit more complex than a single dotted noted and the general definition would be adding the value of the next faster note and then adding the value of the next faster note after that one or even more confusingly, adding half the value of the note plus a quarter value of the note. This is a needlessly complex way of explaining this and nobody wants to be doing math in their head while trying to play their music. Let’s take a look at the actual values of these double dotted notes and discuss this:

So let’s break down this concept using a whole note. In the case of a whole note you would add the value of a half note and a quarter note onto the whole note.

Whole note = 4 beats
Half note = 2 beats
Quarter note = 1 beat

Double Dotted Whole Note = Whole note + Half Note + Quarter note = 7 beats

All the note values can be broken down this way. At first it might be confusing but breaking it down into note values is so much easier than using fractions.

So while this isn’t a long lesson today it’s certainly an important and somewhat complex one. I hope this helps de-mystify this subject for you. Just for reference, here is a full chart of the note values when adding a dot or two dots to a note.

Thanks again for joining us here at Living Pianos. If you have any questions please contact us directly info@livingpianos.com (949) 244-3729.

Should You Cover Your Piano?

This is a very common question we get around the store. People wonder if it’s necessary to cover their pianos and whether or not it will help to preserve their instruments or the finish of their pianos.

It is not necessary to cover your piano and truthfully it can be a chore to have to constantly cover and uncover the instrument every time you want to play it. However, when we get pianos in the shop that have been kept covered, they can look like new pianos!

A cover over a piano will not only protect it from scratches or dust but it will slow the aging process – particularly for the furniture. If a piano is in direct sunlight, the finish will eventually suffer sun damage. The finish might change color in spots that are exposed to the sun and the finish may dry out and eventually start flaking off.

If you have a piano in your home that has direct sunlight on it you should definitely get either shades for the window or a cover for the piano. Sun damage can inflict thousands of dollars of damage to a piano’s finish over a short period of time.

More important than covering your piano is to close the lid when you are done playing. The humidity and temperature changes particularly at night can adversely affect the integrity of your piano. You can’t stop all exposure to the elements. However, providing constant air conditioning and humidity control in the room the piano is located can slow the aging process particularly when combined with keeping the piano closed.

Unless you are in a harsh environment where there are wild swings of temperature and humidity, you don’t necessarily need to close the lid of the piano but it certainly will help to prolong the life of the instrument. The most important thing to avoid is direct sunlight on your piano.

While it’s not necessary to cover your piano it can help. If you are playing it all the time it might be cumbersome to constantly cover the piano but it will help to delay the aging process and keep your instrument fresher longer.

For pianos in institutional settings, covering the piano can be a lifesaver from potential abuse.

Thanks again for joining us here at Living Pianos. If you have any questions about this topic or any others, please contact us at: Info@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729

What is a Chromatic Scale?

You’ve all heard it and you’ve probably all played them, but in this lesson I’m going to describe everything you need to know about Chromatic Scales.

As we talked about in our other series on scales, they are really just a series of half steps and whole steps.

Half Steps are two keys together with no keys between.

Whole Steps are simply two keys together with one key between.

Always remember! Half steps and whole steps incorporate the black keys as well as the white keys.

A chromatic scale is built with all half steps – simply all the available notes with no notes in between; Technically, there can really only be 1 chromatic scale. You might start on a different note but it will always be the same series of notes.

So if you start on C it would be: C, C-sharp, D, D-sharp, E, F, F-sharp, G, G-sharp, A, A-sharp, B and C.

It covers all the keys in order without skipping or repeating any – all half steps, that’s it!

Next time we will cover the whole tone scale.

Thanks again for joining me Robert Estrin Robert@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729

Should You Take Two Music Lessons a Week?

In the past we’ve discussed whether or not thirty minute lessons are ok, today we are going to discuss whether or not two lessons a week are beneficial. There are a number of things that affect the answer to this question.

The first concern is the age of the student. Sometimes younger students might not be able to sit still for a full hour so two thirty minute lessons a week can be really beneficial. It can also help the students to refresh their memory and keep a consistent flow of learning and practice. I can’t tell you how many times students have come back to me after a week and not practiced any of their material in the proper ways.

For adult students, two lessons a week can actually be a big challenge. The biggest issue with adults is time management. Just scheduling two lessons can be challenge enough. But having the practice time necessary to be prepared after only three or four days can be impossible for many people. If you find yourself with unlimited time then maybe two lessons a week could be beneficial for you.

It really comes down the individual and the amount of time they have to devote to practicing music. There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to taking multiple lessons in a week. It’s a matter of what you can and want to achieve with your free time.

Thanks again for joining me Robert Estrin Robert@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729

How Long Do Piano Strings Last?

This is a great question but it does not have a simple answer. If you play guitar you know that the oils in your skin can degrade the strings quickly and you will need to replace them often to get a lively tone. The piano is certainly not this extreme but the strings are susceptible to the elements as well. However, there is no definitive answer when it comes to this question.

Right now we have two Steinway pianos in our inventory from the 1930s. Both of these pianos actually have the original strings and they sound incredible. The bass sounds robust and the tone is vibrant; there is simply no reason to change the strings. On the other hand, we have a Steinway piano from the 1980s that we actually replaced the strings. How can this be? How can a piano that is fifty years older than others not need to be restrung? It has everything to do with the environment the piano is in.

The strings of a piano don’t actually age on their own; they age through outside forces and elements of their surroundings. A piano that is in a very humid environment – like near the beach – is highly susceptible to the elements. I have seen pianos in homes near the beach where the lid of the piano is left open with windows left open and the strings are rusting, breaking and just completely degraded within a decade.

However, here in Southern California if you go only ten miles from the beach and not too close to the desert you have an incredibly ideal environment for your piano. Just ten miles from the humidity of the beach there is an area where you can have a piano even left open in your home and not experience rust or serious problems with your strings possibly for decades. This is where I have seen 80 year old pianos still with the original strings; and they sound great!

There is a limit however to how long strings can last. I have seen pianos 50 to 100 years old lose some of the tone in the copper wound strings – which is where you will first see string problems. There is a simple way to check for this. Play a descending chromatic scale on the piano and notice where you transition from the steel strings to the copper wound strings. If you hear an abrupt change in tone in this transition to the copper wound strings, you know that it’s time to replace at least those strings. Sometimes you can twist the bass strings and get them back to life and sometimes you can simply replace the bass strings and be just fine.

The big red flag when it comes to strings is seeing rusty and broken strings – and this can be both the copper wound and steel strings. This is a sign that more strings are bound to break and it’s a good idea to restring the whole piano.

If you have any more questions about replacing the strings of your piano or if you have a piano in particular you would like advice with, please contact me Robert Estrin Robert@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729