All posts by Robert Estrin

Piano Questions – Does a Broken String Mean More Problems? Finding Info on Old Pianos

Hi Robert,
I have an old piano that has been performing beautifully but recently a few strings have been causing trouble. It is 60 years old, a Challen, British made and upright. The Piano tuner has taken a string away and will replace it. I have heard however that a piano that needs a new string is a sign of other problems, perhaps even a need to buy a new piano which we do not want to do. The piano I own is a family friend and has traveled the world with us.
Any advice?
Michael

Sorry you’re having trouble with your piano. A broken string is not necessarily a big problem. However, if there is significant rust or corrosion and you start breaking strings on a regular basis, this could indicate that you need restringing which is expensive. However, one or two broken strings over a period of time are no big deal. Hopefully you can enjoy your piano for years to come without major work.

Robert,
I have a Chickering that folds down into a table. I found it while cleaning out of a storage unit.
It sounds great and looks good. Was wondering if you knew what year it was made or where I could find out?? thanks for any help

Larry

These pianos are a relic from the past – kind of a detour in the development of the piano. They are terrible instruments and parts are hard to come by. If you know the brand name that could help determine its value. The age could possibly be from the 1860’s. If you can locate a serial number on the unit somewhere, that along with the brand name is all you would need to figure out the date of manufacturer. These are strictly furniture pieces unsuitable for serious playing.

Thanks for contacting me. Please feel free to let me know any other information I can help you with.

Piano Questions: How to Move a Piano – Installing a Midi or Player System

Hi Robert,

Two questions, please:

If a large grand piano was delivered to a house, would it have to fit through a door fully assembled or could the legs be removed and the body be tilted vertically?

Also, installing a MIDI system (regardless of the brand), could that be installed by a technician at the house or would it have to be installed at a “workshop” before it gets delivered?

Thanks Robert!

Brian

Thanks for the great questions! All grand pianos are moved on their side with the pedals and legs removed. They are put on what is called a grand board and rolled in on a 4 wheel flat dolly. Professional movers make it look easy because they know exactly what they are doing.

Player installation is an involved process. So, it must be done in a workshop and preferably by a piano technician since it involves some surgery that must be performed correctly to avoid any compromise to the piano. My installers are 1st rate piano technicians who specialize in player installs.

I may be able to include the cost of delivery in the purchase of the piano since I have so many pianos crisscrossing the country. Please feel free to fire away any other questions that occur to you.

What is the Best Size Piano for You?

This is an excellent question. Sometimes bigger is not always better when it comes to putting a piano in your home. There are occasions when too big of a piano can cause too much volume yet having a piano that is undersized for the space can create too many demands for the instrument. This video and article will explain how to tell what size piano is right for you and your home.

There are two things involved in selecting the size of your piano: the volume of air in the room and the acoustic properties (or the number of reflective surfaces you have).

The general rule when it comes to pianos is that all things being equal, bigger is better. It’s especially crucial for experienced players to have a large grand to practice on because you will most likely be performing on 7 or 9-foot pianos in performance and it’s always easier to transition to a smaller piano.

In my loft, I practice on a 9-foot concert grand (Baldwin SD-10). There is a lot of volume to the room – the ceilings are very high, and there is a lot of open space – and the acoustics lend very well to a larger piano. However, I used to live in a house and would practice on the same piano – it was in an enormous room and had vaulted ceilings – but when I practiced I would need to wear a pair of earplugs at times because the sound was just too much to handle.

Now on the other side, you can have a piano that is too small for a room. As a result, most players will only play harder to get more sound out of it. Playing too hard on the piano will cause the piano to age prematurely – I have seen this many times before in schools and churches where the piano is undersized for the space.

If you have a small room with very high ceilings – let’s say 20 feet tall – you can have a much larger piano because you have a tremendous amount of air in the room. On the other hand, if you have a larger room with low ceilings, you might need to get a smaller piano.

If you have a room with carpet, drapes, and soft furniture, that will tend to absorb a lot of the sound of the piano. If you have hardwood floors and not much in the room you will have a lot more reflective noise generated.

The best thing to do is stand in the room you plan to put your piano in and clap your hands. See how much sound you get. Sing a little bit – does it seem like your voice is enhanced (like singing in the shower)? If you tend to get more sound by clapping, talking, or singing in your room you have a loud room; you will probably be able to get by with a smaller piano.

Now if you want to have a larger piano and you have a loud room, there are ways to fix this. You can put a rug under your piano and cut down on the sound quite a bit. You will certainly tell the difference in the amount of noise coming out of the instrument. Remember, half the sound of the piano is generated underneath the piano from the soundboard.

Thanks again for watching and reading. Hope you enjoyed this information and please, keep those questions coming!

Piano Questions: Do They Make Metal Pinblocks? Reshaped Hammers

Robert,
What do reshaped hammers mean? I have seen this in some of the pianos you have on your site and am wondering as to what this means.
Sonja-

Good question! When hammers impact the strings, over time they develop deep grooves which are compacted felt. It creates a brittle tone. Hammers that are really worn can even flatten a bit. So, you can bring new life to hammers by reshaping them to the egg-shape which produces the best tone. Better than that, you get down to virgin felt which has a warmer sound. You can only reshape hammers so many times until you get to the wood – then you have to replace the hammers. These hammers have plenty of good felt to work with, so years down the line they can be reshaped again a number of times.

I may use this question and answer in my next video newsletter!

Robert,
Why isn’t the pin block made of metal? It does not need to transfer sound and metal would not have to be replaced.
– Kenneth

You ask a very good question. In fact, before the turn of the 20th century, Mason & Hamlin did indeed produce a limited number of upright and grand pianos that had metal, threaded pinblocks – not wood! These were referred to as “sidewinders” because the pins were parallel to the strings, not at right angles like in traditional pianos. They abandoned the design in a few short years and I am not aware of any other piano manufacturer utilizing metal pinblocks.

There are several benefits to wood pinblocks. First, the pins are threaded very finely. This allows for precise tuning. It is difficult to have metal machine screws with the geometry and strength to allow for the extreme fine tuning necessary in a piano. The fact is, there are over 20 tons of combined string tension in a piano. With a traditional pinblock when you restring the piano, you can use slightly larger pins and get excellent tuning stability. With a metal pinblock, the machine screws don’t allow for that possibility. Worse yet, if the metal breaks, it can be very difficult repairing. In traditional pianos with a wood pinblock, you can even replace the pinblock if necessary.

So, there are good reasons why nearly all pianos have had wood pinblocks for hundreds of years.

What Is the Difference Between a Composition and an Arrangement?

This question is simple to answer; yet very complicated when explored.

The quick answer is that a composition is a piece of music written for a specific instrument or group of instruments.

An arrangement is a piece of music originally written for one instrument or group of instruments and then re-written for a different instrument or group of instruments.

Why is this important?

When approaching a composition or an arrangement, there is a big difference in how you learn and play the music.

Generally speaking, when it comes to compositions you will probably want to learn what’s written and play the piece exactly as written; because every note matters.

When it comes to an arrangement, the approach is much different. Many times there are going to be multiple different arrangements of the same piece of music. One is not necessarily better than another, but there could be significant differences between them.

Usually, when it comes to arrangements, you are free to experiment a bit with the music. Now that’s not to say that you will want to alter what’s written drastically, but there are many times where an arrangement is written and is pretty much impossible to play. Especially when it comes to the piano, many times pieces of music created on other instruments and arranged for piano will include too many notes making it next to impossible to perform as written. In cases like this, it is up to you play what notes you feel represent the piece best.

When it comes to an arrangement, I believe you have a certain level of freedom to simplify it or even embellish it. There isn’t one way to adapt a piece of music – especially a whole symphony. I like to think of arrangements as more of a guide or a starting point.

Now some arrangements are intended to be played exactly as written – they are called transcriptions.

This question pops up all the time when it comes to performing. I’ve been asked many times if I could play Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. I kindly respond by telling them that it’s a piece of music written for an entire orchestra and proceed to play Beethoven’s 5th Symphony by ear! Liszt wrote four hand arrangements of all the Beethoven Symphonies.

For beginning students I find it’s much better to have them practice compositions – there are even compositions from Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and Schumann that are great for a beginning level. It’s much more beneficial to have them learning and playing something as written rather than playing a watered down version of an entire orchestral work.

Piano Questions: Buying a Used 1969 Steinway – Cory Polishes – Piano Polishing

Hi Robert,

I just watched one of your videos, which I enjoyed very much, and would like to ask a question if that’s ok.

I’m considering purchasing a used upright Steinway from 1969. It looks beautiful and sounds great, and the dealer (it seems to be a reputable store) assures me that it is in excellent condition. The parts are all original. I’m just concerned that a piano that old will fall apart on me in the next few years – and it isn’t cheap.

Do you have any thoughts on this? I suppose I should have a technician look at the piano.

Thanks!

Evie

There is no reason why the piano should suddenly fall apart in a few years unless there has been neglect in the upkeep, it has been subjected to harsh climate changes, or it has simply been played a lot. My only caveat is if you are investing a good deal of money in a piano, an upright of any sort presents drastic compromises in performance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD1QxoxabMQ

Also, you should be aware that this piano was manufactured during the CBS ownership of Steinway in which they were utilizing Teflon for all the action bushings. If those are worn out, it could be expensive replacing parts. Also, in some remote areas, it can be difficult finding technicians who are skilled at servicing Teflon actions.

While uprights appear to be smaller than baby grands, the reality is that they can be more difficult to place in a room since they require a certain amount of wall space where as baby grands can be placed anywhere since they look good from all sides. They can even be tucked into a corner! If you have a place in your home where you can spin around with your arms stretched out, you have room for a baby grand.

Hey Robert,

What do you think of the Cory cleaner/polishing products?
What do you suggest using on an old lacquer-over-wood finish that isn’t yet alligatored but has the fine cracks and oxidation?

Thanks,

Adam

Cory’s polishes are great. The fact that they have specific polishes for gloss and satin is very good. Actually, for good satin finishes, just using a dry cotton cloth, or slightly damp cloth is best since any polish can build up over time. Then it has to be professionally removed.

As for older finishes that start to crack, sometimes a polish can add luster. The dry wood sometimes can soak up the polish and prevent further degradation of the finish. However, you will find that most often it has to be reapplied often in order to look good. So make sure you want to go down that road before you start. You may test out a section of the piano that doesn’t show first (like the inside of a leg) so you can make sure it has the desired effect.