Piano Lessons- Music Theory Lessons

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.

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.

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

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.

As a piano teacher as well as performer, I get this question a lot. Many parents wonder if there is a specific age they should start getting their child piano lessons. Should they start now or should they wait awhile?

This is a tough question to answer, because every child is unique. I have seen children at the age of 4 or even younger ready to start piano lessons and I’ve seen children 8 or 9 years old not ready – it is very dependent on the child.

Generally speaking (in my experience), the age range of 6-9 is an almost magical time to start taking piano lessons. This is not an accident. By this age, kids are going to school and learning how to take written direction and how to work independently; these are two major things required in piano study.

When working with children younger than this, it definitely helps if you take an active role in their education and have a background in music yourself. However, some children just have different levels of maturity and teaching them at a young age can be a challenge – they might not want to sit still at the bench for more than a few minutes. In this case, it’s probably a good idea to wait a bit before getting them lessons or teaching them yourself – it’s never good to be in a battle for their attention when it comes to learning a musical instrument.

In any case, one of the best things you can do is to expose your children to music at a young age. Play the piano for them yourself, play recorded music for them to enjoy, play games at the piano, anything that can make music a fun experience for them. Exposure at a young age is a big element in developing talent and understanding the language of music, just as children growing up in a bilingual household can have complete comfort with more than one language.

So when will you know it’s the right time to begin piano lessons? If your child seems genuinely interested, if they can take written direction and if they can complete their homework on their own – these are signs that they are ready for lessons. You will definitely want to consider helping your child once they start lessons because practicing the piano correctly is hard work. If you are learning alongside them it will help in their development.

It is important to encourage your children and make the experience of learning the piano fun for them. For information about a specific situation, I am happy to help in any way I can. As always, check out LivingPianos.com for more blogs and articles in the future.

Many people – whether they are just starting to learn to play the piano or have been playing for some time wonder what piano will suit their skill level best. There are quite a few needs each person might have that will help them pick the right piano for their playing style or skill.

Many people assume that when they just start playing the piano, it’s O.K. to get a keyboard and get a piano later if they stay with it. If you are going to get a keyboard, be sure it has a weighted action. However, even high quality digital pianos with weighted actions present substantial compromises to your studies. It will never feel or play like a real piano – no matter what model or brand you get. Even a modest upright piano will offer a better playing experience than a keyboard and you are more likely to enjoy success with an traditional piano.

If you look inside a piano you will notice there about 100 parts associated with each key you press. Even if a keyboard has a good weighted action, it will never be able to produce the same expressiveness and feel as a real piano. While many keyboards respond to touch, they can’t replicate the wide range of expression and sounds created with a real piano with the hundreds of strings, soundboard and harmonic interaction of the tone.

Another thing to keep in mind is getting at least a console size piano to start with. For some people, spinet pianos are a great option because they have a lighter action and are easier to play. This may be appropriate for someone suffering from arthritis or other hand problems. If you are just learning and are young and healthy, you will develop a better technique on a console or larger piano because of the direct blow action which is lacking on spinets which have drop actions.

There is a point during your piano studies that you will outgrow even a fine upright piano. There are several reasons for this. Most importantly, in upright pianos the hammers travel sideways and don’t have the benefit of gravity as in grand pianos in which the hammers go up and down. This creates a slower and less responsive action. It’s very noticeable when trying to play trills or repeated notes because the hammers can’t repeat with the same energy.

When you start playing more advanced music you will realize this is a problem because it will affect the speed in which you can play. Once you progress beyond the Sonatina level, you will benefit greatly by having a grand or baby grand piano for practice. Studying music of Bach, Schummann, and Chopin on an upright piano presents many compromises. Students who practice on grand pianos and baby grand pianos progress better than students practicing on uprights.

Once your playing progresses to a very high level you will want to focus on playing and practicing with a larger grand piano. This is because the tone produced is much different – especially in the tenor and bass registers where the tone becomes expansive. The saying, “The bigger the better” really applies to pianos. It will always be better to learn and practice on a larger piano. For some, an upright or baby grand is a better option to start with – for either budget or space reasons – but eventually (if your playing progresses far enough) you will want to practice on a larger piano.

When you see professionals moving a piano, it can almost look easy. However, it’s not a simple task. If you want to ensure that your piano leaves and arrives in great condition you should take extra special care when moving it. It will always be best to hire a professional for any piano move but if you are forced to do so yourself, here are some tips:

All parts of the piano should be padded. This is to ensure that there are no parts of the piano (wood or metal) that will be hitting in the truck in case of movement.

Wrap the piano in shrink wrap. This is not necessary but it can help to ensure that the finish will not be damaged in any way. This is important with satin finish pianos because the finish is porous – meaning sweat from hands can actually damage the finish.

Use Leverage to Your Advantage. By placing pads beneath certain parts of the piano you can avoid having to constantly lift parts of the piano in order to remove the legs. The video provides a great example of this.

Use a Dolly and a Grand Board. Using a four wheel flat dolly can ensure that you won’t have to do any unnecessary lifting. Using a grand board – shown in the video – will help to cover the entire side of the piano and make sure it is securely resting on the dolly.

Remove the Legs and All Loose Parts. This will ensure that no parts of the piano are damaged by movement or other objects being transported in the truck.

Wrap the Piano in Blankets. Make sure that every part of the piano is wrapped and there are no parts that are exposed.

Secure the Piano to the Side of the Truck. Don’t let the piano slide around the truck. Secure it to the side of the truck using straps or another method that will ensure it doesn’t move.

If you want to undertake moving a piano it will definitely be a challenge. I would recommend having a good back, the proper equipment, a couple friends, and probably some pizza and beer. Better yet, hire professionals if you possibly can!