| GINA'S PIANO SERVICE Milford, Connecticut |
Why Piano Strings Break!
Imagine the sound of a whip snapping against an aluminum pie
pan and you have some idea of the sound that occurs when a
piano string breaks. It's startling for anyone standing nearby, but
especially so if you're seated at the keyboard!
Realize that the thin steel string are tensioned to an average of 150
pounds each and it's not hard to understand that they might break
occasionally. Though they're engineered to withstand the high
tension, three main factors can cause them to fail, corrosion, hard
playing, and hard hammers.
Corrosion
Over time, especially in a damp environment, piano strings can
rust. The rust eats into the steel wire, causing weak spots which
can then break during the stress of hard playing or simply during
routine tuning. Replacement is the only cure for rusty strings.
Excessively hard playing
Bend any piece of metal far enough and often enough and it will
break. That's exactly what happens to piano strings. Sustained
hard playing, especially the rhythmic left hand style used in many
churches, can drive the piano's hammers against the strings with
such force that they eventually break. Regular maintenance to
the hammers can reduce breakage, but very hard playing will still
take its toll. One solution is to amplify the piano with a
microphone and sound system so it can be played lighter and still
produce adequate power.
Very hard and worn hammers
With use, the smooth rounded surface of a piano hammer wears
flat. Iinstead of striking the strings with the flexible, rounded
shape of a rubber ball, it smacks them with a flat, hard surface.
This can over-stress the strings, especially if the hammers are
also made of very hard felt. In this case it is critical that your
piano technician keep your hammers properly shaped and their
hardness adjusted through a process called voicing.
Imagine the sound of a whip snapping against an aluminum pie
pan and you have some idea of the sound that occurs when a
piano string breaks. It's startling for anyone standing nearby, but
especially so if you're seated at the keyboard!
Realize that the thin steel string are tensioned to an average of 150
pounds each and it's not hard to understand that they might break
occasionally. Though they're engineered to withstand the high
tension, three main factors can cause them to fail, corrosion, hard
playing, and hard hammers.
Corrosion
Over time, especially in a damp environment, piano strings can
rust. The rust eats into the steel wire, causing weak spots which
can then break during the stress of hard playing or simply during
routine tuning. Replacement is the only cure for rusty strings.
Excessively hard playing
Bend any piece of metal far enough and often enough and it will
break. That's exactly what happens to piano strings. Sustained
hard playing, especially the rhythmic left hand style used in many
churches, can drive the piano's hammers against the strings with
such force that they eventually break. Regular maintenance to
the hammers can reduce breakage, but very hard playing will still
take its toll. One solution is to amplify the piano with a
microphone and sound system so it can be played lighter and still
produce adequate power.
Very hard and worn hammers
With use, the smooth rounded surface of a piano hammer wears
flat. Iinstead of striking the strings with the flexible, rounded
shape of a rubber ball, it smacks them with a flat, hard surface.
This can over-stress the strings, especially if the hammers are
also made of very hard felt. In this case it is critical that your
piano technician keep your hammers properly shaped and their
hardness adjusted through a process called voicing.
How quiet does it have to be when
my piano is being tuned?
The rule of thumb is the quieter your house the better your
tuning will be.
You should plan to keep the noise to an absolute minimum
when your technician is working. If you would like to do
some housework and your unsure if it might bother the tuning,
please ask. While I can work with some minor background
noise while tuning the bass and tenor areas, some quiet time is
needed to get the best tuning for the treble section.
my piano is being tuned?
The rule of thumb is the quieter your house the better your
tuning will be.
You should plan to keep the noise to an absolute minimum
when your technician is working. If you would like to do
some housework and your unsure if it might bother the tuning,
please ask. While I can work with some minor background
noise while tuning the bass and tenor areas, some quiet time is
needed to get the best tuning for the treble section.
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INFORMATION
| SERVING FAIRFIELD AND NEW HAVEN COUNTY. 203-882-8082 or email me at gina@ginaspiano.com |
Where is the best place for my Piano?
"Is it wrong to place a piano against an outside wall?" How far
from the fireplace must it be? Can I keep my piano in an
unheated room?"
These are all common questions posed by piano owners. The
answers lie in two important criteria: temperature and humidity.
Pianos are mostly wood and are greatly affected by seasonal
change. Variations in the air's relative humanity, and to a lesser
extent temperature, cause a piano to go out of tune. In the long
run, repeated swings in relative humidity can cause damage to
the finish, cracking of the wooden soundboard and even
structural failure. So, when locating your piano, try to choose
a spot with the fewest drafts, no direct sunlight and stable
temperature and humidity.
Common lore says that a piano should always be on an inside
wall. This is not necessarily true. If your home is well
insulated, an outside wall will usually be fine, as long as the
piano is not directly in front of a window or close to a furnace
vent or other warm (or cold) air..
Evenness of humidity and temperature is what you should
strive for. Thus, a piano in an unheated room is better off than
one in a family room that's alternately heated, cooled and
ventilated with open windows.
Remember:
If you can't find a suitable location, have a climate control
system installed in the instrument itself. These units can greatly
improve tuning stability and other climate-related problems
where it's not practical to control the environment of the entire
house.
"Is it wrong to place a piano against an outside wall?" How far
from the fireplace must it be? Can I keep my piano in an
unheated room?"
These are all common questions posed by piano owners. The
answers lie in two important criteria: temperature and humidity.
Pianos are mostly wood and are greatly affected by seasonal
change. Variations in the air's relative humanity, and to a lesser
extent temperature, cause a piano to go out of tune. In the long
run, repeated swings in relative humidity can cause damage to
the finish, cracking of the wooden soundboard and even
structural failure. So, when locating your piano, try to choose
a spot with the fewest drafts, no direct sunlight and stable
temperature and humidity.
Common lore says that a piano should always be on an inside
wall. This is not necessarily true. If your home is well
insulated, an outside wall will usually be fine, as long as the
piano is not directly in front of a window or close to a furnace
vent or other warm (or cold) air..
Evenness of humidity and temperature is what you should
strive for. Thus, a piano in an unheated room is better off than
one in a family room that's alternately heated, cooled and
ventilated with open windows.
Remember:
 | If the piano is facing a fireplace or heater and its surface | |
| feels warm, it's too close. | ||
| Avoid direct sunlight; it will wreak havoc on your | |
| piano's tuning and eventually fade and crack the finish. | ||
| Consistency is more important than the actual levels of | |
| temperature or relative humidity. |
If you can't find a suitable location, have a climate control
system installed in the instrument itself. These units can greatly
improve tuning stability and other climate-related problems
where it's not practical to control the environment of the entire
house.
Strings and Things
(in case you were wondering....
Although there are only 88 keys, a piano has over 200 strings-
one per note in the low bass, two per note in the upper bass, and
three per note in the treble.
Tension averages approximately 160 lbs. per string. All
together, the strings are stretched to a tension of 18 to 20 tons
(close to 30 tons in a concert grand).
The strings gradually increase in the thickness and length from
treble to bass, and bass strings are wrapped with copper to
make them produce a lower pitch.
Pianos range in weight from about 300 lbs. for a spinet to
almost 1000 lbs. for a concert grand.
There are 8000-10,000 moving parts in a piano.
(in case you were wondering....
Although there are only 88 keys, a piano has over 200 strings-
one per note in the low bass, two per note in the upper bass, and
three per note in the treble.
Tension averages approximately 160 lbs. per string. All
together, the strings are stretched to a tension of 18 to 20 tons
(close to 30 tons in a concert grand).
The strings gradually increase in the thickness and length from
treble to bass, and bass strings are wrapped with copper to
make them produce a lower pitch.
Pianos range in weight from about 300 lbs. for a spinet to
almost 1000 lbs. for a concert grand.
There are 8000-10,000 moving parts in a piano.
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