09/10/2024
GRAND PIANO SERVICING
When I carry out a tuning on an upright piano, especially when it is a piano I see six monthly or yearly, in addition to bringing the piano back to standard pitch, It is most likely that I will find other small adjustments to the action such as a sluggish key, a knock , a squeak etc for which I will make no extra charge to rectify because on the majority of upright pianos, with the case parts removed for tuning, everything is there in front of me with easy access so I just see the small adjustments as part of the maintenance process. I know that that the piano tuning fee is only for adjusting the temperament of the strings, A piano tuning will not cure every problem and repairs, regulation and voicing are quoted for separately but some very small jobs are carried out in order to keep the piano in good condition.
In grand pianos the moving parts are underneath the soundboard. For the technician to gain access to them, the cheek blocks, keyslip and fall have to be removed and the keyframe slides out from the front of the keybed.
In order for the pianist to gain access to the music desk on a grand piano, a hinged portion of the top lid is folded back. This leaves the internal workings of the piano exposed to dust and other debris such as the occasional pencil or paperclip. If the top lid is left open on the propstick, over time a layer of dust forms on the soundboard and the iron frame.
The most commonly found action inside a grand piano is a roller action.
The roller is a small round leather covered drum underneath the hammer shank. When the key is pressed, the jack pushes up on the roller and raises the hammer towards the string. To make this process as smooth as possible, the top of the jack is painted with graphite. The graphite is polished to a smooth finish. Over time, the graphite deposits on to the leather of the roller so when the hammer returns, the two hard graphite surfaces hit together, resulting in a clicking sound.
In a service, providing the rollers are in otherwise good condition, the graphite deposits and removed from the leather, the nap of the leather is then smoothed in the direction it wants to go and dusted lightly with a lubricating powder PTFE.
Other clicks may be caused by loose action screws so the fl**ge screws of all 88 levers and 88 hammers are checked for tightness.
Another common sign that the grand action needs a service is when the ‘aftertouch’ is not happening or is uneven. To the pianist, aftertouch on a grand piano is a truly amazing thing when set up correctly. It is the big difference between a tape check action found in most uprights and a double repetition roller action found in most grands. I am always happy to give a demonstration on how aftertouch works.
The checklist for a full grand service is very long and detailed.
To do every job on the list would take many hours.
The concert platform grand pianos are serviced regularly but domestic grands are not. There are some jobs which could make a huge difference to the way your grand piano performs. So when you are next due a tuning, do please ask me about grand servicing.
