when the piano isn't played

[Tom Cole]

A piano that is regularly played is also, hopefully, regularly tuned. 

I remember tuning a piano that had come up from the LA area, a no-name,
mousy-brown spinet that surprised me by how well it could be tuned. It
_wanted_ to be in tune. It grinned at me with its plastic keytops.

I asked for some history and the owner reported that it had been tuned
every 6 months by a gentleman who lived in a small town east of
Riverside (Yucaipa). 

-------
Sidebar: She said that her tuner had died shortly before she left that
area. I asked for his name and she remembered that it was Mr. Stancliff,
which is how I found out that my mentor, Harold Stancliff, had died.
(sniff)
-------

My theory:
That pianos, complex devices which they are, take on a life of sorts
when given certain skilled attentions from player and technician; the
soundboard becomes accustomed to vibrating to the different pitches of
the tuned strings. Tuning is easy and the action remains free.

Conversely, a piano can be more difficult to tune when neglected; the
board, vibrating to out of tune strings for so long, seems to fight the
efforts of the tuner to set a "foreign" temperament. The action,
especially when dampness is present, stiffens up. 

This is why I emphasize that frequent tuning in the early stages of a
piano's life is so important. A well-tuned piano is more likely to be
played and the soundboard is being "well-trained", too.

In answer to Clyde's question, I think it is safe to say that a piano
which is not played is also not receiving even the basic care which it
requires to be in good playing condition - tuning, cleaning, inspecting
for insect or mouse damage, noticing if the environment is too damp or
too dry, et cetera. 

If it is not played, it tends to turn into a piece of furniture (e.g.,
plant stand) and therefore is not being treated as a musical instrument
any more and is vulnerable to a host of sins.

In a word: "Bad".

Tom



Clyde Hollinger wrote:
> 
> Friends,
> 
> Several times recently when I called clients about scheduling the
> tuning, they responded that it's no longer being played.  Then they say
> something like, "I heard it's bad for the piano to not be played.  Is
> that true?"
> 
> Well, I've heard that, too, but I really don't know if it's true, or why
> it would be.  Can someone answer the question?  Thanks.
> 
> Clyde Hollinger

-- 
Thomas A. Cole, RPT
Santa Cruz, CA
mailto:tcole@cruzio.com