Kallie Swanepoel Piano Tuners
Frequently asked questions and answers

How should I care for or look after my piano?
How Often Should My Piano Be Tuned Or Serviced?
Why Should My Piano Be Serviced Regularly?
What Is Regulation And How Does It Affect My Piano's Performance?
What Is The Piano Action And Why Does It Need Maintaining?
What Is The Pedal System?
What Is The Keyboard?
Why Is Restoration Or Rebuilding Of The Mechanical Systems Sometimes Necessary Prior To Regulation?
What Is Restoration?
What Is Rebuilding?
How Does Temperature And Humidity Changes Affect My Piano?
Won't I Have Fewer Expenses, And Get More Joy From An Electronic Synthesized Piano?
Where Do I Find A Qualified Person To Service And Maintain My Piano?
What If I Have More Questions?

How Should I Care For Or Look After My Piano?

See, and treat your piano like a valuable piece of furniture. Always keep it clean and stay away from having vases of flowers, standing drinks, or pot plants on it. Spilled liquids can cause severe damage to your piano, the repair of which may amount to a major overhaul. New pianos are usually finished in polyester or satin lacquer, which requires only to be wiped with a damp cloth and cautiously dried. No polish is needed. Older pianos are usually French polished and need better care, using a polish reviver applied with a clean soft cloth and polished with a soft duster.

How Often Should My Piano Be Tuned Or Serviced?

All manufacturers agree that a new piano should be tuned four times during the first year and twice a year thereafter. A concert piano should be tuned before every performance, and a piano in a professional recording studio three or four times per week. It is advisable to tune your piano at least once a year, preferably twice due to seasonal changes, even if you play it occasionally for relaxation purposes only. However, you can have your piano tuned as often as you like to satisfy your own personal musical requirements and even negotiate for discount for regular piano tuning. During the event of tuning the piano, the piano technician, also called a piano tuner, will inspect and evaluate the piano and advise you on Voicing and Toning and regulation, which are the actual service components of piano maintenance. Only use the services of a qualified piano technician also called a piano tuner.

Why Should My Piano Be Serviced Regularly?

A piano is a valuable investment, and should therefore be maintained regularly by a professional piano tuner to avoid costly repairs. Materials such as wood and felt of which the piano is manufactured, makes it subject to change with climatic conditions. Hot and cold or wet and dry extremes cause these materials to swell and contract, affecting tone, pitch, and action response or touch. An out-of-tune piano or an unresponsive touch can discourage even novice musicians, and is no pleasure listening at.

What Is Regulation And How Does It Affect My Piano's Performance?

regulation is the adjustment of the mechanical parts of the piano's action optimizing its performance to compensate for the effects of wear and tear, the compacting and settling of cloth, felt, and leather, as well as dimensional changes in wood and felt parts due to changes in humidity and temperature. The three systems implicated in regulation are the action, pedal system and keyboard. Read more on
What is piano regulation?
Changes In Humidity
Changes In Temperature
How Does Temperature And Humidity Changes Affect My Piano?
What Is The Piano Action And Why Does It Need Maintaining?
What Is The Pedal System?
What Is The Keyboard?

What Is The Piano Action And Why Does It Need Maintaining?

The action is the mechanical part of the piano that transfers the motion of the fingers on the keys to the hammers, which strike the strings. When you look inside your piano, you will find a cast iron plate or "harp", strung with steel and copper-wound strings over a large expanse of wood which is the soundboard, and all these form part of the piano's backframe. If you take a closer look, you will discover a system of levers, springs, and hammers, largely consisting of wood and felt, connected to the keyboard, which causes a hammer to strike a string when a key is pressed, and this is called the action. It consists of over 9 000 parts which require adjustment to critical tolerances to be able to respond to a pianist's every command. It includes the damper system which is the mechanical part of the piano that stops the vibration of the string when the key is released, and is controlled by the key and pedal systems. Like all other instruments that are subject to wear and tear, it is esensial that these important parts of the piano are serviced regularly by a qualified piano technician also called a piano tuner. Each and evry note needs to be perfectly regulated individually to give optimum performance. The pedals also need occasional adjustment.

What Is The Pedal System?

The pedal system is a collection of levers, dowels, and springs which connects the pedals to the action controlling sustain and dynamics.

What Is The Keyboard?

The keyboard or claviature of a modern piano consists of seven octaves and a minor third or 88 keys. This is the section of the action used by the pianist to play the piano and from where the touch is controlled. The keys act as levers that set the action in motion. This motion causes the hammers to hit the strings and produce sounds.

Why Is Restoration Or Rebuilding Of The Mechanical Systems Sometimes Necessary Prior To Regulation?

If it has badly worn parts, or if there has been corrosion or moth damage, the piano may not be able to be properly regulated without some repairs or replacement of parts.

What Is Restoration?

Restoration is the process of restoring your piano back to good condition by cleaning, repairing, and adjusting it for maximum performance with replacement parts only where needed. If your piano has deteriorated beyond simple restoration, it may need to be rebuilt.

What Is Rebuilding?

Rebuilding involves complete disassembly, inspection, and repair as necessary with replacement of all worn or deteriorated parts. The piano is then reassembled, tested, and adjusted to the same or similar tolerance and performance as when it was new.

How Does Temperature And Humidity Changes Affect My Piano?

Hot to cold, or dry to wet, extremes are harmful to your piano. Dryness causes the pitch to go flat, whilst moisture let it go sharp. Repeated swings in relative humidity can cause soundboards to crack or distort. Extreme dryness can also weaken the glue joints that hold the soundboard and other wood portions of the piano together. Moisture may lead to string rust. A piano functions best under fairly consistent conditions, which are neither too wet, nor too dry, optimally at a temperature of 19 degrees C, and 42 percent relative humidity.

Won't I Have Fewer Expenses, And Get More Joy From An Electronic Synthesized Piano?

The beautiful, natural, unique sound of an acoustic piano is due to the remarkable blending of such materials as wood, metal, leather, and felt. Together they create a sound like no other instrument in the world. While electronic synthesizers may approximate the sound of an acoustic piano, it cannot approach the true beauty of the real thing, and never will accomplish that. The artificial sound and touch of an electronic instrument, will never match that of a acoustic piano.

Where Do I Find A Qualified Person To Service And Maintain My Piano?

We recommend only the use of a member of the Logo of the South African Association of Professional
Piano Tuners South African Association of Professional Piano Tuners, to which we are affiliated, to render any piano services with in the borders of South Africa. He or she will be in possession of an identity card stating membership to the association, with an expiry date, on which membership is to be renewed.

What If I Have More Questions?

If any of your questions on pianos are still not answered, or you couldn't find the information you are looking for elsewhere on the site, we would like to hear from you. Please contact us.

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Kallie Swanepoel Piano Tuners is affiliated with, and accredited by, the Logo of the South African Association of Professional
Piano Tuners South African Association of Professional Piano Tuners

Kallie Swanepoel Piano Tuners CC Registration Number 2003/023549/23