Weird piano history: The Mirror Piano

https://youtu.be/WCrlirroTzM

Hello all,

I am establishing my business on nostr. Maybe I'm in your area and can help you with your piano. Looking forward to seeing how music and the music industry can be integrated into nostr.

Thanks for posting! I am going to tell my clients about this.

Over time, piano parts accumulate wear and will go

out of adjustment whether it is being played or not. It

will wear faster and more intensely if it is being

played, but because many of the parts are organic and

under tension, it will still wear if not being played. To

adjust for this accumulated wear, an experienced

piano technician should be called upon to

regulate the piano action, the mechanism that allows it

to make sound once a key is depressed.

The same way that a piano action will accumulate

wear over time, it will also accumulate dust and dirt. I

have found many interesting things in pianos over the

years. Aside from a lost pencil or quarter, dirt

accumulation can cause problems. Dirt under the keys

can cause poor response; filth under a grand piano

action will make the shift pedal difficult to control;

dust in the bass strings and on the soundboard will

deaden the sound quality. The owner can clean the

case, keys, and some dusting on the plate in a grand,

but internal cleaning should be left up to a technician.

A piano is a commitment like anything else and it

needs love too. Love your piano!

A piano is a machine and like all other machines it will

periodically need maintenance. It is a special type of machine

made of organic materials such as wood, felt and leather. Unlike

most machines that are made of metal or plastic or both which are

fairly rigid, pianos are far more temperamental. If it is raining, the

humidity will be higher and the keys may become sluggish. If it

becomes especially dry, the soundboard wood will shrink and the

pitch will go flat.

Every piano owner should own a hygrometer. It is a device that

measures the relative humidity (RH) in the location it is placed.

Usually it is also a thermometer, but it may not be depending on

the type purchased. This handy device should be kept on or near

the piano at all times. Pianos like it best at about 45% RH. If it is

below 20% there is a risk that the wood will crack and expensive

repairs may be on the horizon. If this applies to your situation,

purchase a humidifier. Anything above 60% RH and the strings

will rust faster and the finish on the cast iron plate (also known as

the harp) will chip and it will rust too. If this applies to your

situation, purchase a dehumidifier.

The main reason a piano goes out of tune is because the

soundboard changes shape in response to changes in temperature

and humidity, whether it is played or not played. Pianos should be

tuned twice a year, every six months. If a piano is not tuned for

more than a year, there is a possibility that it will need a pitch

raise, a major adjustment in string tension, before it can be tuned.

The longer it has been between tunings, the more likely it will need a pitch raise.

Some parts I replicated recently for an Ibach apartment grand circa 1911. They worked great and fit well. Many of the wippens were in good shape so I only had to replace the jack, thus the first photo. One of the wippens was missing completely so I had to make a new one. Ibach went out of business over a decade ago after being around since the early 1800s and no one else makes parts to these specifications, so I was forced to make my own. I am glad I could do this because this experience gave me confidence in my skills to make action parts for future jobs.

"I am so fortunate to have Kestrel take such great care of my piano; as it is very old, and I use it primarily for my voice studio. It was important to me to find someone who would respect the instrument from a personal and professional place and that's definitely Kestrel. He is conscientious with scheduling, punctual, and honest in his work. He doesn't ever upsell any unnecessary services, and only ever recommends services that I might want to consider for future maintenance, which I greatly appreciate."

-Audra Casebier, soprano, MM

A recent lecture I gave at the Crawford House Museum about their rare and unique Vough Changeable Pitch upright piano. I spoke about the history of musical pitch, musical instrument construction, and, of course, the Vough piano itself. It's unfortunate the sound did not turn out better, but luckily I have the piano recorded in my other youtube video about the instrument.

https://youtu.be/93YufwqhZQ0?si=iqcOVO7MgaA0x8eD

Newsletter #1 - Basic Care and Feeding of Your Piano.

Enjoy. I suggest all piano owners read this.

https://www.curropianoservice.com/_files/ugd/89dbe5_b061b15f06e14dc883f6ee6dafc891e3.pdf

Inscription #70686860

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