Buying a Piano Online? Have a Plan...

Whether you are searching Craigslist, eBay or a reputable piano store online for a used piano, plan ahead so things go smoothly.

First, contact a reputable piano tuner-technician. Find out how much it would cost to have them inspect and appraise the piano that you are interested in. If the piano is out of your local area, PianoAnswers.com can provide an online appraisal for only $8.95.

Next, contact your local piano mover and get a general idea of what a move might cost, should decide to purchase the piano you are interested in. Make sure you know the height of the piano in inches. This will help the moving company determine how heavy the piano is.

Now, have the piano inspection and appraisal done by your tuner or online.

Next, make an offer to the seller. This offer should be at or below the appraisal amount. It might also be the appraisal amount minus the cost of repairs that was determined upon the piano technician's inspection.

(i.e. if you buy a $500 car for your teenager, that car may very possibly cost you thousands of dollars. Be careful.)

Make arrangements with your piano mover. The buyer normally pays the piano mover.

Once the piano is delivered, schedule an appointment with your piano tuner-technician to repair and tune your piano.

After this is completed, ask to be on the piano tuner's reminder list so that you can make sure your piano is maintained properly by tuning it every six months.

Remember, even a free piano can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars to have moved and repaired.

Be careful and make sure your have a plan from the beginning. In the end, you will have a used piano in good repair and have an experienced piano tuner-technician and reliable piano mover.

Now your family can take lessons and practice on a well-maintained instrument which will help the student reach their goal of improving their piano performance.

Moving Your Piano Outside for Special Events

"Really?"

Yes, "really."

With some planning, a service call fee and a little bit of luck, this can be done without harming your instrument. Whether it's a wedding ceremony, cocktail party or family reunion, pianos end up in yards sometimes.

Here are a few tips:

First, contact your piano mover to estimate the cost of moving your piano to the yard and then back after the party or the next morning.

They can usually recommend a piano tuner that can come and tune the piano on the day of your event. Most tuners charge a little more to do this type of pre-event service call.

If this all works out, plan on buying or renting a small canopy that is used for weddings and special yard events. It's not a bad idea to pick up a ground cloth, the type that you use under your tent when camping.

Now, schedule the movers to move the piano out to the yard, early on the day of the event.

Schedule the piano tuner to come at the same time and have them tune the piano after it's in place under the canopy.

Keep a soft blanket and the ground cloth folded up near the stage area just in case of a passing shower. The piano should be fine under the canopy, but you may want to cover it with the blanket to keep the ground cloth from scratching the piano.

Of course, if there is a 90% chance of rain on the day of the event, it's a good idea to scrub this idea...period. (If rain hits your piano directly, it can ruin it forever.) Check with the movers and the tuner to see what their policies are on cancelling a service call.

Many times, in many towns all over the world, people move their pianos outside to hold special events...even when there is a slight chance of showers.

After the event is over, cover the piano with the blanket and the ground cloth and wrap it once or twice with light twine or a small rope. Also, you may want to pick up a spray bottle of rodent repellant and spray it on the ground a few feet from the piano area before you call it a night. (If mice or chipmunks get inside your instrument, it can cost hundreds of dollars to fix.) The piano should be fine under the canopy for the night.

The movers should be scheduled to come back first thing in the morning to return the piano to your living room. Chances are that the piano may need another tuning after it is moved back in the house. This can be done the same day or weeks later, it's up to you.

If you plan carefully, a memorable time can be had by all with live cocktail piano and sing-alongs right in your own back yard without damaging your piano.

It can be done, but be careful.

Cleaning Behind Your Vertical Piano

Yes, your piano may be on casters, but they are only meant for pulling your piano away from the wall to so you can clean the back of your piano. (They are not designed to roll your piano across the room and down the hallway.) You may also want to vacuum underneath the piano after it is moved. If, and only "if" you have someone around the house who is strong enough to pick the piano off the ground, should you attempt to move it to clean.

In this case, show this person that there is a handle located about half-way up the back of the piano. Check that the handle does not spin or come loose. Have this person grab the handle with one had and get a grip underneath the keyboard in front of the piano. The piano should be lifted completely off the ground and moved about six inches from the wall. Keep your feet and your helper's feet away from the bottom of the piano for safety's sake. Now go to the other side and repeat the process, back and forth, until the piano is about three feet from the wall. The piano should be lifted off the ground so the legs don't crack or loosen under pressure.

Another option is to wait until your piano tuner comes and have them move it for you. Just have your vacuum cleaner and a dust mop handy. First, carefully dust of the back of the piano, or the sound board. Remove any foreign objects from down inside the piano, then vacuum the carpet or sweep the floor. Now move the piano back to its normal position which should be about two inches or so from the wall. You may want to ask your piano tuner what they charge for an internal cleaning and get this done the same day.

Remember, the same amount of dust that collects under your sofa, probably collects under and behind your piano. Who knows, you may even find those long lost family photographs or "McGyver" game cards that slid off the top of your piano many moons ago. What a "bonus!"

Decorate AROUND your piano, not on top of it...

Ah yes, 'tis the season. Why not decorate your piano too? Well, be careful. Pine garland, candles, glass Christmas balls and figurines can put micro scratches in your piano's finish. Christmas cookies and candy won't make your piano play any better. In fact, mice love little crunchy bits of the gingerbread man. Don't let this happen! (If "Tom and Jerry" manage to get inside your instrument, that old cartoon is not going to be very funny anymore because the damage they can cause could cost hundreds of dollars to fix.)

Little crumbs, if nothing else, can create a pricey repair job because the action will probably need to be removed to clear these pieces.

If you have a high gloss, ebony piano, I highly recommend that you decorate everything in the room, but the piano! Glass Christmas balls can break and the fragments can fall into the internal parts of the piano. Candles, candles, candles. Cool it with the candles! Yes, recreating the candlelit room that Mozart practiced in is exhilarating, but you may be playing with fire. Your piano may not love you back when candle wax oozes down into the tuning pin area. This can take hours or even days to have removed by a professional. Use the candles, but keep them off of the instrument. Runners and tablecloths can be creative, but this invites company to use your Steinway as a buffet table.

If you have a vertical, give it a good cleaning and shine up the finish. If you have grand, clean it and prop the lid up. Now decorate the room, but put nothing on the piano. If you're not sure how to clean your piano, call your piano tuner, have your piano tuned for the holidays and get an estimate on a piano cleaning. (If the tuner is already on-site, it should cost under $50 in most cases.)

Now simply place holiday classic sheet music on the music desk.

A word of advice...
"Deck the Halls" (not the piano).

Happy Holidays!

Choosing the Right Piano Lamp

Practicing the piano with the proper lighting will improve your performance.

Playing piano by candlelight was very popular before the light bulb was invented, but we've come a long way since the 1800's. Make sure there is proper lighting in the piano area so you and your family can get the most out of your practice sessions.

After all, the candle wax tends to melt down and burn the lid on the piano causing it to devalue and in some cases, cause internal damage to the instrument.

Piano lamps are designed to shed just the right amount of light on the sheet music as well as the keyboard area. If you shop around online, you will be amazed at the variety of piano lamp designs that are available. These decorative fixtures can range in price from around $100 to over $1,000.

Piano lamps are made from a number of materials including brass, bronze, chrome and all sorts of enameled metals. There are also some cheaper models made of plastic. There are even lamps that are specifically designed for the different types of pianos, namely upright and grand piano lamps. If that doesn't strike a chord with you, there are floor lamps, clip-on lamps and even counter-balance lamps.

Replacement bulbs are available at most hardware stores and lighting departments in your local home improvement stores and cost between $5 and $20 depending on the model. Some lamps have multiple bulbs some make sure you pick up a few spare bulbs to throw in your closet.

The most common piano lamp is a 14", brass adjustable lamp with two bulbs. The cost of this unit averages around $125 plus shipping online.

It's well worth the investment to have a nice looking, sturdy piano lamp on top of your instrument that will shed just the right amount of illumination for your practice sessions.

Remember: Starting a small fire in your piano area is no excuse for not practicing, so lose the candle and buy a piano lamp. You WILL improve your performance.

Keeping Liquids Away From Your Piano

Spilling liquids into your piano can result in costly repairs. In most cases, when water from a vase or hot wax from a candle makes contact with your piano cabinet, it will discolor or breakdown the finish. If the spill ends up inside your piano, it can cause multiple problems. It can end up on or under the keys causing them to become sluggish. If liquid makes contact with the action, many parts may need to be removed and cleaned or even replaced by a piano technician. This can easily cost hundreds of dollars. If the spill reaches the sound board, it can cause serious damage or even totally ruin your piano.

If you accidently spill something in your piano, call a qualified piano technician and get an estimate on an internal cleaning. In most cases, the problem can be resolved.

Birthday cake under the keyboard from 2 1/2 years ago, Hershey's kisses from yesteryear wedged in the piano action and green tea flowing down your soundboard will not improve your technique or give you "stunning staccato."

So keep all liquids, food and candles away from your piano because it's not a salad bar; it's probably the most expensive instrument in your home.

Cheap Keyboard vs. Used Piano For Students

Thinking about getting a keyboard for your new piano student? CHECK WITH YOUR PIANO TEACHER FIRST.

Most reputable piano teachers frown upon keyboards for students. There are several reasons why piano students should own a traditional "acoustic" piano rather then a cheap keyboard.

First off, it is very important that students practice on a piano that has the right "touch" or keyboard feel. The piano is a percussion instrument. A piano student practicing on a cheap keyboard is like a percussionist practicing on practice pads, instead of a traditional "trap" drumset; the feel is close, but not as accurate as the traditional instrument. If possible, it is best to have all music students practice on the best instrument available. Even if they are in college, it is better to wait for a practice room with a quality acoustic piano to open up, rather than to settle for practicing in the dorm on a cheap keyboard.

Second, even an old, used acoustic piano usually has three pedals. Once a student gets into their second book, they will need to practice pedal techniques. Keyboards usually have no pedals at all or come with a cheap version that does not have the same touch as a traditional piano pedal.

Third, the sound is not really the same. Learning how to make a note or chord sustain at the right time, for the right length of time takes practice on the right instrument.

And finally, what will the "teachers" think? It's a funny thing, but during the first lesson, piano teachers typically try to set their students at ease by having the student tell them a little bit about themselves. One the questions that ALWAYS comes up is, "...do you have a piano at home right now?" and "...what kind of piano do you have?"

The answer in my house once was, "...my Dad refurbishes and sells pianos, so we've had about five of them, but he keeps selling them!"

Now I'm happy to report that the answer finally is "...a Yamaha studio piano."

Believe it or not, when the student tells the teacher they have a quality piano, the teacher knows that they don't have to keep begging the parents to "try and buy a used piano soon."

(When I first took piano lessons, the teacher would not take you as a student unless they saw an acoustic piano in your living room...no piano, no lessons!)

In the end, if the student always practices on a traditional instrument, they should develop their technique much faster with less frustration. (After all, you wouldn't teach your teenager how to drive a car by taking them out on a John Deere riding mower, would you?)

So take the plunge - invest in a used or new acoustic piano and keep your student off of cheap piano "imitations" if possible.