HOW TO KEEP A PIANO.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3127, 25 February 1879, Page 2

HOW TO KEEP A PIANO.

Otto Brunning writing to the journal Musique, of Paris, says:—The piano is constructed almost exclusively of various kinds of wood and metals: cloth, skin, and felt being used also in the mechanical portion. For this reason atmospheric changes hare a great effect on the quality and durability of the instrument, arid it is necessary to protect i« from all external influences which might affect the materials of which it is composed. It must be shaded from the sun, kept oat of draught, and, above all, guarded against sudden changes of temperature. This latter is a most frequent cause of the piano getting out of tune, and the instrument should be kept in a temperature not lower than 54deg., and not higher than 68deg. F. When too cold, the wood, cloth and skin swell, and the mechanism worns badly; when too warm these materials shrink and produce clicking, squeaking, and other disagreeable sounds. Moisture is the greatest enemy of. the piano; and it cannot be too carefully guarded against. In a very *horfc time damp will destroy every good point about the instrument. The tone becomes dull and flat, the wires rusty and easily broken, the joints of the mechanism stiff, and the hammers do not strike with precision, and if these symptoms,: are not attended to at once, thie piano is irretrievably spoilt. Therefore, do not put your piano in a damp ground-floor room, or between two windows, or between the door or the window where there is a through draught. If ever leave the piano open when not in use, aud above all, when the room is being cleaned. Do not put it near a stove, chimney, or hot* air pipes. Always wipe the keys after playing. Never pile books, music, or other heavy things on the top. Be care* ful when using the soft pedal not to thump the notes. Do not allow five-note or exercises of a small compass on a piano you have any regard for. A leather eorer should be kept on the instrument when not in use; and removed every day; for the purpose of dusting. A cushion of wadding or a strip of flannel laid on the keys will help to keep them whiter aad preserve the polish. Never 4M*\|he piano open after a musical evening or a dance. If you are obliged to have it in a damp room, do not place it against the wall, and raise it from the floor by means of E insulators, and always cover it after playing. Employ the best tuner you lan get, and if a new instrument, let it be tuned every two months during the first year, and at least three times a year afterwards. Always have it tuned after a soiree if the room has been very hot. w