when the piano isn't played

[Conrad Hoffsommer]

Clyde,
At 06:44 12/01/1999 -0500, you wrote:

>...   "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.



Maybe not "bad", but regular use _is_ better.

Example: Yesterday I tuned a "Tory & Clark" (some wear on fallboard
evident...),40", 1960s vintage,  not tuned in years [40-90¢ flat].

Pitch raised and tied one bass string which popped, but the most
frustrating part was the keys on the extremes sticking.  Not only had the
piano not been tuned, but evidently no music was ever played during that
time which had more than a 3 octave compass.

All it took was slight sideways pressure on the keys while playing and
there was no more sticking. {No, I didn't do the
screwdriver-between-the-keys easing.} Some keys were noticably freer after
only a few regular tuning strokes.  The little easing  it took could easily
have been avoided by playing all the keys regularly.  Scales, anyone??  I
also would rather not see those little puffs of dust from the end hammers
while I'm tuning.

Others will undoubtedly cite other beneficial effects (to the piano) of
regular playing.

My 2¢.



Conrad Hoffsommer - Music Technician -mailto:hoffsoco@luther.edu
Luther College			-(319)-387-1204
Decorah, Iowa 52101-1045

"There's nothing remarkable about it. All one has to do is hit the right 
keys at the right time and the instrument plays itself." - J. S. Bach