PIANO 101
Common Myths about Pianos
1. A piano should always be kept on an inside wall.
This probably dates back to a time when homes didn't have central heating and
air-conditioning systems. Pianos are much more sensitive to humidity than temperature.
It is not advisable to place pianos on top of heating vents where the soundboard
would be exposed to hot, dry air. Direct sunlight will fade wood finishes.
2. Pianos must be tuned if they are moved.
If done professionally, the actual “moving” of a piano does not cause the
instrument to loose its tuning. There are only three reasons a good piano
will go out of tune:
Strings stretch. Strings stretch throughout the life of the piano. The older
the strings, the less flexible they become. And, when piano wire is new it has
slight irregularities in its diameter. Over time, as it stretches, the diameter
becomes more uniform. Therefore, a new piano requires more tuning than
a well-maintained older instrument. Experts recommend three to four tunings
during the piano’s first year and twice a year thereafter.
Soundboards move. Even the finest spruce soundboards have cellular matter
between the grains. These areas take on humidity in the summer, causing the
board to swell. Because the board is crowned, additional tension is forced on the
strings causing them to go "sharp," or up in pitch. Additionally, the increased
tension may cause the tuning pins to slip or the string to sit on a new spot at the
bridge pins. In the winter, when the humidity is reduced, the board shrinks, resulting
in an out-of-tune piano. If you live in a tropical area that is always humid, or a desert that is always dry, your piano
will actually be more stable with regard to its tuning! The tighter the grain of the soundboard, the less susceptible it
will be to changes in humidity.
Tuning pins slip. If the wood holding the tuning pins (called the 'pinblock' or 'wrestplank') has dried out (mostly
seen in older instruments) or is made of un-seasoned materials of questionable design found in some new, “entry-
level” pianos, the tuning pins will not be able to hold the proper tension on the string and the pitch will go flat shortly
or immediately after tuning. Moving a piano with loose pins may cause it to go out of tune, but the problem wasn't
caused by moving. It was caused by a weak or inferior pinblock.
Note: Defective pianos can have tuning problems related to other cause
3. Only some pianos are handmade.
In essence, all pianos are handmade. There is no other way to build them. Individuals work on different parts of the
piano during the manufacturing process. Further, most factories use modern tools and machines. The skills
required to cast plates, cure or finish wood, fashion hammers, assemble actions or countless other processes are
distinctively different. No one person could be good at all of them. The relevant issues are the amount of labor and
skill of the technicians. Steinway & Sons has always used a rigorous apprentice journeyman system and a single
Steinway piano requires over 3,000 hours of labor to construct.
Note: Steinway officially says their pianos are "85% handmade".
4. The bigger the company, the better the piano.
Quality and quantity are very different things. The larger piano manufacturers make a variety of quality levels which
allows them to use more of their raw materials. Conversely and as an interesting example, only a small portion of a
Sitka spruce log is suitable for use in the soundboard of a Steinway. Using any other portion will result in a lower-
quality product which would be unacceptable to Steinway standards of excellence.
Large manufacturers do make some very good pianos at the top of their lines. Because the price of their best
pianos approaches and very often exceeds the cost of a Steinway, very few are ever sold. While major concert halls
continue to purchase Steinway & Sons, other brands might be provided to them on a no-cost basis by their
manufacturers in exchange for "bragging rights."
It is easy for the manufacturers to blur the distinction between their best pianos, which are good enough to be used
occasionally in concert halls, and their inexpensive models. When comparing pianos made by big companies, it is
critical that you find out how high up the ladder a particular model rests. (You will have to ask a lot of questions as
the people who sell these brands don't like to talk about market segmentation.)
The piano industry has found only two exceptions to this rule:
the Boston & Essex pianos designed by Steinway & Sons.
While Boston and Essex pianos are manufactured by OEMs
(Original Equipment Manufacturers), Steinway controls the
material handling process and owns the designs.
For example, all Boston and Essex grand pianos feature
Steinway & Sons' "Model 'A' wide tail design, which offers larger
soundboard area and longer strings in a more compact case.
Not available under any other brand name, these designs are
distributed exclusively by factory-authorized Steinway dealerships.
5. There is no reason to start with a fine piano since any
kind of piano (or even a keyboard) is good enough for a beginner.
The greatest music teaching institutions in America are equipped with
Steinway pianos exclusively, as well as scores of the smaller but very
thorough schools. The first impression is worth a great deal. Consistent use of a perfect instrument is as important
to the beginner as it is to the finished player. Accuracy of touch, resonance, and perfect repetition are essential for
the training of fingers, hands, arms and mind. Knowledge of these vital factors in the cultivation of piano music
cannot be acquired from the use of an inferior instrument.
6. Steinways are not as good as they used to be.
The Steinway piano of the present is at the apex of its greatness. In power, purity, and beauty of tone it far excels
all the models of other years. An important development of tone volume or tone power has been achieved within
recent years. The action of the instrument is proportionately quicker and more responsive. The repeating quality is
nearly electric in effect. Never before was the mechanical work so fine. The materials used are gathered from the
four corners of the earth whatever they may cost in endeavor or money. Every part of every Steinway is made in
the Steinway factories where zealous care of family traditions and universal reputation assures a continuous
improvement of their product rather than deterioration. Yesterday’s artists demanded yesterday’s Steinways. Today’
s artist demand today’s Steinways.
7. Steinway ownership is extravagance.
Steinway is the lowest-priced piano ever made if musical quality, long service and high resale value are to be taken
as the basis of estimation. Consider musical quality first. All sources of competent information throughout the world
are united in the conclusion that there is no other piano to compare with it. Neither in service is there any other
piano to compare with it. Delicately adjusted as a scientific instrument, yet it is so strong and durable that it has
established the tradition that to buy a Steinway is to buy a piano once and for all. Always in demand, used
Steinways are also eagerly sought.
8. When you buy a Steinway you are paying for the name.
Nothing is charged and nothing is paid for the reputation of the Steinway piano. Reputation is the measure of value,
or quality, put upon an article by discerning people. It is the seal of approbation attached by those who have used it
and found it equal to their requirements. The maker will always jealously guard this reputation by his most careful
work and confirm it with ready service. To buy a piano without an established reputation is to waste money. To buy
a well-known piano is better. To buy a piano that is recommended by musical people the world over is evidently
wise and economical. In such a purchase, whatever the price, those who buy the best - - a Steinway - - pay but a
nominal sum for the value that they receive in return.
Common Myths about Pianos
1. A piano should always be kept on an inside wall.
This probably dates back to a time when homes didn't have central heating and
air-conditioning systems. Pianos are much more sensitive to humidity than temperature.
It is not advisable to place pianos on top of heating vents where the soundboard
would be exposed to hot, dry air. Direct sunlight will fade wood finishes.
2. Pianos must be tuned if they are moved.
If done professionally, the actual “moving” of a piano does not cause the
instrument to loose its tuning. There are only three reasons a good piano
will go out of tune:
Strings stretch. Strings stretch throughout the life of the piano. The older
the strings, the less flexible they become. And, when piano wire is new it has
slight irregularities in its diameter. Over time, as it stretches, the diameter
becomes more uniform. Therefore, a new piano requires more tuning than
a well-maintained older instrument. Experts recommend three to four tunings
during the piano’s first year and twice a year thereafter.
Soundboards move. Even the finest spruce soundboards have cellular matter
between the grains. These areas take on humidity in the summer, causing the
board to swell. Because the board is crowned, additional tension is forced on the
strings causing them to go "sharp," or up in pitch. Additionally, the increased
tension may cause the tuning pins to slip or the string to sit on a new spot at the
bridge pins. In the winter, when the humidity is reduced, the board shrinks, resulting
in an out-of-tune piano. If you live in a tropical area that is always humid, or a desert that is always dry, your piano
will actually be more stable with regard to its tuning! The tighter the grain of the soundboard, the less susceptible it
will be to changes in humidity.
Tuning pins slip. If the wood holding the tuning pins (called the 'pinblock' or 'wrestplank') has dried out (mostly
seen in older instruments) or is made of un-seasoned materials of questionable design found in some new, “entry-
level” pianos, the tuning pins will not be able to hold the proper tension on the string and the pitch will go flat shortly
or immediately after tuning. Moving a piano with loose pins may cause it to go out of tune, but the problem wasn't
caused by moving. It was caused by a weak or inferior pinblock.
Note: Defective pianos can have tuning problems related to other cause
3. Only some pianos are handmade.
In essence, all pianos are handmade. There is no other way to build them. Individuals work on different parts of the
piano during the manufacturing process. Further, most factories use modern tools and machines. The skills
required to cast plates, cure or finish wood, fashion hammers, assemble actions or countless other processes are
distinctively different. No one person could be good at all of them. The relevant issues are the amount of labor and
skill of the technicians. Steinway & Sons has always used a rigorous apprentice journeyman system and a single
Steinway piano requires over 3,000 hours of labor to construct.
Note: Steinway officially says their pianos are "85% handmade".
4. The bigger the company, the better the piano.
Quality and quantity are very different things. The larger piano manufacturers make a variety of quality levels which
allows them to use more of their raw materials. Conversely and as an interesting example, only a small portion of a
Sitka spruce log is suitable for use in the soundboard of a Steinway. Using any other portion will result in a lower-
quality product which would be unacceptable to Steinway standards of excellence.
Large manufacturers do make some very good pianos at the top of their lines. Because the price of their best
pianos approaches and very often exceeds the cost of a Steinway, very few are ever sold. While major concert halls
continue to purchase Steinway & Sons, other brands might be provided to them on a no-cost basis by their
manufacturers in exchange for "bragging rights."
It is easy for the manufacturers to blur the distinction between their best pianos, which are good enough to be used
occasionally in concert halls, and their inexpensive models. When comparing pianos made by big companies, it is
critical that you find out how high up the ladder a particular model rests. (You will have to ask a lot of questions as
the people who sell these brands don't like to talk about market segmentation.)
The piano industry has found only two exceptions to this rule:
the Boston & Essex pianos designed by Steinway & Sons.
While Boston and Essex pianos are manufactured by OEMs
(Original Equipment Manufacturers), Steinway controls the
material handling process and owns the designs.
For example, all Boston and Essex grand pianos feature
Steinway & Sons' "Model 'A' wide tail design, which offers larger
soundboard area and longer strings in a more compact case.
Not available under any other brand name, these designs are
distributed exclusively by factory-authorized Steinway dealerships.
5. There is no reason to start with a fine piano since any
kind of piano (or even a keyboard) is good enough for a beginner.
The greatest music teaching institutions in America are equipped with
Steinway pianos exclusively, as well as scores of the smaller but very
thorough schools. The first impression is worth a great deal. Consistent use of a perfect instrument is as important
to the beginner as it is to the finished player. Accuracy of touch, resonance, and perfect repetition are essential for
the training of fingers, hands, arms and mind. Knowledge of these vital factors in the cultivation of piano music
cannot be acquired from the use of an inferior instrument.
6. Steinways are not as good as they used to be.
The Steinway piano of the present is at the apex of its greatness. In power, purity, and beauty of tone it far excels
all the models of other years. An important development of tone volume or tone power has been achieved within
recent years. The action of the instrument is proportionately quicker and more responsive. The repeating quality is
nearly electric in effect. Never before was the mechanical work so fine. The materials used are gathered from the
four corners of the earth whatever they may cost in endeavor or money. Every part of every Steinway is made in
the Steinway factories where zealous care of family traditions and universal reputation assures a continuous
improvement of their product rather than deterioration. Yesterday’s artists demanded yesterday’s Steinways. Today’
s artist demand today’s Steinways.
7. Steinway ownership is extravagance.
Steinway is the lowest-priced piano ever made if musical quality, long service and high resale value are to be taken
as the basis of estimation. Consider musical quality first. All sources of competent information throughout the world
are united in the conclusion that there is no other piano to compare with it. Neither in service is there any other
piano to compare with it. Delicately adjusted as a scientific instrument, yet it is so strong and durable that it has
established the tradition that to buy a Steinway is to buy a piano once and for all. Always in demand, used
Steinways are also eagerly sought.
8. When you buy a Steinway you are paying for the name.
Nothing is charged and nothing is paid for the reputation of the Steinway piano. Reputation is the measure of value,
or quality, put upon an article by discerning people. It is the seal of approbation attached by those who have used it
and found it equal to their requirements. The maker will always jealously guard this reputation by his most careful
work and confirm it with ready service. To buy a piano without an established reputation is to waste money. To buy
a well-known piano is better. To buy a piano that is recommended by musical people the world over is evidently
wise and economical. In such a purchase, whatever the price, those who buy the best - - a Steinway - - pay but a
nominal sum for the value that they receive in return.
“The Instrument of the Immortals”
Since 1853, Steinway Pianos have set an uncompromising standard for sound, touch,
beauty, and investment value. Handcrafting each Steinway requires up to one full year –
creating an instrument of rare quality and global renown.
Made in New York, Steinways are known for their incomparable scale design, meticulous
manufacture and painstaking hand craftsmanship. The Steinway piano is and will remain the
finest piano the world has ever known.
Not surprisingly, of the 1400 concert pianists in the world, an amazing 97% prefer to perform
on and own a Steinway & Sons Piano. Artist endorsement is significant because Steinway
does not pay artists’ fees and never has. Furthermore, an artist must have purchased his or
her own personal Steinway to be chartered as a “Steinway Artist.”
Needless to say, very carefully selected materials are used in the construction process of
every Steinway & Sons piano. Master craftsmen apply skills that were handed down from
master to apprentice. The Steinway standard is to build each instrument to be the finest ever
created and, then, to make the next one even better.
Colaianni is totally convinced that the finest pianos in the world today are crafted by Steinway
& Sons in Queens, New York.
Since 1853, Steinway Pianos have set an uncompromising standard for sound, touch,
beauty, and investment value. Handcrafting each Steinway requires up to one full year –
creating an instrument of rare quality and global renown.
Made in New York, Steinways are known for their incomparable scale design, meticulous
manufacture and painstaking hand craftsmanship. The Steinway piano is and will remain the
finest piano the world has ever known.
Not surprisingly, of the 1400 concert pianists in the world, an amazing 97% prefer to perform
on and own a Steinway & Sons Piano. Artist endorsement is significant because Steinway
does not pay artists’ fees and never has. Furthermore, an artist must have purchased his or
her own personal Steinway to be chartered as a “Steinway Artist.”
Needless to say, very carefully selected materials are used in the construction process of
every Steinway & Sons piano. Master craftsmen apply skills that were handed down from
master to apprentice. The Steinway standard is to build each instrument to be the finest ever
created and, then, to make the next one even better.
Colaianni is totally convinced that the finest pianos in the world today are crafted by Steinway
& Sons in Queens, New York.
| RELATED LINKS How to Buy A Piano Piano Care Request Grand Template |
| Steinway Pianos | Boston Pianos | Essex Pianos | Roland | | A Sound Investment | Eight Keys to Remember | Request Literature | FREE Buying Guide Offer |
"With a tone so rich, I would never
be afraid of the dark. Steinway is the only and the
best!" Harry Connick, Jr.
be afraid of the dark. Steinway is the only and the
best!" Harry Connick, Jr.
