Guides and Tips

Tips On How To Care For Your Digital Piano(Updated 2019)

February 17, 2019 by Emma Gloor

If you’re reading this, then it’s likely that you own a digital piano. Unlike their acoustic counterparts, digital pianos are preferred because of one key advantage—they don’t need a lot of maintenance. Although this might be the case, you need a comprehensive digital piano maintenance guide such as this one to keep your piano in perfect working order.

When shopping for a piano, one of the factors you look out for is maintenance. This is one major advantage that has put digital pianos way ahead of their acoustic counterparts. Therefore, to ensure that your digital piano lasts longer, this guide will highlight some important tips that will help your piano to stay in perfect shape for years to come.

Digital vs Acoustic piano—what’s the difference?

I noticed that some people are facing problems distinguishing the difference between these two pianos. Just to give you a head-start, an acoustic piano is an old school piano that uses hammers and steel strings encased on a wooden exterior.

These pianos are categorized into either grand or upright pianos and are very delicate thus require a lot of maintenance to keep them up and running.

On the other hand, digital pianos are modern versions of their acoustic counterparts and are designed to produce sound digitally via electronic speakers. They come in three different types namely: grand pianos, upright and portable pianos.

Since you now know the difference between these two types of pianos, I will now take you through some important tips on how to maintain your digital piano.

Choose the location carefully

Although there’s a mentality that digital pianos require less maintenance, it’s highly important that you treat this piece of the appliance like any other precious electronic gadget in your home. One way of doing this is by setting a permanent place in your home to keep your piano.

Although digital pianos are designed to be moved, it’s paramount that you display them in a specific area such as;

Areas with low traffic where you don’t expect people to keep colliding or bumping on your piano to avoid accidental damage.
Don’t keep it near doors or windows as objects may strike it through the windows or someone may bang it while opening the door.
Also, avoid exposing your piano in areas with direct sunlight, water or moisture as this too can damage the piano.
Avoid keeping the piano next to other electronic devices such as computers, heating vents, and air conditioners as extreme heat or sudden changes in temperatures can cause shortages in your piano’s electronic components.

Use appropriate cleaning methods

Digital pianos are not immune to damage. They, therefore, need to be cleaned regularly to keep them clean and free from dirt. Many digital pianos have been ruined and damaged due to one simple reason—poor cleaning regime. To guarantee your piano’s longevity;

Avoid cleaning the piano with a wet cloth as moisture can severely damage the interior or even cause an electric shortage.
Use a dry microfiber cloth to clean the keys. Since a micro-fiber cloth is soft, this will help avoid scratching of the keys and the body of your piano when cleaning.
For stubborn dirt, make sure that you read the user’s manual or visit the brand website to learn about acceptable cleaning methods. This will help minimize damage when cleaning the piano.

Clean your hands often

This is a small gesture that makes a big impact in the life of your piano. Just like washing your hands during mealtime, washing your hands before playing the piano helps to keep dust, dirt, oils, and greases away from your keys as much as possible. Note that buildup of dust, grime, and natural oils from your hands are what causes “sticky keys” on your piano.

Proper plugging

Just like any other electronic device, a digital piano to uses a significant amount of power to operate. Therefore, observing proper plugging is one way of ensuring that your piano is not subject to power surge which can destroy the electronic components. So, to keep your digital piano safe;

Avoid plugging it in an already overloaded outlet such as alongside your desktop, microwave, heater, and home-theater system among other appliances. Over-sharing a power outlet can affect your piano in major ways such as affecting the quality of sound, circuit shortages, fire outbreak or permanent damage to your piano’s electronic components.
Take your time to organize your piano’s USB and power cables in a safe location where someone won’t trip over them accidentally. Remember, cables that lie around hazardously can cause serious damages to your digital piano especially if your foot gets caught on the cables.
Make sure that your piano is disconnected from the power outlet when it’s not in use. Always remember to power it off first before disconnecting.
Connect your piano on a proper power source. Make sure the outlet is in good working order to avoid any possible power surges.

Protect your piano

One way of protecting your digital piano is by covering it up when not in use. This is one way of sustaining your piano’s life and ensuring that it stays long enough to give you years of service. So, why do you cover your digital piano?

One is to protect the piano against dust and dirt. You see, dust can wreak havoc on small sensitive components of your piano. Keeping it covered will generally help reduce the dust making it easier to clean the piano.
Covering the piano also helps to keep pets off the keys. You see, pets (especially cats) can scratch and damage your piano keys if you’re not careful. Their fur/hair can also get between the keys causing irresistible damage to the sensors or other components.

Avoid food and drinks

Finally, avoid substituting your piano for a dining table. Just like other electronics, digital pianos cannot hold up well in the presence of beverages and other foods. Therefore, avoid placing food or drinks on the surface of the piano when playing to avoid any accidents.

If you have guests/kids around, make sure the piano is covered and that everyone stays clear of the perimeter to avoid damaging your piano.

Conclusion

So there you have it. Digital pianos—just like other electronic appliances—should be kept safe to give you years of service. Observing proper cleaning techniques such as the ones highlighted in this digital piano maintenance guide will help keep your piano clean and safe from common hazards that occur due to human error. If you own a digital piano and you’re wondering how to maintain it, then I believe you’ve found the absolute answer.

Genius Hacks On How To Clean Piano Keys and Keyboards

February 5, 2019 by Emma Gloor

So, you’re an aspiring musician who has purchased a new piano or keyboard—Congratulations! Now, although you might have accomplished your dreams, I believe one disturbing question that will keep ringing in your mind is how to clean piano keys and keyboards.

To enjoy the beauty of music, a piano should be left looking beautiful and authentic just like the first day it arrived. You see, just like other home appliances, a piano or a keyboard needs to be dusted thoroughly to get rid of dust, dirt, debris, and oils that might accumulate over time.

Now, if I may ask, which part of your piano needs a thorough cleaning? If your answer is the keyboard, then you’re right.

The keys are what we touch most of the time when playing the piano. Due to this reason, dust and dirt emanating from sweaty hands can diminish their authenticity causing the polished surfaces to wear out in a short while.

Luckily, after conducting comprehensive research, we’ve gathered some surefire tips on how you can clean your piano or keyboard to restore it back to its former brilliance.

How to Clean Piano Keys and Keyboards

Most of us enjoy playing the piano, especially when aspiring to become a composer. But, did you know that piano keys can easily be damaged with sweaty, oily hands? You see, as you frequently play the piano, the polished surfaces of the keys tend to wear out allowing dirt and debris to penetrate into the pores.

Washing your hands before playing the piano may sound brilliant. You may also opt to give your piano or keyboard a quick dusting here and there to remove dust that might have settled at the top. But, will this really help to clean the keys of your piano entirely? The answer is NO.

Now, to give you a head start on how to maintain the quality of your piano or keyboard, this section will highlight some surefire tips on how to effectively clean your keyboard to avoid lackluster keys.

Items needed

Soft cloth
Gentle cleaning solution
Spray bottle
Water

Step-by-step procedure

Start with a soft cloth: a soft cloth is highly essential here. You can consider using a flannel cloth, microfiber cloth, cheesecloth, or chamois depending on your personal preference. Paper towels should be avoided at all cost.

Cleaning solution: add warm water into the spray bottle and add a drop of mild soap (most preferably dishing soapy liquid). Shake the content gently and get ready to clean! Just a word of caution, avoid using harsh solvents or furniture polish as they’re too abrasive and can easily cause discoloration.

Dampen the soft cloth: don’t spray soapy water directly into the piano keys. Instead, spray the soapy mixture on the soft cloth to make it slightly damp.

Start with the white keys: though not a recommendation, start off by cleaning the white keys a few at a time starting from the back to the front with gentle pressure.

Avoid brushing the keys from side to side as this can transfer dirt particles or even moisture in between the keys leading to damage or sticky keys.

Also, avoid using colored clothes when cleaning white keys as some of them might bleed when moistened causing colors to transfer to the white keys. Cleaning this discoloration can be tough and lead to double work.

Clean the black keys: using the same procedure, pick a new soft cloth and spray it with the soapy solution. Clean the keys from back to front gently enough to avoid touching the already cleaned white keys. Note that touching the white keys can cause you to transfer black color to the white keys which again can cause discoloration.

Wipe off contaminants: when you’re done cleaning, pick a dry cotton cloth and use it to wipe off any soapy residue that might have gotten stuck in-between the keys.

Disinfect the piano keys: disinfecting a piano is very important especially during the flu or cold seasons. To do this, make a solution comprising of 4 parts water and one part vinegar. Dip a clean cloth into the mixture and wring it well to make it damp. Clean each key thoroughly without leaving any moisture behind. Remember that vinegar can damage the keys if it’s left to stay on the surface for too long.

How to clean ivory piano keys

If you’re the kind of people that enjoy the beauty of music, a piano is one musical instrument that will guarantee you the best music experience. Unlike most other musical instruments, a piano requires proper maintenance to keep it up and working.

Now, before I get to the nitty-gritty of cleaning ivory piano keys, I think it’s wise to mention a thing or two about these rare keys. Why rare? You see, most pianists today are used to keyboards with plastic keys. But, there are rare cases where a piano may contain precious materials such as ivory and ebony.

Unlike plastic keys, replacing keys made of ivory or ebony can be very expensive, difficult, and time-consuming so extra care must be observed when dealing with such materials.

For the sake of ivory, this material is very porous and cleaning will involve using a light-colored cloth to avoid discoloration. Also, the immediate drying of ivory keys is very crucial as excess moisture can cause the keys to get malformed.

What’s the difference between plastic and ivory keys?

As I mentioned earlier, ivory keys are rare and can easily be confused with plastic keys as they fairly look the same. Although most pianos today use plastic keys rather than ivory keys like it used to be back in the days, there are some key differences you need to be aware of.

Ivory keys are purely white.
Ivory keys may become yellowish with time.
Every key made of ivory has two parts joined together. This is visible if you look closely.
Ivory keys are not as smooth as plastic keys.
Unlike plastic, ivory keys cannot be penetrated with a red hot needle tip.
Also, ivory is very rare to find.

Tips on cleaning ivory piano keys

Since ivory is so porous, keys made out of it can be delicate to clean. Therefore, you need to take your time to clean every octave thoroughly and make sure you dry them entirely.
Don’t use lemon juice to clean the keys but instead use milk. Since ivory is much like a dental bone, the acid properties of lemon juice can wear the surface of the keys over time. On the other hand, milk is rich in calcium and fatty acids. These properties are of paramount importance as they will enhance the longevity of the keys.
For the sake of stubborn stains, you can purchase a scraper. However, to avoid damaging the keys, you need to consult a licensed technician or a professional.

Step-by-step procedure

Dust the keys: the first step is to dust the keys with a soft-bristled paintbrush to remove dust and dirt particles.

Dampen a clean cloth: take a clean cloth and dampen it with warm water. Squeeze any excess water and clean each key individually to remove any stains, marks, or dust particles. Don’t drench the keys into the water as this can cause them to swell making it hard to play.

Apply the milk: although some people might opt to use a little soap, it’s better to use milk as most soapy detergents contain harsh chemicals which can damage the highly porous ivory surface. Simply dampen a light clean cloth with a small amount of milk to clean stains and fingerprints from the keys.

Wipe the keys from the back to the front and don’t scrub them too hard as this can damage the surface. Since ivory is a kind of dental bone, the calcium and fatty acids in the milk will help extend the longevity of the keys.

How to care for your piano keys

Wash your hands often: always keep the piano clean by washing your hands before playing it. It’s also wise to wipe the keys after you’re done playing to keep dust and dirt particles off the ivory keys.
Direct sunlight: if the keys are made of pure ivory, you may opt to expose them in direct sunlight. Direct sunlight actually bleaches the ivory keys allowing them to brighten up. Also, to protect the keys from dust and dirt, consider covering the top with a long cover and only open it when you’re playing the piano.
Avoid using sprays around the piano: air fresheners and other aerosol products should not be sprayed anywhere near the piano as they can easily damage the ivory keys and cause them to yellow over time.

How to clean yellowed ivory piano keys

Pianos made from genuine ivory are hard to come by these days. This is due to strict rules that have totally prohibited the manufacture of such pianos thanks to the recent wildlife conservation act. So, if you have a piano or a decoration made of ivory that means it’s simply an antique.

Why was ivory so common back in the days? First, ivory was preferred because of its value and esthetic properties. Secondly, ivory has the advantage of absorbing perspiration which prevented the pianist’s fingers from slipping.

We mentioned earlier that most piano keys made from ivory are definitely antiques. Due to this reason, their keys tend to yellow with time due to age and use. To restore them back to their natural whiteness, you, of course, need to clean them but, with a different approach.

Unlike cleaning plastic piano keys, ivory keys cannot be restored back to their original color using household cleaners and bleaches as they can damage the keys beyond repair. So, having done enough research across the web, here’s a step-by-step procedure on how to clean yellowed ivory piano keys.

Things you’ll need

White soft cloth
Small container
Warm water
Salt
Lemon

Step-by-step procedure

Step one: cut some pieces of cardboard and fit them between the keys to preventing excess liquid from penetrating through.
Step two: using a clean container, make a thin paste of lemon and salt. You can also cut the lemons in halves and add salt to the already cut sides. Some people may also opt to use plain yogurt or toothpaste instead.
Step three: moisten the white soft cloth with the lemon solution and use it to clean the yellowed ivory keys. In case you’ve cut the lemons in halves, gently squeeze the salted exposed side on the ivory keys to remove stains.
Step four: when you’re done, leave the piano to self-dry for some time. Do not wipe the lemon juice immediately.
Step five: soak a white clean cloth in clean water and wipe the keys gently one at a time. Wipe everything including tight corners and crevices to remove all lemon juice. When you’re done, leave the piano to self-dry naturally.

Conclusion

Compared to the rest of your indoor furniture, a piano stands out as an indestructible beast. But, quite the opposite is true. You see, cleaning your piano—regardless of its wood construction—is different from cleaning the rest of your household furniture. This is because a piano is very delicate and a little mistake can damage the entire unit both in the interior and exterior.

Thankfully, having done comprehensive research in the arena, this guide has offered ingenious hacks on how to clean piano keys and keyboards.

Like I mentioned earlier, a piano is a meticulous musical instrument that needs to be handled with extreme care to avoid damage. When it comes to safety, it’s wise to wash your hands before playing the piano and cover the piano top in case it’s not being used.

Other than that, I believe this guide was informative enough. If there’s something you’d like to add on what we’ve already mentioned, please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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5 Brilliant Ways To Use HOW TO LEARN PIANO BY YOURSELF

January 29, 2019 by Emma Gloor

Do you dream of virtuoso playing music and creating magic sounds when you touch the piano keys? To do this, it is not necessary to finish music school: you can get basic knowledge yourself. Let us tell you how to learn the piano by yourself at home.

How to learn to play the piano at home from scratch

If you only approximately imagine how to play the piano, you should start with a simple one:

Responsibly approach the choice of musical instrument.

We recommend buying a new tool in a specialized store and listening to the advice of a professional consultant.

Do not forget to tune the piano.

The tool requires adjustment, and for this, you need a tuner. Do not forget about the services of a specialist after purchase. Call it at the first signs of falsity in the sound of notes.

Learn music notation.

Without a theory in the classroom cannot do. Learn the notes, their location, and sound.After becoming guided in the keys, try to play tunes on the piano.

Do not forget about the length of the nails.

Those who want to learn how to play the piano should understand that long nails interfere with this. First of all, the knock itself spoils the melody. Besides, the nails do not allow movements to be clear and can be broken in the process of training.

Remember the correct location of the fingers.

The little finger should lie on the fifth note, the ring finger on the fourth, the middle one on the third, the index finger on the second, and the thumb responds to the first note on the piano.

Find the right motivation.

If one desire to learn to play a little, it is worth thinking about other advantages, such as the development of vision, hearing, memory and motor skills of hands.

Remember: music is an inspiration and a great way to please yourself and others.

Use the Internet.

Sometimes it is difficult to understand the correct location of the fingers and other nuances of the game from books or other sources. Training videos on the Internet will come to the rescue.

On their basis, you can significantly improve your skills and fill gaps in training.

Practice your hearing.

Some have better developed, some less. This is not a reason to quit or get upset.

Practice – memorize melodies, listening to the song, determine which instruments are playing in the background. Try to recognize specific notes in a losing tune. Excellent training – listening to classical music.

Do not hurry.

Without having mastered the notes, do not touch the melodies. Do not immediately try to play fast music: the pace and skill will come with the development of technology.

Do not give up halfway.

As with any training, there are ups and downs. Do not leave school after the first difficulty. Regular practice will bring success in your endeavors.

Engage every day.

Even 15 minutes of daily training will significantly benefit your skills.

If your goal is to learn the basics of playing the piano quickly, do not be lazy and do not regret your time for regular training for the instrument.

Following the tips on how to learn piano by yourself from scratch will enable you to learn more than what others could have thought you. Moreover, doing it correctly and beautifully!

AUTHOR BIO:

Jessica is an entrepreneur and passionate blogger who wrote for theshoesfinder.com. Don’t forget to read her latest post about hip hop shoes.

How many keys on a piano are there?Updated-2020

December 27, 2016 by Emma Gloor

You may be thinking why are we even discussing this? The point is if you are learning to play a piano, you will need to know this and if you are not, then you may be simply in knowing about this. You may be just interested into knowing How many keys on a piano are there. You may want to know about this for any reason, the bottom line remains the same that learning this popular art form means acquiring a great skill.

Yes How many keys on a piano are there?

Many people have this query about how many keys on a piano normally used to be. You will be surprised to know that a regular piano has 88 keys that have 7 octave notes. There are actually 52 white keys in all and 36 black colored keys that make the whole piano. It is true that piano is considered to be a difficult instrument because of all this. However, with all these difficulties it is one of the most popular musical instruments that you can learn.

Why are there 88 keys in a piano?

There are both practical and historical reasons for the modern piano to have 88 keys in total. It happened that the piano had originated from harpsichord which had 60 keys initially. So, the first of the lot had 60 keys and 5 octaves to begin with; as days passed, composers felt this was not enough. With course of time, there developed the modern piano that was equipped with 88 keys. It was argued that this was the right blend and anything beyond this would not sound pleasing to the ears.

Can it exceed 88 keys?

The fact is the human ear will not be able to distinguish anything more than the 88 keys and added notes. A 102 key piano can be very expensive and may not make much of a difference to our ears. There are no doubts, why people usually do not want to opt for this kind of a piano. Hence, the popularity of the 88 keys piano makes sense also and most people think there is no need to invest in such expensive equipment.

Where do you buy a piano?

You can certainly buy it from a traditional shop but these days you can buy them online as well. There are many online merchants that sell quality pianos and you can get a range to select from. In addition, to traditional ones, you can even buy digital pianos of various kinds. You can also get time to time discounts that can sweeten the deal for you. In a way, it can be said that buying online can be quite beneficial for people looking to buy in a budget.

How to buy a piano?

You need to think about this seriously because buying a piano can be big decision and based on your requirements, your affordability and keys on a piano. Remember that a piano can be equipment worth keeping but you need to think practically while purchasing one. For starters, you should think about the space requirement. In case, you have space crunch, then getting an electric piano can be a good idea. Here are some more pointers that you can follow while investing in one:

Decide what is the budget you are willing to spend
If you are beginner, you can get a simple one and advance to a better model as you progress
Find out the different kinds of keyboards, synthesizers and pianos available
Pick how many keys you want to go for
Choose a keyboard or a piano that is easy to play
Invest in a low maintenance musical equipment that does not need much of your care
Weigh the sound quality if possible and then take a call

Now, you know about How many keys on a piano are there, we would like to tell you truth that you need to have patience while learning so many keys. It takes practice and a lot of understanding. Get familiar with the notes first followed by familiarizing with the keys and its sounds. This will take some time but you can start with this and accomplish your goals as you progress. Learning playing a piano can be a real deal and remember it is a skill of a lifetime.