Pianos rarely fail suddenly. They decline quietly, and most owners adapt to the decline without noticing. Here is what to listen and feel for.
- A key that stays down after you release it — usually a swollen bushing or a dislodged part.
- Uneven volume between neighboring notes at the same touch.
- A buzz or rattle that follows a specific note — often a loose bridge pin, rib or hardware.
- A dead note with no sustain at all — broken string, or a hammer not reaching.
- Pedals that squeak, sink or do nothing — linkage, bushings or trapwork.
- Notes that repeat poorly in fast passages — a regulation issue, not a tuning one.
- Harsh, glassy tone across the treble — compacted hammer felt needing voicing.
- Visible gaps or cracks in the soundboard seen through the back or under the strings.
- Yellowed, chipped or missing key tops, which also affect the feel of the keyboard.
- Tunings that will not hold even a few months — often loose tuning pins in a worn pinblock.
The first six are usually inexpensive in-home fixes. The last four deserve a proper inspection before you invest further.
Most piano problems are cheap to fix early and expensive to fix late.
Still unsure how this applies to your instrument? Call (972) 266-3671 and describe what you are hearing. We answer questions like these every day, and it costs nothing to ask.
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