Piano for Beginners 6th ED - 2016 UK

originally called the ‘tone-sustaining’ pedal, which
better reflects what it does – sustainment of a
single or group of tones. Which leads us onto the
sustaining (or damper) pedal. This right-hand pedal
raises all of the dampers off the strings so that they
keep vibrating after a key has been released, adding
more expression to the notes by allowing them to
resonate and making it possible to string harmonies
and notes together. Having a sustain pedal alone
should in no way hamper or restrict your playing
further down the line.

Sit comfortably
My piano didn’t come with a stool or seat. I have
a variety of chairs around the house, but they’re
all of different heights. How should I be sat
relative to the piano? Does it matter if I’m sat
close to the floor?

Seating is an important factor in good piano playing
and both the height and distance away from the
instrument need to be taken into consideration.
The best height to be seated at will allow the elbow
and upper arm to fall freely from the shoulder and
allows the forearm to be parallel to the floor when
the forearm and hand are in their natural shape (as
they are when they’re hanging by your side). The
optimum distance to be seated at is a distance
that allows our elbows to rest slightly in front of
our central line when our hands are in their neutral
position on the keyboard, with our hands in front
of the elbows (not in front of the body or at strange
angles to the instrument).

“Don’t place any objects

on your piano, at least

not without a soft piece

of felt or cloth placed

between the two”

Cleaning instructions

I’ve recently been given a second-hand piano

that hasn’t been played for a while, and as such

it’s a bit dusty. How do you go about cleaning the

instrument? Are there any products you definitely

shouldn’t use?

If you need to polish your piano, you can use special

piano polish, which can be bought from most

music stores. Ideally, you should remove surface

Regardless of the model,

your piano will sometimes

need a good clean

Make sure you’re

comfortable before playing

dust with a feather duster and never polish the keys

with a dry cloth as you may end up scratching the

surface. If you do dust it with a cloth, avoid rags

or paper towels and use fabric-softened flannel or

chamois. Ensure that the cloth is slightly damp using

filtered water (certain minerals can alter the surface),

use gentle motions and never be tempted to clean

inside the piano – leave that bit to the professionals.

As a general rule, don’t place any objects on top of

your piano, at least not without a soft piece of felt or

cloth placed between the two.

Storage solutions

I’ve bought a second-hand upright piano, but I

don’t know where to put it! Should I keep it away

from sunlight? Does it matter if it’s against an

outside wall?

If you own an acoustic piano then the ideal room

temperature for where it is stationed should be

21 -22 degrees C (70- 7 2° F). Going much higher or

lower will affect the tuning, possibly weaken the

internal glue and contribute to long-term damage

to the wood. Also, a piano should be kept from

exterior walls, drafty windows and doors, fireplaces

and air vents; and ensure it is sat on a rug or carpet.

The more expensive the piano, the more care you

have to take, but these guidelines will help ensure

and preserve the wellbeing of any make or model.