Doctors, mechanics, and TV repairmen all want to know the symptoms when you call them with a problem. So does your piano tuner/technician. In addition to pianos going out of tune, there are a number of other maladies which may befall an unfortunate instrument. Following is a list of common piano problems and their probable causes:

Piano sounds flat, nasal, dead, or subdued (hammers too soft)

Piano sounds sharp, harsh, shrill, or tinny (hammers too hard)

Piano sounds thin or anemic (poor hammer fit to strings)

Piano has after-ring (lack of string braid between bridges and hitch pins)

Piano makes ringing or buzzing sounds (poor string contact at bearing points)

Piano's touch or action is weak or sluggish (improperly weighted keys or action centers too loose)

Thumping in keys after release (leathers have become hard)

Keys other than those being played move, dip, or bounce (balance rail glides not in contact with keybed)

Unable to blend sound (inconsistent voicing, poor hammer fit to strings, or [sorry] poor room acoustics)

© Copyright 1998, 1999 Joe Gallant. All rights reserved.