Tuning

Trever De Silva’s basic approach is to “tune a piano to sound musical”. Thereby making the piano to sing.

In the process of doing this job, factors that need to be addressed is the technical standard of the piano (condition of the action, strings, soundboard also the age of the piano, when was the piano last tuned etc. ;)

Repairing

Trever’s De Silva’s basic approach here is that he considers the need of the client. Then he considers the condition of the piano & make his recommendations. One important fact is the pitch, if it’s at A415 (equal to be 100% lower from standard pitch Ie; A440) it says a sad long story about the piano. It can be poor maintenance or maintained by a person who knows little about piano maintenance etc;

Proper maintenance of a piano will keep away from unexpected expenses & if not could lead to permanent damage to the piano.

Sales

Trever De Silva’s main advice to any client who is looking to purchase a piano, he or she should look for a piano that’s technically in a good standard. This is irrespective of the price of the piano. One important criteria that the client can look into is the “Pitch of the Piano”. If the piano is tuned to A440, it says that the piano is in a decent standard. Thereafter the client can consider the tone color, touch, depth, condition of wear and tear, after sale service of the seller etc.;

Hire

Trever also hire pianos, starting from cottage, Upright professional & Grand Pianos based on the clients requirement

Educational material

Piano tuning

Pianos that are prized by their owners are tuned regularly, usually once every six months for domestic pianos, and always just before a performance in concert halls. The longer a piano remains out of tune, the more time and effort it will take for a technician to restore it to proper pitch. When a piano is only slightly out of tune, it loses the glowing tonal quality characteristic of a freshly tuned piano

Reasons why a piano go out of tuning

Pianos go out of tune primarily because of changes in humidity. Tuning can be made more secure by installing special equipment to regulate humidity, inside or underneath the piano. There is no evidence that being out-of-tune permanently harms the piano itself. However, a long-term low-humidity/high humidity environment will eventually cause the soundboard to crack and the keys and other wooden parts to warp.

Voicing

The felt hammers of the piano tend to harden over time, as the felt becomes compressed by repeated impact. They also form grooves at the points of contact with the strings. Harder hammers produce a brighter tone quality, which may ultimately become harsh and undesirable. Piano technicians can soften hammers using special tools called voicing needles. They also sometimes use special hardening agents when the hammers are too soft (though this practice is controversial among some technicians)

A special note – Trever always say that taking care of a piano is the responsibility of two parties. The owner & the Piano Technician.

The technician is responsible in conducting his technical work , at minimum to a reasonable standard. Giving adequate time & effort on the work that the Technician carries out is priority.

Then , comes the owners responsibility.

The piano should not be moved on a regular basis & even if needs to be moved, should be done by a professional person who is careful, properly trained and has the proper equipment. This is conmen to upright & grand pianos.

Trever always recommend that your piano should be kept in a location where the humidity is relatively stable.

Keeping the piano away from air vents, heaters, open windows, open doors, direct sunlight, and the kitchen can help prevent damage, since all these are potential sources of sudden changes in humidity.

Contaminants

Pianos can be damaged easily by liquids. Liquid spills can not only damage the exterior finish, but if a spill reaches inside the piano, it could result in costly damage to the action or soundboard. Piano owners should protect their instruments by keeping liquids as far away from the instrument as possible.

If a spill occurs, immediate action should be taken by removing the keys, cleaning them in a grease cutting solution and allowing them to dry. Careful disassembly, and reassembly should be done only by a sound technician

Dust in between the keys can interfere with the action but can be minimized by keeping the lid closed when the instrument is not being used, however, the lid should be opened at times to ensure air circulation to prevent mold from growing.

Appearance

Pianos are a fine piece of furniture, thereby it benefits from cleaning and polishing, done carefully to avoid introduction of any fluids into the piano's interior. For many piano finishes, dust is better removed with a feather duster or a vacuum cleaner rather than a cloth. A piano technician should be consulted for recommendations on cleaning and polishing products suitable for a piano.