Helpful Hints
Your Piano Technician will most likely be very happy to perform these services for a fee, but if you prefer, here
are some suggestions for maintaining your piano on your own:

Dropped Pencils in a Yamaha grand -

If you've dropped a pencil behind the fallboard (that which covers the keys when closed), it probably won't cause any sort of problem
other than a noise when playing certain notes. But if you'd like to retrieve it just to be sure, the following instructions will work with a
Yamaha and some other grands. Please be careful so that you don't scratch the finish or in some other way damage the piano.
From the upright position, tilt the fallboard 1/4 of the way towards you. Tug gently on the left hand side of the fallboard to disengage it
from the spring mechanism, then lift out the fallboard. (Some pianos don't have the spring mechanism on the left and you just lift out each
side.) You will most likely find the pencils resting quietly on top of the keys. After retrieving them, line up the fallboard tilting slightly
towards you, lower the peg on the right hand side of the fallboard into it's U-shaped slot and then nudge the left side into position (note
there is a spring mechanism, usually, on the left that you need to align correctly.)

Key Cleaning -

Because pianos are primarily made of wood, it can be very tricky to clean them without exposing them to potential damage. If you have
never cleaned your keys before, most likely they have been exposed to dirt, grime, and germs. To clean them, use a barely damp cloth
with a mild soap and rub up and down each black key. Use a separate cloth in the same manner for the white keys. It is very important
that you do not get the keys wet, as they will warp and expand, causing them to become inconsistent and possibly need repair or
replacement. Never let moisture seep down between the keys. Dry the keys when you are finished to be sure to prevent the wood from
absorbing any leftover moisture. Encourage the piano players in your home to wash their hands before and after they play the piano. Your
technician may have a key cleaner specifically designed for cleaning and whitening your keys.

Cabinet Dusting -

As with the keys, you do not want to expose your piano cabinet to excessive moisture as that may cause warping and cracks. You can
dust your piano with a feather duster or with a barely damp cloth. Dry surfaces afterwards to prevent any moisture from remaining on
your piano. Furniture polish is rarely, if ever, recommended for your piano. Read the materials that accompanied your piano purchase (or
contact the manufacturer) for more details specific to your piano and it's finish.

Interior Dusting -

Grand Pianos, especially those whose lids are kept open, can accumulate lots of dust. If done very carefully, you can vacuum out some of
the dust from the inside your grand piano using the  brush part of your vacuum. Stay away from the strings, as you do not want to scratch
them, which may cause a change in their performance. Do not use a damp cloth, because you never want to get moisture near the strings,
which may cause rusting. Dusting the soundboard should be left up to your technician using a soundboard cleaning tool. Upright pianos
usually accumulate less dust primarily because their lids are usually kept closed. But if you are so inclined, you may find dust accumulated
at the bottom of your upright piano by opening the panel below the keys. Vacuum with the brush portion of your vacuum, avoiding the
strings.

Damper Pedal Adjustment on an Upright -

Over time, your damper pedal (the far right pedal), may not lift the dampers enough to sustain the ringing of the strings. On some uprights,
this adjustment can be fairly simple. Remove the panel below the keys and locate the mechanism connected to the far right damper pedal.
Turning the butterfly screw clockwise will usually solve the problem. Before replacing the bottom panel, check to be sure that you have
turned the screw enough to lift the dampers but not so much that they do not dampen when the pedal isn't pressed.

Eliminating 'Cricket' Noises when One or More Keys are Played -

In some cases, this 'chirp' is caused by a loose screw. Starting with the lid hinges, tighten all the screws that are easily accessible. You do
not need to worry about the plate screws (the big ones on the 'harp') because those should be as tight as a drum. Tighten a few screws
then try the note. Continue back and forth between tightening screws and trying the note until the 'chirp' is gone. While you have your
screw driver out, tighten all of the screws in the bench. Do not touch any of the action screws (those that are associated with the interior
moving parts of the piano) as that area is more temperamental and should only be worked on by a qualified technician. If you are unable
to get rid of the noise, ask your technician during the next tuning if they are able to identify and resolve the issue.

'Swinging' Pedal Mechanism in a Grand -

Usually this involves tightening the screws that are up under the piano attaching the pedal mechanism to the case. If tightening those
screws does not solve the problem, the screw holes may be stripped. If you are unfamiliar with fixing stripped screw holes, ask your
technician before the next tuning if they are able to complete this repair while they are there for the tuning.