The Pianoman. Pianos in Leeds.
The Pianoman. Pianos in Leeds.



FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q Our piano teacher has said that we should only get a digital piano if it has weighted keys. What are weighted keys?

A Firstly, it is important not to confuse weighted with touch sensitive. The weight of a single key on a traditional piano is much heavier than that on a portable keyboard. This weight offers the player more control, which is necessary to achieve expression and feeling within the music.


Q What is touch sensitive?

A This simply means that the harder you strike the key the louder the volume. This is usually a feature on a portable keyboard. A piano teacher would recommend only weighted keys.

Q How often should I tune my piano?

A This will depend on the piano itself, how often its played, where it is situated, what standard of playing it receives. Ideally pianos should be tuned twice a year. In practice, many people have them tuned only once a year. I would recommend once a year as a minimum.


Q Why shouldn't I buy a piano over the internet?

A Not long ago, I spoke to a person who had purchased a piano from a company which heavily-promotes itself on the internet but which was quite some distance away from where the person lives. The delivery drivers were very quick and efficient and out of the house in no time. After they had left, the person excitedly raised the lid of the piano and tried to play some notes but ... nothing! The keys just wouldn’t work! So the person rang the internet seller and expressed their dissatisfaction. All the seller could say was, “Phone a local tuner, and get him to sort it out. It’s probably the wooden rods inside the action that are preventing the keys from playing. You see, these pianos come to us from the other side of the world and the manufacturers put these rods inside to stop the keys moving during their long journey. That’s all it will be"! To a professional piano person like myself, that's a tell-tale sign that there was absolutely no pre-delivery checking of the piano, no set-up, no tuning work, no action regulation, no re-tuning, no nothing. Need I say more ...?


Q Should I buy a digital or a traditional upright (acoustic) piano?

A This is one of the questions I get asked all the time, and the answer depends on a number of factors. How much do you want to spend? Where will the instrument be placed in you home? Do you already have a piano? Three of my recent sales illustrate the choice process. First, I delivered a digital piano to an attic room which could never have accommodated an upright! Then I sold a digital to someone whose girlfriend is a hospital doctor and lives in the nurses' wing. Why a digital? Because she often plays in the middle of the night using headphones! Thirdly, I sold an upright piano to someone who wanted it for his daughter who is an advanced player; and he had both a generous budget and a large room to place the piano in. In short, it all depends ...




Although my piano shop is in Leeds, I will deliver pianos to anywhere in Yorkshire — Barnsley, Beverley, Bingley, Bradford, Bridlington, Brighouse, Burley-in-Wharfedale, Castleford, Cleckheaton, Dewsbury, Doncaster, Filey, Flamborough, Goole, Guiseley, Halifax, Harrogate, Hellifield, Helmsley, Holmfirth, Hornsea, Huddersfield, Hull, Ilkley, Ingleton, Keighley, Knaresborough, Leeds, Leyburn, Long Preston, Normanton, Northallerton, Ossett, Otley, Pickering, Pocklington, Pontefract, Pool-in-Wharfedale, Pudsey, Redcar, Richmond, Ripon, Rotherham, Scarborough, Sedbergh, Settle, Sheffield, Shipley, Silsden, Skipton, Staithes, Stamford Bridge, Thirsk, Thornaby-on-Tees, Todmorden, Wakefield, Wetherby, Whitby, Wombwell, Yarm, Yeadon, York — and indeed to anywhere in the UK.