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It's a simple question with a complicated answer. It's like asking how long a person will live. Some people live to be 100 if they have good genetics and take good care of themselves. A piano can live to be 100 or more if it is a good design and built with quality materials and workmanship, and properly maintained throughout its life. A critical factor in the lifespan of a piano is the environment it lives in. A piano will live much longer if always kept in a room that has constant temperature and humidity, and is not subjected to...

Most of us own a number of items we use daily with little understanding of how they actually work. My fridge, DVR, and car transmission are on that list for me. And most piano owners would also add to that list their piano. Oh sure, if you have a piano, you may have seen how the hammer strikes the string when you play a key. But as far as the other thousands of parts that make up a piano, who knows how they work together or how to take care of them? The answer to that question is a piano...

Here are a few things NOT to do if you want to be good to your piano: Use the piano as a shelf.Plants and flower arrangements can result in permanent water damage, ruining your piano forever. Candles can drip wax into places where it cannot be removed, and cause heat damage to finishes. Picture frames can scratch the piano and rattle when the piano is played. Also, keep in mind that your piano technician needs every item removed from the top of your piano in order to tune and service it, so why not just treat the piano as an...

Playing piano is a lifelong skill, handy in so many ways whether for personal satisfaction, entertaining others, or even helping others with the gift of music. And the good news is that it is never too late to learn. After finding a terrific piano teacher (a complete subject for another day!), four other piano accessories will help any piano student learn more easily and quickly. A  piano lamp is essential to any music room. Not being able to see the keys or the music will make practicing annoying and the learner may be practicing wrong notes, which are hard to...

It depends on what your goal is. If you want to accompany other musicians, you probably should become a good sight reader. If you want to play in a rock or pop band, you should probably learn to play by ear. If you want to be a good jazz player, a solid understanding of theory will make your journey less frustrating. If you want to be a great classical artist, you will need to get good at memorizing music. But there are great musicians who lack one or more of these skills and still manage to make wonderful music. Pursue...