Chuck R Stewart owns and operates http://www.PianoBench.com, an online store designed to cater to all your piano needs including piano benches, piano covers, piano lamps, piano dollies, piano bench cushions and many more piano accessories designed to enhance and care for your piano. PianoBench.com works to develop the best Piano Dollies available in the market. We offer a Piano Dolly for any digital or upright piano as well as a Piano Dollies for both traditional size and baby grand pianos.

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As we venture out into space and contemplate the possibility of populating other worlds, I, being the eternal wonder-er, grapple with the concepts that future humans will undoubtedly have to confront. At the present rate of population growth, the human race will inevitably outgrow planet earth, if not physically, then as a source of sustenance. Someday, someone living on foreign ’soil’ will want to play the piano, or some facsimile of a modern piano, and I wonder how it will be done.

With even the most advanced technology we have today, there will undoubtedly be months or even years of time to pass as humans venture out toward other celestial bodies. That strikes me as a fantastic opportunity to take up a new hobby like playing piano and even progress to the point where pretty good proficiency could be attained. Lessons could be of the audio/visual kind, many of which already exist right here on earth today.

I imagine a scene with a low gravity world of a minimal atmosphere which is not breathable by our race, becoming inhabited. Possibly, there would be the occasion for a concert–a recital of original piano works by a future composer/musician. A musical instrument resembling a piano would be on stage with the artist preparing to offer up his latest creations.

Even without the use of life-sustaining apparatus, would the audience be able to hear the music? Doesn’t it take a thick atmosphere to transmit sound waves? Would the notes be audible only within inches of the stage and then drop off?

Maybe, all the listeners would have to have their ‘communication device’ aligned to a specific frequency to be able to receive the digital transmission from the stage, and only then if they had offered up some kind of ‘currency’. A silent concert then, for all those who hadn’t paid.

As a student of science, I think I can say without equivocation that the standard pianos we are familiar with would be rather useless ‘out there.’ The phenomenon we sense as ‘action’ when we hit a key requires a known and specific action/reaction scenario which would not really work without earth’s gravity. Unless the gravitational forces present on a foreign planet were accounted for, the action might be effortless and the sound too loud, or just the reverse. And how would you even think about tuning? Surely, the frequency of vibrations would be different too.

Oh well. Guess I really should get back to practicing. I have enough trouble playing the piano on planet earth.

Elliot Steiner has been involved in the music industry for several decades and in a staunch advocate of quality beginner piano lessons.

Click on the words piano lessons to learn how you can receive a FREE 6-part piano lesson. Start playing today before your ship blasts off.

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These are applicable to both digital and acoustic pianos.

In a heavily trafficked area

Your piano is a complex, finely tuned instrument, and likely the most expensive piece of furniture in your house. You should avoid placing it anywhere where people will walk past and scratch it, bump it, rub up against it, etc. Be sure to avoid placing it where swinging doors will hit it.

Near a pool, bathroom, or kitchen

Water and humidity are like cancer to a piano; they will eventually destroy it. You should avoid placing your piano anywhere where the humidity changes are fast or violent, and of course avoid anything where it could come into direct contact with water. For example, avoid anywhere near hanging plants, aquariums, etc.

Near a fireplace or furnace

Heat is also a killer of piano wood, so you should avoid placing your piano within ten feet of a fireplace or furnace. You should also avoid radiators or vents where hot air will blow on the piano. You generally want the area of the house with the least variation in temperature.

In direct sunlight

This one might be more surprising to some people, but you want to avoid placing your piano in any area where it will receive direct sunlight. Not only can the heat warp the wood, but it can discolor or fade the finish of your piano, detracting from the appearance and value. The exception to this rule is when you keep the piano covered, but even then it’s perhaps not the best idea.

Near any doors or drafty windows

Air blowing in from outdoors brings three things you don’t want anywhere near your piano: dust, heat (or cold), and moisture. For this reason, you should avoid anywhere near a door to the outside of the house, or near any drafty windows. In most cases, outside walls are to be avoided in general.

A piano is a significant investment, but by taking a few simple precautions when you select the placement of the piano, you can ensure that you and your family will be able to enjoy it for many years.

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Sometimes, the comfort level of the pianist affects the performance and quality of the music. The posture, in particular, affects the motion of the person as he goes along playing the instrument. In a concerto, for example, where the pianist plays for hours, the bench should really support the weight of the pianist as well as give the performer comfort while playing.

There are some specifications to be looked into when choosing for the right piano bench. Usually, a brand new piano comes with a bench. It is padded with a lift-up compartment for storage of musical scores. Its height is determined according to the average adult. If the pianist is a child, this kind of seat would not be appropriate since it does not take into consideration the child’s size causing him/her to play uncomfortably. In this case, an adjustable piano bench would be best. This is an ideal solution especially if an adult also plays on the same piano. You just have to adjust the height of the bench using a handle or a hand crank, depending on the height of the person using it. In addition, the usual piano bench is made of wood, so you must take extra care that termites do not ruin the bench or worse, the piano. You should choose a leather of high quality for the padded seat because, most of the time, this gets the most wear and tear.

There are two kinds of piano benches based on size – the single and the duet. As the name hints, the single can accommodate one person, and the duet can provide a seat for two people. A duet is usually provided with a new piano. Unless you prefer a different type, a visit to the furniture shop becomes unnecessary.

The kind of bench for the piano should match the specifications of the piano itself. If the piano is an upright, a grand or a baby grand, the bench should match the size of the piano. There is a wide selection of benches available in the market made for specific types of pianos, so there will not be much difficulty in choosing the right one for the right piano.

Consider the look and style of the piano bench. If you want it to match the piano, select a design for the bench that complements that of the piano. In that sense, anyone who sees these two items will have the impression that they were bought together and that they really belong to one another. For example, the artist bench comes with an apron that conceals the adjustment knobs of the bench; therefore, it would be appropriate to have an artist’s bench accompanying a grand piano. It provides a classic style that compliments the grand piano.

An average piano has a lifetime ranging to fifty to a hundred years, which means through very good maintenance, the bench can also reach the same lifetime.

Reading on the subject.

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Upright pianos have vertical strings and come in many different heights. Spinet, Large Spinet, Console and Full Upright are all types of Uprights. Spinets come in heights ranging from 36-38″. Large Spinets are from 40-42″, Consoles are usually 45-46″ and Full Uprights are the tallest and range from 50″-56″ in height.
In a Grand Piano the strings are horizontal. There are three types of Grand Pianos classified by size. The Baby Grand is the smallest in size and measures anywhere from 4′ – 5′. These are typically found where space is a concern or in studios as practice pianos. The Standard Grand Piano ranges in size from 5′ -7′. This is the size most people think of then they use the term “Grand”. The longest in length is the Concert Grand Piano. It measures between 7′ and 9′. Concert Grands are used for what the name implies… concerts and large settings and are the #1 choice for performing artists around the world. The longer the piano means the bigger the sound board and thus the bigger the sound resonator. So if you are choosing a grand piano lamp, be sure of your instrument’s measurements.

When choosing the proper lamp for your piano it is best to stick to those lamps designated specifically for your type of piano. If this is not easily determined, then at least follow these general guidelines: A Spinet piano lamp may be used for any upright piano but an Upright Piano Lamp is too short for most spinet pianos. Lights listed as Grand Piano Lamps are usually too large for a Spinet or an Upright Piano. Sheet music is typically 12″ wide and a well positioned lamp will be about 3-6 inches above the music. The light should be directed towards the music away from the player’s eyes to avoid glare. Overhead room lighting is never sufficient enough light for playing music for any length of time and may cause eye strain and headaches.

Piano lamps do double duty as desk lamps because they are so good for reading (as long as they are not the clip on variety) and so are well worth the cost. Because these lights offer a way to direct the light specifically onto the reading material (gooseneck lamps work especially well for this) they are purchased by many non-piano-playing folk as well. The lamp’s ability to avoid glare (due to the construction of the lamp shade and the special treatment of the inside of the shade) make this ideal for reading and seeing notes on a page so that the piano player can effortlessly flow from page to page easily without eyestrain.

Chuck R Stewart recently purchased a piano lamp and a small piano light for his theater’s two pianos.

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Piano lessons in general were a fright for most kids growing up. Instead of being outside playing with their friends, they were stuck inside practicing their notes on the piano. Luckily this was only once a week as these private lessons were expensive. After some time, the tutoring stopped as the piano was never really grasped by the student due to disinterest. Now that these kids are grown up, they long to be able to play and wish they had practiced more. Still, private lessons from a qualified instructor are expensive, so where do they turn to when they wish to learn the piano but can’t afford private lessons?

An online course is much cheaper than a private lesson. If a private lesson costs 30 or 40 dollars per week, just think about how quickly that adds up. You can take an entire online course in piano for a fraction of the costs that you would acquire taking weeks of private lessons. Also, private lessons are only usually one hour per week. If you have questions during the rest of the week, or if you forget something that your teacher said, you will have to wait for your next lesson to continue your learning. However online piano courses are quite different.

With an online piano course, you can work at your own pace. As long as you have a computer to access the internet, and speakers to listen to the lessons, you can learn as much or as little as you’d like. You can also take as many lessons per week as you’d want, or go back and listen to your last lesson if you have forgotten anything. Most adults who want to learn how to play piano enjoy being able to go back and listen to their previous lessons. It can give you a good idea of what you were doing right, what you were doing wrong, and what you should be doing before the next lesson.

Of course, if you need someone to sit beside you and offer you instant feedback as you are playing, you might not benefit from an online piano course. Most people find, however, especially adult learners, that they are able to tell when they are playing something right and when it is wrong, so they don’t really need an actual instructor to sit next to them. The lessons online can be viewed at any time, or as often as you’d like, which means that you can get your own type of feedback from an online piano course. If you have the money for a private instructor, you might not choose to go with internet courses. However, most people will say that they benefit from the online courses.

Trying to find an accredited or worthy online virtual piano course might prove difficult if you don’t know what to look for. Call around to companies that sell or service pianos; they are sure to have the information you need. Some also operate the online sites and are more than happy to get you online and more importantly into their stores.

For more valuable information about piano lessons check out online piano lessons

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A growing number of piano owners today are purchasing piano covers in order to protect the piano from grandchildren and pets. While grandchildren are always welcome to play the piano and enjoy the lovely sounds as they plunk away at the keyboard, it is best to keep the piano covered and protected when the grandchildren are not playing it. A number of household pets can quickly learn to call the piano home, at least for a long afternoon nap. I have seen many homes where the cat will use the strings of a grand piano as a wonderful resting place. While it is very relaxing for the cat, it is not great for the piano and can cause harm to the inner box and will likely cause the piano to lose its tune more quickly. Keeping the piano covered with a well constructed piano cover will allow the pet to find a better location for the afternoon snooze and the owner of the piano to more fully enjoy the musical instrument.

Piano covers today can be manufactured form about any material, even if the material is provided by the customer to the manufacturer. The manufacturer can take the measurements and produce a custom-fitted masterpiece made of your exact material specifications to allow the piano cover to be a welcome addition to your home.

Chuck R Stewart works to develop the best Piano Covers available in the market. For more information visit us at http://www.PianoBench.com We offer a Piano Cover for any standard piano as well as a Grand Piano Cover for both standard and custom-made pieces.

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1) A piano trolley with good sized wheels. Often professionals use pneumatic wheels which cope with uneven surfaces better. Furniture skates designed for indoor use can be useless, even disastrous for outside use, since their small wheels catch on and exaggerate any deformity on the ground. For example, they might sink into a gravel drive, hit a raised pavement slab, and most likely, make a mountain out of the smallest step.

2) Piano transit cover: Its main use is for storing a piano on a van to prevent other items damaging it. When actually manoeuvring a piano, heavy quilting can be a hindrance, since grip and vision may be impaired. However, a cover is important if you are moving a piano through a narrow passage between outside brick walls. This is because a small deformity in the path can result in significant movement at the top of the piano (which is further exaggerated by small unsuitable wheels on your trolley).

3) Boards, ramps, blocks and chocks for steps. These are items acquired over time, by begging and borrowing and raiding builder’s skips, until you have a wide choice to suit any obstacle. If you are moving a piano between houses, it will be a rare occasion when there are no steps at either end, and strong boards can make light work of these.

The use of boards is a subject on its own; but briefly, chocks (smaller pieces of wood)

Should be placed underneath the middle of your board to prevent excessive bending, and used to prevent your board lying on vulnerable doorway structures. Modern sliding doors often have aluminium or plastic base grooves. These can be damaged by the weight of a piano; chocks or blocks together with boards should therefore be placed to avoid contact if you are not confident you can tilt the wheels over them.

4) Blankets, cardboard and plastic sheet: These are used for wrapping panels, protecting floors and manoeuvring pianos. There are three pieces of the piano you should remove and wrap in blankets: The desk (the panel where the music sits), the key cover, and the bottom panel. Although this may not always be necessary, there is a good reason to do it. If your piano is old you cannot necessarily trust the dowels and fixings to be either present or in good order. The desk and bottom panel may fall off at the slightest movement. if nothing else, you will in the process of removing them, inspect their fixings. In more testing moving operations which involve turning the piano on its side, these three pieces must be removed.

Smooth, heavy duty, clear plastic sheet can be folded to double or quadruple its thickness. It is slippery and protective, and can facilitate controlled movement.

Old cardboard can be used for protecting floors, and especially for protecting overhanging piano lids when the piano needs to be turned and dragged through and round a doorway.

5) Mover’s Ties and heavy duty ratchet straps: Take care to exert only minimum pressure with the ratchet. It is the thickness and strength of the strap which is important so you can hold it well and trust it. Ratchet straps are important for the inexpert mover because you can trust their tension. The danger is that a heavy hand could damage the piano case. The advice is to ratchet up with one finger, and like the belt on your pants, you have enough tension when you can still slip a finger or two between the strap and the piano. NEVER use a strap on a piano without a blanket between it and the piano.

Conversely, insufficient tension will allow movement which could become exaggerated. The piano could ultimately work loose of its securings.

6) Screw drivers, pliers, and a soft faced mallet. Very often no tools at all will be needed for moving upright pianos. Grand pianos will always require some tools, to remove the legs, lyre, lid and lid hinges (in the USA they tend to use a flat skid board which does not require the lid to be removed. In Europe a shoe is used which does).

There are many situations in which manoeuvring an upright piano around corners requires the removal of the casters. Actually casters are another big subject: They are often seized, and should only be used for rolling a piano the last half inch back against a wall, should be placed on caster cups to avoid damage to the floor, and should never be used in the relocation of a piano.

7) Piano shoes and skids. These tools are a serious financial commitment. Their purpose is to provide a sacrificial surface against which to manoeuvre the piano; either onto a trolley, or up steps or along a board. As with all tools, cheap versions are available and should be avoided, since a tool which will betray you is a liability of immeasurable cost.

You can find more information about piano moving (including grand piano moving) on the student-movers-forum.com piano moving tips pages. The author’s website student-movers-forum.com offers a directory of services and moving advice for students and all small movers.

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Piano dollies, plain and simple, are tools used to move a piano. They take lots of shapes and sizes and can vary quite a bit in their actual function but the general concept is the same for all piano dollies – they move pianos.

Grand Piano Dollies in the shape of a spider are probably the most popular kind of piano dolly that exists. Most grand pianos at a church, club, music hall or hotel will need to be moved at some point. The grand piano dollies are spider like and extend from a central point out to each leg of a piano. They are installed by lifting each area around the leg of a grand piano, typically with a hydraulic lift, then by placing the dolly under the wheel. Once that task is completed for each wheel the mechanism is tightened and the piano dolly typically remains on the piano for life. The new wheel set is attractive, is out of the way of most of the people looking at the piano and makes it very easy to roll the piano to any new destination you desire to take it. The wheel can be locked when there is a desire to have the piano remain stationary for a time. The wheels are easily unlocked with a simple press of a toe against the clip on the wheel to free the brake.

Many schools have upright pianos that have a dolly permanently attached to the piano to make movement in the classroom much more manageable. Most pianos do not come with wheels so the dolly sets are important to allow teachers to have maximum control over classroom configuration.

For a professional mover of pianos, a piano dolly is a must. Pianos can weigh up to half a ton or more and they are large enough to cause injury if not moved properly. Piano dollies can help a single person to come to a house, pick up a piano and move it out of the house, down steps and into the moving truck. The piano dolly not only makes the job of moving a piano much easier, it makes it much quicker as well.

Piano Dolly sets can also come as simple caster wheels in hard plastic cups that are placed over the end of each of the legs of a piano. These type of dolly sets are much less expensive and can accomplish the same task of helping to roll the piano to another part of the room or building.

Chuck R Stewart owns and operates a top ranking web site to help people find a piano dolly to meet their needs called http://www.PianoDolly.com – The site specializes in offering a large range of piano dollies and piano moving equipment to fit any type of piano for every type of budget.

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Learning to play the piano using the pentatonic scale is a method of study that appeals especially to adult learners. Why? Because it is immediately gratifying and because success comes easily through a multi-sensory learning style approach.

Adults just coming to the piano for the first time, have preconceived notions of what they should be able to play. They have the sounds of great music in their ears, they know good piano playing, and because they are adults, they are convinced they can and will easily learn to play the piano. Unfortunately, traditional methods for learning the piano can quickly turn an excited beginner into a frustrated upset adult who will probably never touch the piano again.

The adult beginner can more easily grasp concepts and hear melodies than young people, however, the technical aspects of playing the piano can often lead to aggravation. The adult understands what is to be done with the fingers and how note reading works, but often the coordination of the visual to the tactile and eventually to the aural senses is hampered.

An adult just wants to make music now on the piano – they want to play songs today – not in two or three years. They feel they should be better faster than their children – they feel they should play now and the concepts will fall into place which will then allow them to play even greater pieces.

This is where the pentatonic method works best – with an adult who is ready to play, is ready to discover how to create songs and is ready to develop technique to play those songs quickly. The pentatonic method uses only five notes – in fact these keys are visually very easy to find as they are the five black keys on a piano. Tactilely, the hands easily cover all five of the keys in a relaxed natural position.

Best of all when simply creating music by just letting the fingers wander over the keys, everything sounds right. There are no clinkers – just beautiful sounds – pleasing especially to that person who is attuned to their aural sense.

The pentatonic method is the perfect method for the adult learner – for the learner who wants and needs to be successful quickly – who wants to make music now – and who wants to play songs on the piano today.

Dr. Jeannine Jordan is a highly successful piano teacher focusing her teaching on the adult learner. Her students quickly excel and play songs on the piano in one day. She brings an energy and enthusiasm to her piano teaching through easy, creative and enjoyable online piano tutorials.

“If you’ve always wanted to play the piano and play real songs on the piano easily and quickly join Dr. Jordan at http://playpianosongstoday.com/ for your first free lesson and start playing songs on the piano today!”

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