Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Tuner-Technicians Forum Rug under piano on new hardwood flooring?

A customer just called me with a question, for which I didn't have an answer. So, I told her I'd ask here.

The piano is a Steinway XR grand, player unit removed but with 3 sets of double legs. It currently sits on wall to wall carpeting. She's having hardwood flooring installed, and isn't sure what to do underneath the piano. She wants to get an area rug to help cut down on loudness, but isn't sure of the size.

Should the area rug:

A: Be small enough to just fit under the soundboard area, using caster cups for the 6 casters?

B: Be small enough to just fit under the soundboard area, with the casters sitting directly on the hardwood flooring?

C: Be large enough so the legs will sit on top of the rug?

As I type this, I'm thinking probably answer "C" is the way to go, with the area rug large enough to also fit the bench. This would keep the bench from scratching the floor, and keep it the proper height for playing.

Should there also be caster cups if the legs are on the area rug? Currently, the piano does not have caster cups.

Or, are there any other options I'm not thinking about?

Even though it's a matter of taste, I think C is the best with bench on carpet along with caster cups.

I have used "C". The only problem is dragging the bench on the carpet when you pull it in to play. It can really mess up a nice oriental rug.

+1, B is the practical way. If it is not sufficient then add more carpets to the room and consider the walls too.

I use D: Regulate and voice the piano properly, and play at the proper volume.

When the pianos were at home, there was a carpet under them, but the rear legs were off it. Now they are on a wood floor, and they still sound nice, when played properly.

I agree with D. The approach I took with the Chickering which is in a very hard space (ceramic tiles on the floors and cement walls). The Seiler however, has wood floors with oriental carpets and 18' ceilings. As usual, no one wants to spend the money to correctly voice the instrument for the space.

Techs might consider softening the hammers before a full revoicing to see if this improves the situation for the customer.

Not looking to hijack this thread - but I have the same question with regard to an upright piano.

I'll be acquiring the piano after having bamboo flooring installed into my living room. What would you use (if anything) under the piano? I'm looking to both protect the new floor and to reduce the piano's harshness/loudness. (The room has no drapes on the windows or anything else to absorb the sound.)

Thanks!

You can't properly fix bad aoustics with voicing and regulation.

Perhaps not, but you cannot get a piano to plays well and sound good without voicing and regulating, no matter how good the acoustics of the room are.

Yes of course the piano has to be regulated. But it does not solve bad room acoustics. Both have to be regulated

I researched this topic at some length when I set up my piano in my practice/teaching/recording studio.

Based on consultation with an acoustical engineer, a rug under the piano is... not a great idea. Period.

The reason is, at least according to what I was told, and pretty much confirmed by my own ears trying it out, unless inches thick, the rug will not absorb frequencies across the audio spectrum evenly. High frequencies WILL be attenuated a lot more than low frequencies - so the result will be a "duller" sound.

The better solution in my experience:

1) Some acoustical treatments in the room, maybe even a bass trap if the piano is going to be close to a wall, particularly towards a corner. I got mine from ATS Acoustics. How many panels and where to put them? It depends on how dry you want the acoustics. I seem to recall that 40% of hard surfaces covered gives you something close to completely "Dry". I went with 20%, and I can work comfortably in the space even with the occasional Wagnerian soprano.

2) Voicing on site.

If you're going to have a rug, put it NEAR the piano, not under it.

My 2 cents.

To some extent, it depends on what else is going on in the room besides the hardwood floor (heavy curtains, wall hangings, area rugs elsewhere in the room, overstuffed furniture). Those things will affect how reverberant the room will be, or not.

I tell my customer to start by throwing down an old blanket under the soundboard area. It is a quick and dirty check as to whether or not the purchase of a throw rug will likely achieve some or all of the desired effect, before one goes to the trouble and expense of purchasing one. If it lends no meaningful improvement, simply remove it.

I would start with the rug, and then address voicing as further needed. Doing both will allow the voicing to be less invasive, and leave more of what you already like about the piano.

Well, there goes piece of advice #5.
http://www.pianobuyer.com/publication.html#97

What if the situation calls for absorbing the high frequencies, but leaving the lows? A carpet might be just the thing, no?

Chris - I wasn't taking a poke at your article, and I'm not taking a poke at you, just trying to be helpful. Reading your link, the rug under the piano thing might just work if you manage to get enough pad under it -- but 4 inches was the number the acoustics guy gave me to be able to absorb the full spectrum of the instrument in a relatively linear way. That would be a pretty thick pad.

Will not argue your point about if absorbing (just) the high frequencies but leaving the lows that a rug under the piano might be the thing. My own experience shows me there are better places, if somewhat more obtrusive visually, to do it than under the piano.

Me - I don't like the sound of a piano with a rug under it, so I wouldn't put one there.

And now, with respect to all, I am exiting this discussion thread.