 |
Welcome to the Piano World Piano Forums
Over 3 million posts about pianos, digital pianos, and all types of keyboard instruments.
Over 100,000 members from around the world.
Join the World's Largest Community of Piano Lovers
(it's free)
It's Fun to Play the Piano ... Please Pass It On!
|
|
|
|
59 members (Adam Reynolds, AJMurphy, Barry_Braksick, AlkansBookcase, APianistHasNoName, Carey, brdwyguy, beeboss, 7 invisible),
1,596
guests, and
222
robots. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 6,416
6000 Post Club Member
|
OP
6000 Post Club Member
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 6,416 |
Hi, all,
Wouldn't you know it? I have a recital this weekend, and I have a stuck key on my piano. I don't want to call a tech -- this piano is about to be retired and I don't want to put a penny into it.
Basically, you press the "C" key, and it stays down and the note continues to sound. I opened the top and pulled off the front panel for a look. Basically, if I move the hammer with my finger, it returns just fine. But if I use the key, it doesn't. It looks like the hammer might be too close to the next lower hammer (perhaps brushing against it), which is also a bit sticky.
It has been raining a lot lately in my area, but temps have been cool so I haven't used the air conditioning. Could that be the problem? I have a dehumidifier I could plug in if that might help.
Any quick fixes out there?
Cindy -- who has enough troubles at recitals without having her practice time diminished
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,044
1000 Post Club Member
|
|
1000 Post Club Member
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,044 |
A sticking key (can) be due to various things, but If you think the hammers are rubbing then:
(since the piano is nearly dead) take a nail file (emery board) and file down the side of the hammers that are touching. This shouldn't take much.
If you're feeling more industrious, take off the front panel and get a long screwdriver. Might need a flashlight too. You will need to determine if it is a flat or Hex screw (old pianos used only flathead screws).
Now, gently get the scredriver past the jack (which can be moved around some, and is in-front of screw) and while holding the hammer head in place, tighten the flange screw located at the bottom (lower-end) of the hammer shank. To do this you should be facing your piano straight-on, the flange screw will facing straight back at you.
Manitou
Manitou - Pianist - Technician
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 3,773
3000 Post Club Member
|
|
3000 Post Club Member
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 3,773 |
To add to Manitou's post (he was as per usual right)
If you can make the key stick without the weight of the hammer on it, then you know you don't have a problem with hammers. In this case, you most likely are experiencing a tight key bushing. This very normal, and happens on ALL quality of levels of pianos quite frequently. This is indeed caused by humidity changes, so it may be the problem.
To fix it though, it is best to have a tech do it, as it involves removing the key and easing the key bushing.
A nice tech should do this repair cheap, as it takes about 5 minutes to check all the keys in the piano.
KlavierBauer
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,426
1000 Post Club Member
|
|
1000 Post Club Member
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,426 |
Cindy,
To free a stuck key I grip the sides of the key between the thumb and forefinger and wiggle it side to side while moving it up and down. You may need to depress the adjacent keys with the other hand to get access. If it is a black key grip it as low as possible so you don't dislodge the the sharp from the keystick. This will often loosen it enough to get by.
There are many terrible things which can go wrong with this procedure but none of them have happened yet!
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 806
500 Post Club Member
|
|
500 Post Club Member
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 806 |
It may be as simple as the keyslip rubbing against the front of the key, That's the long, narrow board tht goes accross in front of the keys. On a Steinway, it simply lifts up and you can adjsut it by turning out the screws on the cheekblocks on either side...
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 6,416
6000 Post Club Member
|
|
OP
6000 Post Club Member
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 6,416 |
Thanks, everyone! I went with Mark's solution and wiggled the key. There was a noise like the sound of something falling inside the piano, and now it works perfectly. Go figure.
Cindy
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 5
Junior Member
|
|
Junior Member
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 5 |
Hey everyone,
I wonder if you could provide some help here.
Ive got a S&S K-52 and one of the black notes (C# octave above middle C) is sticking when played.
Interestingly, it gets stuck _only_ when the sustain pedal is depressed and not when played detached. Without pedal, it returns quite normally and has action as quick at the other notes.
This piano is fitted, oddly for an upright, with a middle sostenuto pedal, not a practice or damping pedal.
This leads me to believe that the sticking of the key is to do with the sostenuto/sustain mechanism, as opposed to something more simple like felt getting in the way somewhere somehow.
Has anyone similar experience with this issue? And what can be done to resolve this issue?
In around 3 months I'll be getting the piano tuned and the action and key dip regulated but anyway, I would love to fix it myself to know how to do it in the future and also because its driving me demented!
Many thanks for any help or advice in the meantime.
Last edited by johnmacdonald; 11/16/16 05:30 PM.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 12,370
PW Gold Subscriber Yikes! 10000 Post Club Member
|
|
PW Gold Subscriber Yikes! 10000 Post Club Member
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 12,370 |
Hey everyone,
I wonder if you could provide some help here.
Ive got a S&S K-52 and one of the black notes (C# octave above middle C) is sticking when played.
Interestingly, it gets stuck _only_ when the sustain pedal is depressed and not when played detached. Without pedal, it returns quite normally and has action as quick at the other notes.
This piano is fitted, oddly for an upright, with a middle sostenuto pedal, not a practice or damping pedal.
This leads me to believe that the sticking of the key is to do with the sostenuto/sustain mechanism, as opposed to something more simple like felt getting in the way somewhere somehow.
Has anyone similar experience with this issue? And what can be done to resolve this issue?
In around 3 months I'll be getting the piano tuned and the action and key dip regulated but anyway, I would love to fix it myself to know how to do it in the future and also because its driving me demented!
Many thanks for any help or advice in the meantime. Hi John You might want to move this post to the 'Piano Technicians' forum-- you will get advice there.
|
|
|
|
Forums43
Topics223,392
Posts3,349,310
Members111,634
| |
Most Online15,252
Mar 21st, 2010
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
