Care and feeding of your digital piano.Jul 15 '01 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Follow these easy guidelines and you and your digital piano will lead happier, healthier lives together.
Here are ten dos and do-nots on the care and feeding of your digital piano. A few of these will seem extremely obvious to the majority of you. Hopefully you will read something you didn't already know, but if not, then you probably should have been the one to write this advisory column--not me! If you think I am just plain wrong, keep in mind these are only opinions and suggestions. Ultimately you can do whatever you want to your piano. Just don't come over and abuse mine! Anyhoo.... 1-DO place your digital piano in a public place in your dwelling. This encourages you and those you love to sit and play. It is easier to neglect your piano if it is in its own room away from the hub-bub of your every-day life. DO NOT place your digital piano where there is a lot of foot-traffic or in direct sunlight. Digital pianos, like any other pieces of hard furniture, don't take well to being kicked, tripped over, or fallen upon. And, like other pieces of furniture, they may expand, crack or fade in direct sunlight. 2-DO plug your digital piano into an outlet that is not shared by a microwave oven, air conditioner, refrigerator or any other major electrical appliance. Interference from such devices can affect the sound of your piano, or interrupt its operation during high-power cycles. In extreme cases it may even damage the piano! DO NOT operate your digital piano without plugging in through a guaranteed or insured surge suppressor or outlet strip. When I say "guaranteed or insured" I mean one that comes from a reputable company and carries a guarantee against damages should your equipment suffer electrical damage while using the suppressor. I personally recommend Woods or Tripp-Lite brands, but any surge supressor that is manufactured by a reputable company and comes with a printed guarantee should do the trick quite nicely. 3-DO consider hooking a computer or laptop up to your digital piano. Programs such as Cakewalk or Qubase make recording and arranging very easy, as well as being able to provide accompaniment should your particular digital piano lack accompaniment capability in and of itself. And no matter how sophisticated the sequencer that is built into your digital piano, a Windows or Macintosh sequencer will be easier to use and more full-featured. Don't be afraid to ask the salesman for assistance in hooking things up, or for a referal to someone who might be able to help. DO NOT place your computer or monitor directly atop your digital piano unless this use is specifically sanctioned by the piano manufacturer. Marring the case not withstanding, you will likely change the accoustics and will place stress on the frame. The last thing you want is to develop an unpleasant rattle or buzz because the case on your piano has loosened up. 4-DO buy the best earphones you can afford. It will greatly enhance the enjoyment you experience while wearing earphones if you can hear the entire range of sound your piano can produce. Cheap earphones will either produce distortion or will be unable to reproduce the low and high pitched sounds of your piano properly. DO NOT be ashamed to play while wearing those earphones when appropriate. Many people forget that their digital piano has earphone jacks. If you have family members or friends who are trying to sleep or who would rather hear the piece after you've practiced it sufficiently, put 'em on! If you're an apartment dweller, show some consideration for your neighbors and put 'em on! There is a time to perform and a time to practice, and those around you would rather hear a performance than a practice. (your results may vary, but as for myself, I am terrible when I am first learning a piece, and tend to play so repetitively while learning that I even bore myself! Just think what I do to my wife....) 5-DO cover the keys when you are not playing your digital piano. Digital pianos are more susceptible to damage from dust than real pianos. Dust gets into everything, and can cake up on sensors, electronics and other sensitive components. Most current models do have sealed actions, but not their controller boards and sound systems. So if your piano doesn't have a built-in dust cover, purchase or make a keyboard cover and use it religiously....well, not religiously in a literal sence, especially if you are involved in one of those religions that practice blood sacrifice or lots of candles. Blood and wax aren't good for your piano any more than dust is. So use the keyboard cover diligently....yeah. Diligently. Right. Onward, then.... DO NOT leave your digital piano turned on when you are not using it. Regardless of what you might have heard about computers, your digital piano will be better off if it is turned-off when not in use. The mean-time-between-failures of your piano components only includes time spent while running. Simply put, your digital piano only ages when its on! That's not entirely true, of course, but it is close enough to take it to heart. You may want to develop a ritual for when you finish playing your piano that involves covering the keys and turning it off. 6-DO keep your pets off of the piano. No birds, cats, ferrets, rats, etc. This is mainly for hair reasons. Even with their sealed actions, pet hair can get into your piano and affect its performance. Either accoustically, by contributing to unpleasant buzz or kazoo affects; or electronically, by wedging into a sensor or by shorting something out. Also, your pets may inadvertently scratch the surface of the piano, affecting its appearance and resale value. I won't even start with how hard it would be to clean small animal droppings or *shudder* vomit from between the keys! DO NOT allow yourself or anyone else to eat or drink around or on your digital piano. Contrary to popular belief, grape coolaid does nothing to contribute to the operation of high-tech electronics. If you've been told otherwise, DON'T YOU BELIEVE IT! Crums, grease, sugars, etc, are all bad--very bad!--for your piano. 7-DO adjust the sensitivity of your piano to suit your play style. If you find that you have to really pound the keys to get the sound you are looking for, get the manual out and look up how to set the touch to be lighter. If, on the other hand, it seems like you can't get any expression out of the keys, try changing the touch to a heavier one. This will make it easier to play softly and expressively. DO NOT hit, kick, or pound your piano or allow anyone else to do so. I don't care how frustrated you are, or wether it looked cool when that composer muppet on Sesame Street did it, but you can damage the action by hitting it with more force than your fingers can reasonably exert. Um....that's all the really important stuff. The rest of these are just suggestions: 8-DO sing while you play. Even if there are no words to the music you are playing. Make up something. My cats especially enjoy when I sing about them. My daughter, who is only a month old (as of 7-15-2001), doesn't yet appreciate my tributes, but I am certain that one day she will. (Mommy, daddy won't stop singing!) DO NOT sing loudly if your wife is trying to sleep. Be considerate of others! (see rule 4) 9-DO wash your hands before playing. Sticky, gummy, greasy and/or filthy keys are no fun. Prevent them by washing thoroughly before play. DO NOT be afraid to play your piano naked if you are alone (or with some understanding/appreciative soul). Play it whenever the mood strikes you, even if you just got out of the shower. I do recommend that you dry yourself off completely before playing, however. And you may want to sit on a towel if your piano bench is vinyl, as cheek-stick is not a pleasant sensation. 10-DO name your digital piano. Anthropomorphizing your new electronic friend can make you feel closer and more protective of its well-being. I named mine Rolly the Roland. Perhaps yours could be Yammy the Yamaha? DO NOT attempt to breed your piano. You may feel tempted to stud it out, but this is, ultimately, a bad idea. Without careful attention to lineage you may end up with an inbred piano. I heard once of a fella that bred two Roland KR138s a few years back and ended up with a piano that had no D#'s at all. Don't even get me started on what horrors would ensue if you should breed an Alesis with a Korg. (Korgesis is NOT a pretty name! It had an extra pedal. *shudder* I've learned my lesson!) Thats it for my advice on the care and feeding of your digital piano. If you feel I've overlooked anything, or just have a comment on what I've said here, feel free to leave a comment. I update my reviews occasionally as the situation merits, and your suggestions might be taken to heart. Buh-bye! -Joe  |
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