Levelling of Piano Keys - Know the Basics

If you’re a trained piano player, then uneven keys can be a turn off for you while you try to create the most musical tunes. While playing the piano continuously for a long time, you might not notice the uneven nature of the keys. They might get compressed suddenly. However, over time, the material loses its integrity, and the keys might go out of alignment.

Moreover, it is important to level the keys to making the piano look good. Aesthetically, when all the keys are in place, the keyboard of the piano will look good and function well. On the contrary, if any single key is left out of the whack, the tune and playing nature might be affected. This is because the distance that each key needs to travel to strike the hammer will not be consistent as soon as the key goes out of place. As a result, you’ll experience uneven volume and tune from the piano.

As a part of the repair, sometimes you’ll find players punching paper into the gaps to prop up the keys and bring the instrument back to its former tune. For more severe cases, hire professionals like Eric The Piano Fixer for your piano repair services.

How to level the piano keys?

Before starting the process, you need to assess whether the front rail or the back rail keys will be levelled. Piano keys are simple machines, and a lever is present that is balanced on the fulcrum. The function of the fulcrum is to control the balance of the key. To get the correct tune when playing the piano, the keys need to stop effectively at the correct place. It is the fulcrum that controls the same. 

If you find your piano keys looking even at rest, you need to adjust the balance rail. Again, if your piano keys are not stopping at the right time when you press them while playing, then the front rail needs to be adjusted. Check for foreign objects inside the piano keys. You find anything trapped inside the piano, remove the same with tweezers and level the keys accordingly. 

For more severe cases, professional piano repair companies use key levelling tools. With the help of the pin, the professionals can easily fix the piano's keys. If the balance rail is out of alignment, hire a professional immediately to fix the same. Sometimes the punching needs to be replaced to get the best possible outcome.