HOW TO CLEAN AND SANITIZE YOUR PIANO KEYS SAFELY

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WAYS TO PROPERLY CLEAN AND SANITIZE YOUR PIANO KEYS

(RECOMMENDATIONS FROM HILTON PIANO CENTER AND YAMAHA CORP.)

   It’s something you might not be thinking about.  We get so fixated on door handles, countertops and the like during the recent pandemic that we perhaps overlook an area where there is alot of “hand to surface” activity - your piano!  And since it seems so so many are wisely using this time at home to learn or practice their piano skills - either by themselves or with others- this is a very important consideration. 

  Conversely, maybe you HAVE been thinking about disinfecting your beautiful Yamaha piano, but not sure what to recommend.  (Let’s put it this way - you can’t just pour hand sanitizer on a rag. BAD IDEA..) 

Let’s start with the obvious - the all-important keys.  Apron consulting both owner BOB HILTON of HILTON PIANO CENTER,  and upon the advice of YAMAHA Corporation,, a “NEUTRAL DETERGENT WITH SURFACTANT is a very good choice for both the white and black keys.  To be specific, according to YAMAHA  “compatIbility with the product has been confirmed up to a maximum concentration 0.32% of mixed solution, alkylamine oxides and polyoxyethylene”

Procedure in a nutshell: You should take a soft cloth and apply a small amount TO THE CLOTH FIRST.  Make sure you wring it out too so it isn’t soaked.  Make sure when finished applying that you also wipe off any excess moisture with another soft dry cloth.  Don’t rub too hard on the keys as well.  And we emphasize once again, make sure you dry each key thoroughl

But there are many parts left!  Yamaha’s website has detailed information on cleaning the exterior parts as well. In fact they have information on disinfecting key parts of many musical instruments.  It may be well worth your time to check out for everyone’s safety.     Click the link below for more information. 

                           YAMAHA PIANO DISINFECTING GUIDE

Let’s all remember the many positive reasons to keep music in our lives during these uncertain times.  Studies show playing an instrument is fantastic for your mental and physical well-being.  It’s even shown to raise childrens’ math and reading scores! Come to Hilton Piano Center , Colonie Center, Albany, Second Floor next to Macy’s. We have reopened and practice all safety guidelines when you come in. We are open 7 days a week from !0AM-6PM.

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To see all the latest models of Yamaha acoustic, hybrid, and digital pianos online, check out the rest of our website, or contact Bob@hiltonpianocenter.com today!   518-232-6828

                    

LET'S GO BACK...WAY BACK...TO THE FIRST PIANO EVER MADE!

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Are you curious to know just how old of an instrument the piano actually is? We can help.  It definitely goes back a few years, or shall we say a few hundred.

 It looks like we have to turn back the clock to 1709 or so, so let’s do that math. As of this writing we would have to place 311 candles on the birthday cake.  

According to medium.com, Bartolomeo de Francesco Cristofori can get the credit for this clever update to the very limited harpsichord.  Anyone who plays one will know that  a harpsichord prevents you from playing softer or louder  It’s one volume only - keys on or off basically.   Of course, music isn’t like that.  There are multiple volume changes throughout a musical piece -especially the classical music of the period. And it’s WAY more than just volume changes. There are many, many levels of “touch”  Some changes very obvious, others much more nuanced.  

He originally named his brilliant upgraded invention the “GRAVICEMBALO COL PIANO EL FORTE” (roughtly translated to “keyboard that can be loud or soft”)  but that name was just a tad too big to fit on a logo, or to pronounce, for that matter.  It was cleverly shortened to  “FortePiano” (loud-soft) .    The only remnant of this original design can be found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.   Here is a photo courtesy of Wikipedia Creative Commons .

Boy- how far we’ve come. Now we have pianos with built-in wifi, bluetooth, usb, video capability and so much more of the latest and greatest in technology. Here’s just one example..

Boy- how far we’ve come. Now we have pianos with built-in wifi, bluetooth, usb, video capability and so much more of the latest and greatest in technology. Here’s just one example..

CONTACT US FOR PRICING. YAMAHA B3 SC2 PE SILENT UPRIGHT PIANO. This is incredible technology in an upright style, with ultimate versatility. It is a quality ...

But we always try to pay tribute to where we came from musically. if you are a musical history buff, at our very own Hilton Piano Center in Colonie Center, Albany, we happen to have  I guess you could say - a working “classic” - a beautiful STEINWAY C SEMI CONCERT GRAND built in 1893!

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