Piano Guidance
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Is it worth tuning an old piano?

If the piano is older than 40 years old, generally, take a pass on that piano. The exception to this is owner care. If the owner had the piano service annually, then a 40 year old piano is much better than a 25 year old piano that hasn't been serviced even once.

thepianogalshop.com - Why age matters... | Piano Tuning, Music Store & Lessons
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“It’s an antique”, is a phrase I hear often.

The term antique should not be applied to a piano. Think of a piano less in terms of a piece of furniture, and more in terms of a car. A piano may LOOK like a piece of furniture, and in some ways it is i.e. picture frames on top, but it is a complicated musical instrument with a lot of working parts inside. Once a car gets to a certain age, it needs a new engine, a new transmission and stuff like that. As a piano ages, the hammers get hard and wear down to the wood. Also, the wood parts become brittle and break causing the piano not to play correctly, or at all. And the strings become rusty and dusty and no longer create a good sound. There are a multitude of more issues I could discuss, but those factors are pretty huge.

Left alone, pianos do not last forever.

A piano can be reconditioned. A piano can be restored. Both of these involve a great deal of expense and new parts. Unfortunately, the common scenario with a piano that I see most often is that it was purchased, then tuned maybe once or twice over the course of several decades and that’s about it. So, now there is a 60 (or 100!!) year old piano that has all original parts that are worn and dusty and not working well, and the poor piano hasn’t been tuned in ages. Why does this matter to someone else? The biggest issue is that this scenario seems to be the most common one for pianos that are listed on Craigslist and other marketplaces. The owner wants to get rid of it. They think it’s in “great” condition because the furniture part of it (the outside) has been cared for and dusted. However, the piano has rarely been opened in its tenure in that home. I’m going to share some pictures of older pianos in order to illustrate what happens as pianos age. These photos show dust, rust, and wear, which are all things that make a piano sound and feel bad. It isn’t just about it needing to be tuned with a piano. And grabbing a free piano off Craigslist and then having a tuner come and tune is not going to fix these issues (provided the piano can be tuned at all).

When looking to acquire a used piano, age matters.

It matters a lot. Find out how old it is. Pianos always have a serial number and the age can be pulled from that, if the owner doesn’t know how old it is. If the piano is older than 40 years old, generally, take a pass on that piano. The exception to this is owner care. If the owner had the piano service annually, then a 40 year old piano is much better than a 25 year old piano that hasn’t been serviced even once. There are multiple factors when considering a piano. One of the top considerations should be age. Once you know how old it is, then start digging into the condition and other factors.

Got questions? Email us!

Also, feel free to explore the rest of the website, our webstore has lots of goodies for music lovers.

Musically,

Marta

The Piano Gal

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How old is a 5th grader?

10–11 years old In the United States, the fifth grade is the fifth and last year of elementary school in most schools. In other schools, it may be the first year of middle school. Students are usually 10–11 years old unless the child has been held back or skipped a grade.

en.wikipedia.org - Fifth grade - Wikipedia

Educational year group

Fifth grade (called Grade 5 in some regions) is a year of education in many nations, and some other regions call it Year 5. In the United States, the fifth grade is the fifth and last year of elementary school in most schools. In other schools, it may be the first year of middle school. Students are usually 10–11 years old unless the child has been held back or skipped a grade. In England and Wales, the equivalent is Year 6. In Ireland, the equivalent is 5th class. In the US, a 5th grader is considered a senior if they are going to another school. In Scotland a 10-11 year old is usually in primary, not Year 6. In the United States, 41 states have implemented Common Core standards for 5th grade curriculum in English Language Arts/Mathematics.

Key English Language Arts Common Core standards for 5th grade students include:[1]

Ability to determine the theme of a book, story, or poem from details in the text Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story Describe how the narrator or speaker's point of view may influence how events are described

Compare and contrast stories in the same genre.

Key Mathematics Common Core standards for 5th grade students include:[2]

Write and interpret numerical expressions in operations and algebraic thinking

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide fractions

Convert like measurement units

Understand volume as an attribute of 3-dimensional space

Graph points on the coordinate plane

Classify two-dimensional figures into categories based on their properties

Australian equivalent [ edit ]

In Australia, this level of class is called Year 5. Children generally start this level between the ages of ten and eleven. ju

See also [ edit ]

References [ edit ]

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