Are piano strings dangerous? Is it safe to tune piano on your own? If you are curious whether piano strings can do some damage to you and hurt you badly, then you should check out this article, as we are going to give some light on that query. We are also going to have a little discussion on whether you should tune an old piano on your own or hire a piano technician.
Are Piano Strings Dangerous
So, are piano strings dangerous? Is there any reason for concern when it comes to piano strings? If you think that piano strings are very dangerous for you, then you are wrong about that. Although it is possible for you to get hurt with a piano string, it rarely happens, and when it happens, it is usually your own fault.
Most piano strings nowadays are made of high-quality carbon steel and copper, and they are always under a huge amount of tension, resulting in them to be extremely sharp. This is why piano strings can also do damage, which is why you should always be careful when handling them.
Piano strings can hit your eyes if only you disregard safety and place your head near the strings while touching them. So, although there is less chance that you are not going to get hurt with piano strings, there is still always a chance that it can hurt you if you are not careful.
The most common injury that you can get from piano strings is cutting yourself. As mentioned above, piano strings can be very sharp, and frequently touching and putting friction on the strings by rubbing them can be a high risk of cutting yourself. However, it is rare to impossible for you to get hurt when a piano string breaks on its own, as they are not made of rubber and other elastic materials that can snap and hit when there is tension applied to it.
Always remember that piano strings can only be dangerous to you if you are going to mishandle them carelessly. So, when dealing with them, always make sure to prioritize safety first, above all else, so there will be no regrets later.
Why Piano Strings Break On Their Own
Age
One reason why piano strings break on their own is because of old age. If you have your own old acoustic piano, and you had not remembered when its piano strings were replaced, then maybe you should expect that its strings are also very old already. As it is typical for a musical instrument, such as a piano, to show signs of aging, it is also reasonable for its components, such as its strings, to start to rust, fail, and break.
Depending on the quality of the acoustic piano and the strings, however, they can last up to 50 years approximately.
Bad Repair
If you got your piano repaired and it was installed poorly back to its original condition, then it can be a huge reason why your piano strings are breaking. When piano strings are improperly mounted, and there is so much bearing pressure, it is expected that your strings will really break on their own. So, to prevent it from happening, always hire a professional piano technician that has the proper amount of experience with dealing with an acoustic piano to avoid putting more damage to it in the long run, as they can also be very expensive.
Poor Quality Piano Strings
Although it is rare that you will have to replace your old piano strings with a new set, if you have already done it and one or more of the strings have snapped, then maybe it is because of poor quality. Remember to always invest in high-quality materials, so when buying piano strings, always go for the better ones, even if they can be much more costly compared to others, as replacing piano strings and tuning them can be more expensive in the long run.
Although another reason why an expensive piano string would break is that they are typically mass-produced, it is still pretty unusual for high-quality strings to snap on their own.
Aggressive Playing
The third reason a piano string can break or snap is that you are playing aggressively and forcefully. Playing aggressively with your acoustic piano can lead to your strings wearing and tearing faster. Although the strings can typically withstand 150 to 200 pounds of tension, constant and aggressive playing on them may surely cause the piano strings to snap on their own.
Frequent Touching On The Piano Strings
When you always touch your piano strings, you might better expect that they will break faster than when you are expecting them to snap on their own. It is a proven fact that every person’s hands contain oils that are known to damage piano components that are incredibly fragile and delicate, especially those metal ones.
If your piano strings are exposed too much from the oil on your hands, then you can expect that it will easily get rusty and could corrode if not prevented, resulting in piano strings weakening and ultimately breaking on their own. Touching the piano strings can also cut your hands, which is why you should avoid doing it all the way.
Uncontrolled Temperature
The last reason why the piano strings can break on their own is because of uncontrolled room temperature. When you store an acoustic piano, you should always place them in spots where the temperature can be regulated, as piano strings are very sensitive when it comes to high temperatures.
If your acoustic piano is resting in a room where there is too much humidity, it can surely affect the piano strings’ structural integrity, resulting in them breaking faster than expected. High humidity can also affect your piano’s performance and functionality, so you should always set the room’s humidity level at 40 to 50 percent if you can control it.
Is It Safe To Tune Piano?
So, is it safe to tune piano on your own? Honestly, it is really not ideal for tuning a piano on your own, especially if you do not know how to tune it and you are still experimenting with how to deal with it. If you still lack experience when it comes to tuning a piano, there is a possibility that you can do damage to it, resulting in the need to be repaired or maybe even replaced, which can be very expensive.
So, if you are planning to tune your acoustic piano, then you should always go and hire a piano technician to tune the musical instrument for you. Although it can be a little bit costly, it would still not be better to take a risk and do it on your own.
So, are piano strings dangerous? Piano strings can possibly hurt or injure you, but all in all, it is still not that dangerous. Most of the injury that can happen to someone when it comes to piano strings is they get cut because of their sharpness, and this only happens when you frequently put your hand and touch them, which is really not an advisable thing to do, especially if you are not a piano technician.
