Interview with piano specialist Mark Goodwin

In this interview, Stefan Joubert talks with Mark Goodwin of Mark Goodwin Pianos about choosing, buying and caring for an acoustic piano.

Many of our students begin on a digital keyboard and, sooner or later, start thinking about a real piano. Mark has specialised in second-hand Yamaha and Kawai pianos for over 20 years. He shares when to make the move, what to pay, what to check before you buy, and how to keep a piano happy in a London flat.

Interview by Stefan Joubert

Illustration

Stefan Joubert: Many of our students begin learning on a digital keyboard or piano. At what point would you recommend that an adult pianist consider moving to an acoustic piano, and what difference can it make to their playing and musical development?

Mark Goodwin: There’s nothing wrong with starting on a digital. For the first year or so, a decent digital with weighted keys does the job well, and it’s cheap, quiet and never needs tuning.

The time to think about an acoustic is when the digital starts holding you back. You’ll usually notice it in two ways. You try to play very softly and the sound either vanishes or jumps out too loud. Or your teacher keeps asking for more colour and shading, and you can’t find it on your keyboard.

That’s because a digital plays a recording of a piano. An acoustic piano responds to you. Every key throws a real hammer at real strings, and the tiniest change in how you press it changes the sound. Learning to control that is a big part of becoming a good pianist, and you can only really learn it on the real thing.

The other difference is harder to measure. People simply play more on an acoustic. We hear it from customers all the time. The piano sits in the room, it sounds lovely, and you find yourself sitting down to play for ten minutes that turn into an hour.

Stefan Joubert: For an adult purchasing a piano for their home, how should they decide between an upright and a grand piano, or between a new and a second-hand instrument? What would you consider a sensible starting budget for a good-quality acoustic piano?

Mark Goodwin: Upright or grand? For most people in most homes, a good upright is the right answer. A grand is a wonderful thing, but it needs a room to itself and it costs a lot more for the same quality. A well-made full-size upright, like a Yamaha U1 or U3, will take a serious adult player a very long way. Both are professional-level instruments. You’ll find them in conservatoires and teaching studios all over the world.

New or second-hand? A new piano gives you peace of mind and a fresh start. A good second-hand piano gives you far more piano for your money. A Japanese upright made in the 1970s, 80s or 90s and properly restored can play beautifully for decades to come. Pianos built to that standard were made to last. The key word is “properly”. Buy second-hand from someone who has gone through the piano and will stand behind it.

Budget. As a rough guide, a well-restored second-hand Yamaha U1 or U3 from a specialist dealer usually costs somewhere between £3,500 and £5,500. A new one costs roughly twice that. A good second-hand grand tends to start nearer £10,000. You can find pianos for much less, or even free, but they are rarely the bargain they seem. More on that in the next answer.

Stefan Joubert: What should someone look for when purchasing a second-hand piano? How can they distinguish a well-maintained instrument from one that may require expensive repairs, and are there any particular warning signs they should be aware of?

Mark Goodwin: Free and very cheap pianos are the biggest trap. Pianos are usually given away because they’ve sat unloved and unserviced for ten years or more. Delivery alone will cost you £150 to £200. Then you’ll need a tuning, and very likely a few hundred pounds of adjustment to get the keys working evenly. If it turns out to be no good, you’ll pay someone else to take it away. We regularly hear from people whose free piano was condemned by the first tuner who looked at it.

If you’re buying privately, these are the things to watch for:

• Will it hold a tune? Ask when it was last tuned. If it hasn’t been tuned for years, that’s a warning sign. Loose tuning pins can make a piano impossible to keep in tune, and that’s an expensive fix.
• Do the keys feel even? Play every note, softly and loudly. Look for keys that stick, feel heavy, click, or don’t repeat quickly.
• Look inside. Moth damage on the felts, rust on the strings, cracks in the wooden frame or soundboard, and woodworm are all bad news.
• Where has it lived? A piano kept next to a radiator, in a conservatory or in a damp room has had a hard life.
• Who made it? Some makers are far more reliable than others. A Yamaha, Kawai or a good-quality British or German piano is a safer bet than an unknown name.

The single best thing you can do is pay a qualified piano technician to inspect it before you buy. It usually costs much less than the repairs it might save you. If you buy from a dealer, ask what work has been done, ask for a warranty, and ask if the first tuning in your home is included.

Stefan Joubert: Many of our students live in London flats, where space, access and noise can present practical challenges. What advice would you offer someone considering an acoustic piano in this environment, particularly regarding delivery, positioning and consideration for neighbours?

Mark Goodwin: We deliver a lot of pianos to London flats, and almost all of them go in without drama. The secret is planning.

Delivery. Measure the doorways, the stairs and any turns along the way. Take photos of the route from the street to the room, and send them to your dealer or piano movers before the day. Use specialist piano movers, not a general removals firm. If there’s a lift, check the internal size and weight limit, and check it’s working. We’ve had deliveries postponed more than once because a lift broke down the week before.

Positioning. Keep the piano away from radiators, fireplaces, and sunny windows. An inside wall is better than an outside one. If you have underfloor heating, put a rug or carpet under the piano so it isn’t sitting directly on a warm floor. We recently arranged exactly this for a customer in Balham.

Neighbours. Have a friendly word before the piano arrives. Most people are happy to hear someone practising, as long as it isn’t at midnight. Many uprights have a practice pedal, which cuts the volume by about half. A rug under the piano and some foam behind it, against a shared wall, can help too. Agree sensible playing hours and stick to them. If you need to practise late at night, look at a silent piano, which I’ll come to next.

Stefan Joubert: Silent and hybrid pianos are becoming increasingly attractive to people who need to practise without disturbing others. In your experience, are they a worthwhile investment, and how do they compare with traditional acoustic pianos in terms of touch, sound and overall playing experience?

Mark Goodwin: A silent piano is a normal acoustic piano with a system fitted inside. Flick a switch and a bar stops the hammers just before they hit the strings. Sensors read the keys and you hear a digital piano sound through headphones. Switch it off and it’s a normal piano again.

For people in flats, they can be a real lifeline. You keep the touch of a proper acoustic, and you can still play late at night. The system can often be fitted to an existing piano too. As a rough guide, fitting one costs about £2,500.

There are compromises, and I think it’s only fair to be honest about them. In silent mode, you aren’t hearing your piano. You’re hearing a recording of a concert grand. It sounds fabulous, but it isn’t your instrument. And the hammers still make a soft thud. If you play loudly, a neighbour with a cup to the wall might hear it. They’ll probably never work out what you’re doing, but it isn’t completely silent.

We have a silent system at home in Oldham. Nobody in the family uses it, not even the kids, who I thought would love all the different sounds. Everyone prefers playing out loud. So my advice is to buy silent if you really need it, and you’ll be glad you did. But if a practice pedal and some sensible hours would do the job, you may not need to spend the extra.

Hybrid pianos are a different thing. They are digital pianos with a real piano-style key mechanism inside. They feel much closer to an acoustic than a normal digital, but there are no strings, so the sound is always a recording.

Stefan Joubert: How often should an acoustic piano be tuned, particularly after being delivered to a new home? What impact do central heating, temperature changes and humidity have on an instrument over time?

Mark Goodwin: After delivery, give the piano time to settle. It’s moved from a showroom to a new room with different heat and humidity, and it needs a few weeks to adjust. Around six weeks after delivery is the best time for its first tuning. Tune it any sooner and you’ll probably need to do it again.

It’s also completely normal for a key or two to stick in the first few days. The wood in the keys swells or shrinks slightly with the change in humidity. It isn’t a fault, and a technician sorts it out quickly during that first tuning.

After that, most home pianos need tuning once or twice a year. If you play a lot, or you’re preparing for exams, twice a year is better.

Central heating is the biggest enemy of pianos in British homes. When the heating comes on in autumn, the air dries out. The wood shrinks slightly, the strings lose tension, and the piano drifts out of tune. In spring and summer it reverses. Big swings are what do the damage over time. Pianos are happiest at a steady temperature with humidity somewhere around 40 to 60 percent. A cheap humidity meter from a DIY shop will tell you how your room is doing. If the air is very dry in winter, a humidifier in the room can help.

Stefan Joubert: What simple steps can piano owners take to keep their instruments in excellent condition? Are there any common mistakes to avoid, and which maintenance tasks should always be left to a professional?

Mark Goodwin: Looking after a piano is mostly common sense:

• Keep it away from radiators, direct sunlight, draughts and damp.
• Keep the lid closed when you’re not playing, to keep dust and moths out.
• Don’t put drinks or plants on top. A spilt drink inside a piano is a very expensive accident.
• Clean the keys with a soft, slightly damp cloth, then dry them. Never use sprays or polish on the keys.
• Have it tuned regularly. A piano that is tuned regularly stays healthier than one left for years and then pulled back up to pitch.
• Play it! Pianos that are played tend to be noticed and looked after.

Leave everything inside the piano to a professional. That means tuning, adjusting the keys and hammers, and anything to do with the strings. The parts are delicate, and the strings are under enormous tension. Even well-meaning DIY can cost a lot to put right. If something seems wrong, ring your technician or dealer first.

Stefan Joubert: Drawing on your experience, if you could offer just one piece of advice to an adult about to purchase their first acoustic piano, what would it be?

Mark Goodwin: Buy from someone who will still be there for you after the sale.

A piano is a big purchase, and most people buy only one or two in their lifetime. The best protection you can have is a seller with a good reputation, a proper warranty, and a first tuning in your home included. Then if a key sticks or something isn’t right, there’s someone to pick up the phone.

And go and play some pianos before you decide. Photos and specs only tell you so much. You’ll know the right one when you sit down at it.