Tuning mutes, felts and what an owner can safely do
Notes from the counter at Rome Piano Co in New York, NY.
Know where the line is
Tuning itself is a skilled job requiring tools and training, and a badly tuned piano can be left worse than before. Cleaning, covering and replacing felts are reasonable owner tasks.
Anything involving the tuning pins is best left to a technician.
What mutes are for
Rubber or felt mutes silence one or two strings of a three string unison so the remaining string can be tuned. They are a tuner tool rather than a practice tool.
Practice mutes for volume are a different product entirely.
Key felts and bushings
The felts under and around keys control travel and noise. When they compress, keys become noisy and uneven, which is often mistaken for a tuning problem.
Replacement felt is inexpensive; the work is fiddly but not skilled.
Humidity is the real enemy
Swings in humidity move the soundboard and put a piano out of tune faster than playing does. Stable humidity is worth more than frequent tuning.
In a steam-heated apartment this is the single biggest factor.
Tuning frequency
Most domestic pianos benefit from tuning once or twice a year, more in the first year after being moved. Waiting years means the tuner has to pull it up in stages.
Regularity is cheaper than rescue.
Keep a record
Noting when the piano was tuned, moved or serviced helps a technician diagnose faster and is genuinely useful when selling an instrument.
A note inside the lid works fine.
Where this sits in the shop
Rome Piano Co groups its stock into 5 categories, so most of what is discussed above lives in one or two of them:
- Keyboard Note Labels — 18 items
- Music Stand Lights and Folders — 4 items
- Piano Covers — 1 items
- Stands and Stand Parts — 3 items
- Tuning and Care — 3 items
Browsing by category is usually quicker than searching, because the groups follow how the goods are actually used rather than how a supplier lists them.
The largest group at the moment is Keyboard Note Labels with 18 items, and the smallest is Tuning and Care with 3. Those counts move as stock comes in and goes out, so they are worth checking rather than assuming.
From our shelves
A few items currently in stock that relate to this article:
- Piano Key Top Piano Accessories The White Keyboard Top Does Not Require Sanding For Easy Installation Of The Piano Key Replacement
- 8pcs Electronic Keyboard Stand Feet – Replacement Plastic Digital Piano Leg Protector Caps – Shock Absorbing and Non-Marking for Home Studio – Easy to Install and Secure
- Glocusent Rechargeable Music Stand Light, 11.2u201D Wide Piano Light | 57 LED Clip On Light, 3 Colors & 5 Brightness Piano Lamp,140Hrs Runtime, For Musician/Piano Player/Sheet Music/orchestra
- Explore Land 88 Keys Digital Piano Dust Cover-53.5"Lx12.5"Wx8"H,Black | Waterproof Leatherette,with Music Stand Opening Storage Pockets for Sheet Music,Fits Most Electronic Piano
Across the whole catalogue prices currently run from $1.24 to $87.49, with most of the range clustered around the middle of that span. Stock and prices on the product pages are live, so they are the figures to trust rather than anything quoted in an article.
Ordering, delivery and returns
Free US shipping on orders over $35; a flat $4.95 below that. Orders are picked and packed at the New York store on business days, and a tracking number follows by email once the carrier scans the parcel.
If something is not right, there are 30 days from delivery to send it back unused and in its packaging. The full detail is on the Shipping Policy and Returns and Refunds pages, and the FAQ covers the questions that come up most.
How we decide what to stock
Rome Piano Co carries piano learning labels, covers and stand accessories, and the range is deliberately narrower than a warehouse catalogue. A line earns its place by being asked for repeatedly at the counter in New York and by coming back without complaints — not by having the widest margin.
When something stops meeting that bar it comes off the shelf rather than being discounted until it moves. That is why the catalogue on this site changes slowly and why the specification tables on the product pages quote the maker rather than our own marketing.
Quick answers
Which size do I need?
Count the white and black keys on your instrument. Sets are listed by key count — 88, 76, 61, 54, 49 and 37 — and the listing states which it fits.
Do the covers fit a digital piano?
Some are cut for uprights and some for digital keyboards. The specification table gives the measurement, so check it against your instrument.
Related reading
Other notes from the same shelf that pick up where this one stops:
- Note labels without damaging the keys
- Why a piano needs a cover, and which type
- Music stand lighting that does not annoy everyone else
Coming to the store
Rome Piano Co is at Confucius Plaza, 43 Bowery, New York, NY 10002. Opening hours are Mon Closed | Tue-Fri 12:30-19:00 | Sat-Sun 09:00-18:00, and it is worth calling ahead on +1 212-431-4747 if you are travelling specifically for one item, because stock on the shop floor and stock listed online are the same pool.
Anything discussed in this article can be looked at in person before buying. If you would rather order online, the same stock ships from this address — nothing is drop-shipped from a third party warehouse, which is why the despatch address on your parcel matches the shop.
Ask us directly
If this has not answered your question, the counter is open Mon Closed | Tue-Fri 12:30-19:00 | Sat-Sun 09:00-18:00. Call +1 212-431-4747 or use the contact page — a person reads it, and you will get an answer within a business day.