i. Damp is very injurious to a pianoforte; it ought therefore to be
placed in a dry place, and not exposed to draughts.
ii. Keep your piano free from dust, and do not allow needles, pins, or
bread to be placed upon it, especially if the key-board is exposed, as
such articles are apt to get inside and produce a jarring or whizzing
sound.
iii. Do not load the top of a piano with books, music, &c., as the
tone is thereby deadened, and the disagreeable noise alluded to in the
last paragraph is often produced likewise.
iv. Have your piano tuned about every two months; whether it is used
or not, the strain is always upon it, and if it is not kept up to
concert pitch it will not stand in tune when required, which it will
do if it be attended to regularly.
v. An upright instrument sounds better if placed about two inches from
the wall.
vi. When not in use keep the piano locked.
vii. To make the polish look nice, rub it with an old silk
handkerchief, being careful first of all to dust off any small
particles, which otherwise are apt to scratch the surface.
viii. Should any of the notes keep down when struck, it is a sure sign
that there is damp somewhere, which has caused the small note upon
which the key works to swell.