Piano Key Tops
solutions for missing, loose, or damaged key tops
At their most basic level, each of the 88 piano keys are Class 1 levers (e.g. see-saw), which contain a key stick and a key top.
The key stick, or main structure of a key, is typically made of sugar pine, spruce, or basswood. The 88 key sticks extend behind the fallboard (key cover), remaining predominantly out of sight.
The key top is the exposed piece of thin material which the pianist’s fingers contact. Key tops are adhered to the top of each key stick. Beginning in the early 1800s, natural (white) key tops were made of ivory, while sharp (black) key tops were made of ebony. Around WWII, piano manufacturers began experimenting with early plastics, and by the mid-1980s most ivory production ceased. Ebony key tops are still made today, but are typically only found on higher-end instruments. Instead, most modern pianos have plastic key tops on both black and white keys. While plastics have advanced considerably in the last few decades, modern key tops are not immune from issues.
Piano Keys and Key Tops
Key Top Problems and Solutions
As adhesive begins to fail with age, it is not uncommon to find older pianos with loose and/or missing ivory key tops. Also, certain eras of Yamaha and Kawai pianos have been known to have premature glue failure. If two or more key tops have already come loose, chances are, others are probably not far behind. Chips, cracks, or other damage to key tops may also occur. It is important to consider your piano’s age and overall condition before moving forward with repairs.
The process for properly reaffixing loose or missing key tops to piano keys is a bit more involved than it may appear, and should only be performed by an experienced technician:
1. Affected key sticks must be removed from the piano to permit access for proper repair.
2. In order to achieve a smooth surface suitable for key top application, the technician will remove residual glue and perform any necessary repairs to the underlying wood.
3. Once an appropriate adhesive has been applied, the key top will be precisely positioned onto the key stick.
4. The key stick and key top(s) must be clamped in a specialized piano key clamp to prevent the key top from sliding or warping during the drying process. Dry time varies depending on adhesive and key top material.
5. When keys are reinstalled in the piano, their heights will be carefully adjusted to be level with neighboring keys.