Home remedies for slippery keys? ;D

[yooniefied]

Haha, the title says it all.

My baby-grand piano tends to become very slippery, though I don't know why. I believe the keys are coated with some sort of enamel, because even cleaning or wiping them off doesn't really seem to help much. Sweat or lotion makes them a hundred times worse, making me completely unable to play anything.

Any secrets?

[bernhard]

Rubinstein used hair spray on them.

(serious)

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[quantum]

You could try rosin (sp?), you know the stuff violinists use on bows.

One of my piano teachers was giving a concert somewhere and some smart person thought it would be nice to polish the keys so they were nice and slippery!!!  She went around looking for sticky stuff like rosin. 

Or maybe use the powder gymnists use on their hands (on your hands not the keys).

Careful though you don't want to get any of this stuff down in the action, or your keys could potentially start sticking.  Also some pianos (like higher end Yamahas) use a special plastic that immitates the properties of ivory which absorbs moisture and reduces slippage - you can't put certain substances on these keys such as alcohol or they may dry up the plastic.

[yooniefied]

Yuck, hairspray sounds sticky! Fun fact, though!

I actually play the violin, so I might be able to find and try some rosin around here. That's a very good idea.

I will let you all know how it goes!

[invictious]

How the hell are you going to apply the rosin? Rub it on your fingers?

[kamike]

Actually, my understanding of the story on Rubinstein is that he did not clean the keys of his piano, ever....normal use without cleaning resulted in a rather sticky, tractable surface to the keys to which he was accustomed.   Once, just prior to a concert, a well-meaning stage hand noticed that the keys to Rubinstein's Steinway were horribly dirty, so he cleaned them.  Rubinstein refused to play that night's concert because the feel of the key surfaces was so different.   Everyone was in panic-mode.  What to do?   A call was made to the piano technician who immediately came to the hall and "fixed" the keyboard -  after carefully removing it from the piano and masking the action, he sprayed a light coat of hairspray onto the keys.  Rubinstein was happy and the concert was completed as planned.

I believe that this story is fairly accurate - my piano technician was an apprentice to the technician that "fixed" Rubinsteins' keyboard.

[pianistimo]

that's funny.

i think the best way to cut grease is a little bit of paper towel dipped in dish detergent/water and squeezed out.  wipe the keys.  another paper towel with clean warm water - squeezed out.  wipe the keys.  another paper towel to dry.

i try to do this before lessons each week when ihave lessons.  that way the students aren't passing germs. 

someone mentioned, also, those packs of disinfectant wipes.  it's probably not a bad idea. it's quick.  you can dry it with paper towel, too.  some are aloe vera based and not alcohol based (which could dry out the piano keys).

[quantum]

Well lately I've taken to using a microfibre cloth to clean my keys.  These things really do work good.  Usually one swipe with a damp rag to wet the surface and use the microfibre to take of all the grease. 

[jspash]

a nice bourdeaux will do the trick

now where are those paper towels?!!!!

[nanabush]

Velcrow?  Chocolate?

[gerry]

I think the advice offered should be qualified by what key material is involved. what might work for plastc might not be so great for ivory.
Also, I remember in my earliest recitals, my teacher would stand at the stage door and gently pat her students' hands with talcum powder.