Breaking Strings from the Performance POV

[jesc]

I really don't know anymore. My first post on Pianostreet was when I encountered the "Piano Strings Breaking" thread. I got a lot of good replies back there. Now, my piano just had a string replaced. After a month as always, that specific "new" string will go out of tune as it stretches. I had this bad feeling and I didn't call for the tuner. I thought it would be a waste of time... cause another string is gonna break.

and yes, I broke another one.

I spend most of my time playing on the electric piano practicing and there I instinctively play VERY light. Just this week, I thought "I need to play the real piano regularly". So I played without restraint, I thought, "this is not a &%$#ing electric piano... it can take it."

I'm an amateur. I don't do piano for a living, the pieces I practiced: Mendelssohn concerto g minor, Chopin's Scherzo 2 and Liszt's Gnomenreigen. These are not like Liszt's Orage jesus...

Then... *twack...  piano string broken. I keep getting responses everywhere that this is not normal, even from my teacher. BTW the piano is an upright Samick. I'm pissed off at the piano, "a low quality piano?". I'm pissed off at myself, "Am I an incompetent fool that I keep breaking my instruments?". I'm thinking probably the last one that's why I posted this on performance thread.

Any suggestions on "Habits to prevent breaking strings?"

[invictious]

For a start I would call a tuner and get the piano checked out. I think it is a structural problem with the piano (lack of maintenance etc) which could cause strings to keep on breaking.

That is, of course, you are not on an super old piano and your name is not Franz Liszt. Though, you can pretend you are Liszt. I guess that's a confidence booster

[mike_lang]

I really don't know anymore. My first post on Pianostreet was when I encountered the "Piano Strings Breaking" thread. I got a lot of good replies back there. Now, my piano just had a string replaced. After a month as always, that specific "new" string will go out of tune as it stretches. I had this bad feeling and I didn't call for the tuner. I thought it would be a waste of time... cause another string is gonna break.

and yes, I broke another one.

I spend most of my time playing on the electric piano practicing and there I instinctively play VERY light. Just this week, I thought "I need to play the real piano regularly". So I played without restraint, I thought, "this is not a &%$#ing electric piano... it can take it."

I'm an amateur. I don't do piano for a living, the pieces I practiced: Mendelssohn concerto g minor, Chopin's Scherzo 2 and Liszt's Gnomenreigen. These are not like Liszt's Orage jesus...

Then... *twack...  piano string broken. I keep getting responses everywhere that this is not normal, even from my teacher. BTW the piano is an upright Samick. I'm pissed off at the piano, "a low quality piano?". I'm pissed off at myself, "Am I an incompetent fool that I keep breaking my instruments?". I'm thinking probably the last one that's why I posted this on performance thread.

Any suggestions on "Habits to prevent breaking strings?"

How old is the piano (and therefore, the strings)?  You might be overzealous, but you might also have caught them at a ripe old age . . .

[jesc]

The piano is a Samick upright bought in 1994. I'm calling the technician.... again.

lol at invictious, when I searched Franz Liszt and broken strings I felt a lot better. At least my cycle consists of months in between.

We already replaced a lot of strings suspected "about to break". Maybe this time, I'll just have him replace all the old ones "about to break" or not.

[floydcramerfan]

I think you might be having problems with your piano.  I don't think it's operator's trouble.  Pianoes are supposed to be made to take somebody playing them, unless you're chaneling Jerry Lee Lewis, lol.  Sorry, I told y'all I'm not classical.

[venik]

It could be the hammers need to be replaced, I.e. the felt has worn down and is now very stiff.

[jesc]

Thank you for the lighthearted replies. I was really depressed/angry that day. I'll give an update about the technician/tuner's input on the matter.

[richard black]

Sounds to me as if your piano was strung from a duff batch of wire.

[jesc]

I just couldn't leave the "update" promise hanging about. The piano's repaired... again. The technician was sort of at a loss that the advice that came out was "probably need to buy a piano of higher quality". When I tested the piano though, he said that the way I play explains it a bit. I'm preparing for a solo recital and probably the best thing to do is upload vids of me playing in the near future.

[floydcramerfan]

Call me an idiot, but I don't see how the way you play has anything to do with it.  A piano shouldn't be breaking strings all the time unless there's something seriously wrong with it.  I know a lot of people who play hard, but they never break strings.  Pianoes are supposed to be made to take being played.

[jesc]

Looking back, I think Richard Black got it right. The piano was bought somewhere 1994 and I was already breaking strings by 1996+. Furthermore, the pieces I played during that time were nothing special, I mean, everyone was playing them. (IIRC, chopin etude no 3 and 12, fantasie impromptu, sonata pathetique etc.). Well, that's just my own opinion on the matter after weighting different explanations.