broken strings

[aki]

This is the 2nd time in two months that a string has snapped.   What causes these strings to break?

[galonia]

Rust?  If you are in a humid climate, your strings might rust.

The higher strings are quite thin, so if you "bash" your piano, sometimes they break.

I've had lower strings break, as in really low strings, and I don't "bash" my piano, plus I'm a female of small build, so even if I tried, I don't think I could hit my piano hard enough to break these thick strings.  My piano tuner said I could just be unlucky and got a bad set of strings when the piano was put together - the steel could just be weak.  Apparently that's just bad luck.  The strings I've broken all broke at the same spot - where it's wound around the tuning thing at the top, where all the stress is placed on the string.

[aki]

yeah, because both strings are from the higher end of the keyboard.

[jon]

I guess humidity is probably the reason my strings break because I live in a pretty humid area. I just broke my fifth string in the past year about a week ago and it is so annoying.I have to wait for a decent piano tuner to come where I live and that takes about 3 weeks,plus after he puts in the new string he has to come 3 weeks later and tune the string

[galonia]

You could try a dessicator (dehumidifier) in the room where your piano is.  You can buy these things in the supermarket - they're tubs with crystals inside which absorb moisture from the air.  But you have to change the tub once it fills with water.  That might make the room less humid.

[Bob]

I've heard a few pianists brag about breaking piano strings -- implying that their sound is so powerful the piano couldn't handle it, like Liszt I guess.

So, jus t tell people you were really into playing a very difficult piece and the strings keep breaking.  The piano couldn't handle it. 

I promise I won't give away your secret.      

[galonia]

Hahaha... two of the times when I broke strings, I was playing a pedal point, so I don't know if the repetitive strain on the strings had anything to do with it.

But I've seen a little 7 year old girl break a few top strings on her piano teacher's grand piano.

[classicarts]

Most cases of strings breaking is humidity that can cause rust on them.  But once in awhile, you might get a bad set of strings from the manufacturers when they're assembly the piano.   

[kawaidon]

Aki,

What type of playing are you doing?  Are you practicing some difficult classical pieces?

Contrary to what some have said, rust has to be very, very serious to cause strings to break.  The strings would need to be very rough and scaled in order for the corrosion to significantly weaken the wire.

Defective wire from the factory is also very highly unlikely, unless the wire that is breaking is all the same size.  In the case of bass strings each note has different sizes, so the chance of having weak wire in more than one size is extremely slim - having it throughout the bass section borders on the impossible.  For strings that break near the tuning pin, there is usually a problem with the string installation - most commonly, the string angle coming off the tuning pin is too sharp, causing the wire to slightly overlap the coil.  This causes the wire to weaken and break at that point.

The most common cause of treble string breaking is strong playing for long hours, combined with worn hammers.  Repeating difficult passages at forte levels will gradually weaken the wire at the capo bar (where it passes under the cast iron frame).  As the hammers wear the strike surface becomes more and more flat, which greatly increases the stress on the wire.  Generally serious pianists can begin to break treble wires after 2 to 5 years of serious playing.  The average piano user may go for the life of the piano without ever breaking one.

If you are practicing hard on difficult music, the wire breaking will gradually get worse.  The solution is:
- Have the hammer filed back to original shape, and have the action regulated and the hammers voiced.
- Have all of the wire in the affected area (usually sizes 14 though 15 1/2) replaced with fresh wire

This will completely stop the string breakage for a while.  If you then have the hammers filed and voiced every year, the strings should not weaken for a much longer time.  You will also enjoy much better tone from the piano if the hammers are shaped and voiced annually.

I hope this helps!

Don Mannino RPT
Kawai America