All about Key Easing!

This lesson focuses on key easing, a foundational skill every piano technician should know as it comes up a lot when you are out in the field.

Whether you’re just starting your journey or refining advanced techniques, this training will help you develop the confidence to succeed as a piano technician.

Why Key Easing Matters

• How friction affects:

• Touch

• Repetition

• Player control

• Common symptoms of poor key easing:

• Sluggish return

• Inconsistent feel

• Clicking or “death knock”

• Goal: Freely moving keys without sloppiness

Preparing for Key Easing

• Removing the action:

• Upright vs. grand considerations

• Why access to the keys is essential

• Opportunity tasks while keys are out:

• Cleaning

• Key pin inspection

• Lubrication

Key Easing Tools Overview

• Balance rail hole easers

• Why oval-shaped tools matter

• Benefits of combination / tapered designs

• Bushing easing pliers

• Standard pliers vs. parallel pliers

• Safety and over-easing risks

• Wedge-style combination tools

• Speed and efficiency for full keyboards

• Dealer prep vs. field work use cases

• Key easing irons

• When heat is useful

• Advantages of consistency for large jobs

Balance Rail Hole Easing Technique

• Why to ease from the top, not the bottom

• Preserving correct hole geometry

• Step-by-step process:

• Tool orientation (flat of the oval aligned correctly)

• Gentle side-to-side “massaging”

• Testing key drop and return

• Proper test for fit:

• Key should fall freely

• No front-to-back wobble

• Warning signs of over-easing:

• Rapid drop

• Audible clicking

• Excessive motion

Fixing Over-Eased Balance Rail Holes

• Traditional repair method:

• Slotting, shimming, sanding, re-easing

• Modern glue-sizing method:

• Wood glue + water slurry

• Swelling and stabilizing wood fibers

• Re-easing after drying

• When multiple passes may be needed

• Long-term reliability of the method

Balance Rail Bushing Easing

• Why balance rail bushings can be slightly freer than front rail

• Using a key easing iron:

• Temperature awareness

• Avoiding charring or burning

• Desired result:

• Very slight side-to-side play

• No audible noise

• Smooth key travel

Front Rail Bushing Easing

• Why front rail bushings require more precision

• Acceptable movement:

• Minimal side play

• No knock

• Stable feel under fast passages

• Demonstration of:

• Correct easing

• Intentional over-easing (what not to do)

• Player perspective:

• Loss of control

• Sloppy feel during dynamic playing

Fine Adjustments & Micro-Corrections

• Using a single needle to:

• Fluff compressed felt

• Correct slight over-easing

• Where this technique is also useful:

• Damper guide rail bushings

• When to use needle work vs. chemical swelling

Want to become a piano technician and build real, hands-on pianocraft skills?

At The Artisan School, we teach Pianocraft the way it’s actually used in the field—through collaboration, real-world experience, and practical judgment.