“QUIT BANGING ON THAT PIANO!”

You may have yelled that a time or two at one of your children. Because it’s so annoying, keys struck loudly at random can rattle your nerves.

But it won’t damage the piano. Most pianos are built to withstand very heavy use. Watch a professional pianist play or listen to how hard your tuner pounds each key when tuning. In comparison, a child’s small hands couldn’t possibly play that hard.

The real danger is kids dropping small toys inside, slipping coins into the slots between the keys, or running toys across the finish.

So encourage your child to have fun with the piano, not to be afraid of it. Don’t worry if young children play haphazardly and loudly. Teach respect for the instrument and encourage playing and they will be on their way to a lifetime of musical enjoyment.

Visit https://www.ptg.org/piano/students for resources to help get that journey started.