Why Piano Keys Stick and How a Technician Fixes Them

Sticking keys are incredibly frustrating. Discover the root causes behind sluggish keys and the professional methods used to free them.

Few things are more frustrating to a pianist than striking a key and having it fail to return. Sticking or sluggish piano keys are an incredibly common issue, particularly during humid Toronto summers. The most frequent culprit is swollen front rail or balance rail key bushings. These are the tiny red felt cloths lining the holes where the key rides on metal guide pins. When they absorb moisture, they expand and grip the metal pin too tightly, causing friction. Other causes include foreign objects (like coins or paperclips) wedged between the keys, or warped wood due to extreme climate shifts. A professional technician will use specialized key-easing pliers to precisely compress the felt bushings by fractions of a millimeter, or apply specialized dry Teflon lubricant to eliminate the friction without damaging the felt.

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