Tips and Tricks on How to Fix Annoying Piano ‘Buzzing’

A very common issue piano technicians encounter are buzzes and rattles. Buzzes and rattles can be very frustrating and time consuming!
A good percentage of the buzzes and rattles come from the piano itself and are easily accessible. The other 25% of the buzzes are things in the room- a lamp, a picture frame, wall décor etc.
What's actually going on in the piano - everything has a natural vibration, everything vibrates at it's own frequency. Because every frequency is represented on the piano, chances are, if there is anything slightly loose or in the house like décor, chances are, that natural frequency will be represented on the piano as well. So when you play it, THAT is what causes the buzz.
So take a look around and touch things-metal things in particular. Things that are often the culprit are hinges and loose screws. Touch the screws, the lid prop, hinges and washers and/or things in the trap work as well as the pedals. Check the casters, fallboard, the lock and the springs inside of the lock and sometimes even the bench can be a culprit!
Buzz and rattle tip! It's easier to find the source of the buzzing when you have someone to help. A second person can constantly play while you listen and search around. Once found, the solution is to to tighten whatever is causing the rattling and buzzing! Ultimately, everything has to be snug- it cannot be slightly separated, the separation creates that obnoxious buzz.
There are some buzzes that require taking the action out or work on the soundboard- but that's relatively uncommon. We hope these tips and tricks will help you and the care and maintenance on your piano!
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[@veggiegonad]

Oh my gosh. Thank you so much - I'm so glad I watched this. I had taken my entire piano practically apart and couldn't find anything. It was driving me insane! Then I started checking the area around the piano and wouldn't you know it, I found a tiny plastic thumb tack had rolled behind and under it and it absolutely was the culprit! So thrilled I didn't call the technician to come sweep my floors- good grief.

[@charliehungerford]

I’m so grateful. I just had two piano tuners come out and they couldn’t fix it, one even denying the buzz was there. The other saying that it was just part of the personality of the piano. Not very impressive. So I did as you suggested and found the source of the buzz in ten minutes - a nut on one of the rods attached to the middle pedal. I tightened it and secured it with a bit of duct tape and it fixed it. You just saved me a lot of heartache and more money.

[@kristybraithwaite499]

Thanks sooo much for this tip!!! For the life of me I couldn't find out why my piano was rattling! I'm so happy I was able to fix it without having to call a repair man!!

[@Raymonddoc1]

Great diagnostic acumen. Like a physician ruling out every differential.

[@kevinquinn2160]

Great information Brigham!! As always...

[@skriabinlover]

Thank you so much! The buzz in my piano was coming from the lock, and was very easy to fix now that I found it, finally!

[@lisaseawell9396]

Thank you so much !! This totally helped me . The culprit was metal wall decor

[@Jay-tg1bc]

Thank you!!! I found the rattle on something I had been adjusting yesterday

[@gegervary]

I’ve been following you and watched a big chunk of your videos and I want to say thank you, you gave me confidence to regulate my 20 years old piano upright. Yesterday I started tuning for the first time but I get some “wavy” sounds from certain strings which may be what you would call false beats. Any video or tips on that?

[@roberttemple2521]

I maintain an outdoor public piano. It has been through a lot of foul weather, though I have managed to keep all the parts moving. It's a Baldwin Acrosonic console. One of the E3 pair of strings buzzes. I used a piece of foam rubber wadded tightly to wedge in between the E3's buzzing left string and the right string of the Eb3 pair. Now, there is only one string for the Eb3 and the E3, and NO buzz. I tried other ways to solve the buzz, like slacking the E3 strings, then retuning them, but it did nothing. Because this piano has drop action, I'm not going to attempt to pull it out to check for something, a leaf maybe, that may be causing the buzz. So, the existing two strings for two notes will have to do.

[@culuscha934]

I appreciate this. I've also located nagging buzzes including a sewing pin dropped onto a sound board. I had a 100 year old 5'8" Knabe delivered today. It has a professionally shimmed sound board. I have ONE BUZZ, G3, lower pin or 3 string of the trichord that buzzes. It sounds like its coming from the bridge area. I can just touch without completely muting that string and the buzz goes away. Bridge has no cracks, bridge pin and hitch pin are tight. Originally though agraffe. Hope you can help.

[@thomastereszkiewicz2241]

when a key buzzes most of the time it is caused by the letoff being too high or the jack is hitting something, for both of these things you will need to remove the action.

[@dhpstudios2009]

Can you get the volume a little bit higher. Thanks

[@phililps170t]

5:13 you nail it there. I am having lock buzzing. it is annoying.

[@FS02012]

The buzz noise happens randomly not all the time on 3 octives! Why

[@mrPhilipsheck]

Thanks for the video great troubleshooting info! Could you tell me the year of my Acrosonic 671109? Thanks in advance. I’m learning a lot.,

[@bryancunningham1095]

My Pierce Piano Atlas says 1959 for your serial# to year manufactured for your Acrostic from Baldwin

[@cdllc1956]

I just cant find it on my upright

[@discover5636]

Mine is a section of notes on the piano

[@MusicFan0136]

Snare drums too. Omg those things make some noise!

[@ambergahill]

Oh yes, I always have to release the snare mechanism on my drum whenever I am not playing or the piano makes it go crazy.

[@bobus5681]

What about a gargling noise that happens randomly when I’m not playing the piano

[@cdllc1956]

A Ghost ließ in your piano

[@aswinpiano]

My also sometime disturbing sound is coming from my electronic piano

[@jennhoff03]

Oh, that's easy. A small child has been secreted in your piano. Those kids will gargle anything if they bored enough.

[@kunsnoing3745]

What about piano keyboard buzzing (electronic) the buzzing noise only coming from the right speaker 🔊

[@badeaoctavian2746]

ive got the same problem

[@noagarson2558]

Probably something stuck under the speaker - at my school rubbers and pencils constantly got found under the speakers

[@badeaoctavian2746]

@@noagarson2558 idk dude ..im to scared to open up my keyboard and ive only had it for about 2 months and its quite expensive ..I just bought some headphones until i somehow solve the problem or buy another piano.

[@kunsnoing3745]

@@noagarson2558 it only makes a buzzing noise when I play or press on a particular keynote in the midsection of the keys.

[@cedric5323]

Speakers vibrate when they make sound. Perhaps something a little loose like a screw or it's shaking because of the sound waves.

[@olivervanderbloomen7854]

Thank you I’m trying to fix my 130 year old Krakauer Bros piano

[@aswinpiano]

From my electronic piano there is a buzz sound coming

[@tdonithan863]

Thanks so so much for posting this video. I’m trying to figure it out and I will! Grrrrr! Right after middle C, the buzzing or vibrating starts at G but not G#, then A and A#, then C#, D, D#, E, F, then G once again, then A#. I’m going mad. Getting the screw drivers and the thing that tightens the bolts.🤔🤬😭

[@Stewie-th7lt]

Hi there! Were you able to find the cause or did you have to call a technician?

[@tdonithan863]

Yes thank you! I did find the culprit…..by myself and with your help.