Most musicians know something about the mechanics of their instrument, usually out of desire to keep it operating at its best. For example a violinist or guitarist may be able to restring, tune and intonate, a trumpet player may polish and lubricate valves, a drummer will know how to change and tune heads, adjust kick pedals and hi-hats. Piano should not be any different.
Moving away from the music making aspect of piano and learning about its mechanics can be a rewarding experience. It’s a hugely complex instrument and the more you learn the more you will appreciate just how complex it is. There’s so much more to it than meets the eye, and having an understanding of this will connect you with the instrument ever more closely. That’s not to say you need to actually get your hands dirty doing repairs or making adjustments, just take an interest in how the motions of your fingers are translated by the mechanics of the piano into music.
If your interest is piqued enough it’s likely you’ll start to notice issues with your own instrument and may even be motivated to tackle them. It’s surprisingly easy to dismantle a piano, and there’s a wealth of information available both from manufacturers and in piano technician’s forums to help you on your way.
I can understand that many pianists would be reluctant to start tearing their piano apart. I have been building and repairing mechanical devices all my life and there’s not too much that intimidates me. My current piano is worth more than my two cars combined, but it hasn’t stopped me from making minor action adjustments, voicing and even tuning it. Sitting down to play after having spent a day or two working on the instrument is absolutely delightful.
I’d encourage every aspiring pianist to better understand the instrument. Go to piano stores and play with the sample working actions they often have on display:
Download a regulation manual and gain some appreciation of the work that has gone into making the piano operate correctly. Watch YouTube videos of piano manufacture and tuning. Ask your tuner questions. Learn about temperament and the mathematical construction of musical notes. Learn about tuning, listening for beats, setting unisons and the relationship between string gauge, tension and pitch. Learn about overtones, the ability of strings to vibrate at frequencies other than their fundamental pitch. Learn about “stretching”, a tuning requirement borne from the imperfect nature of overtones of tensioned wire.
It’s a fascinating field, and a solid interest in music really should extend to the mechanics of how it’s produced. You may not think you want or even need to know, but I can almost assure you that the more you learn about it the more you will want to know.