Fantastic Squeaks and Where to Find Them: Part 1 - Clicks and Taps

By Jason Cassel

The ability to quickly diagnose and address a noise is one of the most essential skills a piano technician can possess. In this series, I hope to present common causes behind the common noises, or non-musical sounds, in the piano. My goal is not to be comprehensive. My goal is to cover the basics. Yes, I know that there are countless reasons why a note might click, squeak or buzz (and I apologize in advance for not including your favorite reason). And trust me, I know firsthand that just when you think you’ve seen it all - you haven’t. That being said, I hope to tackle what I believe to be the top two or three causes for each noise. These should get you through the majority of problems you will encounter and help you get started. 

Let us begin by discussing “Clicks and Taps.” These noises are generally caused by something that is loose in the piano action. The three most common reasons are as follows:

We will now address how to resolve each of these reasons. 

Now obviously, this reason can include a wide range of objects. While pencils, paper clips, guitar picks, coins, and hair clips tend to be the most common, the possibilities are endless. The solution however is always the same:

There are two main screws in the piano action. The first is the hammer flange screw, and the second is the wippen screw. In both an upright and a grand piano, you will need to pull the action to tighten the wippen screws.

So how do you know which screw is causing the clicking?

While not a hard and fast rule, it can generally be said that if the click occurs when the hammer strikes the string, then the flange screw is loose:

If the click occurs when the hammer returns to the rest position, then the wippen screw is loose:

Another set of screws that can become loose is found on the hammer rest rail of certain grand pianos. This will cause an entire section of notes to click when returning to the rest position:

The hammer head is glued to the top of the hammer shank. Sometimes this connection becomes loose and the result is a clicking sound upon impact with the string:

You can sometimes feel if the hammer head is loose by rocking it back and forth with your fingers.

Step 1: Remove the hammer from the action. 

Step 2: Use an upright hammer head extractor (or a grand shank press) to remove the hammer head.

Step 3: Reinsert the hammer heel into the piano. 

Step 4: Apply a small amount of wood glue to the top of the shank and inside the hammer. Then return the hammer to the shank. 

Step 5: While the glue is drying, ensure that the height, alignment, and angle are correct at the strike point and at the tail. 

When dealing with loose grand hammers, a temporary fix is to add a drop of CA glue to the top to solve this problem. This does work in some cases, but the process explained here is a more thorough solution.

Is the click coming from a single note or a collection of notes?

If the click is coming from a collection of notes, then check for larger objects that might have fallen into the piano action (pencils, pens, etc.), as well as the screws on the hammer rest rail if applicable. 

If the click is coming from a single note, then check for smaller objects that might have fallen into the piano (paper clips, bobby pins, etc.), as well as the action screws and hammer head.

At what point does the click occur? 

If the click occurs upon impact with the string, then check the hammer head by rocking it back and forth. If the hammer head is loose, then follow the process explained in Reason 3. If the hammer head is not loose, then tighten the hammer flange screw. 

If the click occurs when the hammer returns to the rest position, then tighten the wippen screw or the hammer rest rail as needed.

Jason Cassel currently serves as a Piano Technician for the Brigham Young University School of Music. He graduated with his MA in Piano Technology from Florida State University and earned his BM in Commercial Music from BYU. Jason has served as a Senior Piano Technician for the Aspen Music Festival and has received manufacturer training from Steinway & Sons, Yamaha, Mason & Hamlin, and Renner USA. 

Jason is a Registered Piano Technician with the Piano Technicians Guild. He has received the Jack Greenfield Award in recognition of his publications, which include over two dozen articles, an eBook on harpsichord maintenance, and six instructional video courses on aural tuning.