Tuning
A piano has on average 230 strings designed to be held at a specific tension between 16 to 22 tons depending on the size of the piano. It is technician’s job to carefully rotate the tuning pins to correct pitch without bending or twisting the pin. It takes a skilled hand to coax tuning pins into position and then set the pin to make sure in stays there.
Pitch Adjustment
When a piano has been allowed to go more than 5% out of tune, it must be stabilized with a pitch adjustment before it will hold a fine tuning again. The better a piano is kept in tune, the more stable it will become and the longer it will hold a fine tuning especially if climate control is in place.
Tuning Theory
Many people believe that while tuning the technician is listening to pitch but this is not the case. Only the first note is set to a pitch source, for instance a tuning fork. The rest of the notes are set in relationship to each other. The technician must compromise pitch slightly or “temper” the notes for two reasons. One, so the piano sounds equally well played in any key signature and two, to take into account the idiosyncrasy or “inharmonicity” of each individual piano. To do this the technician listens and adjusts beat rates, the wavering sound which occurs between coincident partials.
A piano has on average 230 strings designed to be held at a specific tension between 16 to 22 tons depending on the size of the piano. It is technician’s job to carefully rotate the tuning pins to correct pitch without bending or twisting the pin. It takes a skilled hand to coax tuning pins into position and then set the pin to make sure in stays there.
Pitch Adjustment
When a piano has been allowed to go more than 5% out of tune, it must be stabilized with a pitch adjustment before it will hold a fine tuning again. The better a piano is kept in tune, the more stable it will become and the longer it will hold a fine tuning especially if climate control is in place.
Tuning Theory
Many people believe that while tuning the technician is listening to pitch but this is not the case. Only the first note is set to a pitch source, for instance a tuning fork. The rest of the notes are set in relationship to each other. The technician must compromise pitch slightly or “temper” the notes for two reasons. One, so the piano sounds equally well played in any key signature and two, to take into account the idiosyncrasy or “inharmonicity” of each individual piano. To do this the technician listens and adjusts beat rates, the wavering sound which occurs between coincident partials.
Repair
A piano cannot be tuned or regulated unless everything is working properly. Part of the piano technician’s job is repair work. Parts may need to be repaired or replaced due to wear or fatigue from use or age. The technician is prepared with tools, supplies and spare parts to handle many repairs in the home. Some common in home repairs may include: string splicing, hammer shank repair, bridle strap replacement or replacing a worn bushing or loose flange pin. More extensive repairs are done in the technician’s shop including: hammer filing, restringing, keytop replacement or replacement of entire sets of bushings or flange pins. Usually only the piano action needs to be removed and transported. The action is the group of small parts between the keys and strings which are all mounted together on the action frame and are easily removed and transported.
A piano cannot be tuned or regulated unless everything is working properly. Part of the piano technician’s job is repair work. Parts may need to be repaired or replaced due to wear or fatigue from use or age. The technician is prepared with tools, supplies and spare parts to handle many repairs in the home. Some common in home repairs may include: string splicing, hammer shank repair, bridle strap replacement or replacing a worn bushing or loose flange pin. More extensive repairs are done in the technician’s shop including: hammer filing, restringing, keytop replacement or replacement of entire sets of bushings or flange pins. Usually only the piano action needs to be removed and transported. The action is the group of small parts between the keys and strings which are all mounted together on the action frame and are easily removed and transported.
Regulation
Just like your car, your piano may need a periodic tune up. With normal wear of parts due to usage and movement of parts due to shrinking and swelling from temperature and humidity changes; the approximately 7,000 small parts of the piano action between the key and string may need adjustment and alignment.
A well regulated piano has an evenness of touch providing optimum power and greatest dynamic range. A full regulation of an upright piano includes 31 different adjustments to each key, a grand piano includes 37 different adjustments to each key. The experienced piano technician understands the complexity of the interconnection of these adjustments.
Just like your car, your piano may need a periodic tune up. With normal wear of parts due to usage and movement of parts due to shrinking and swelling from temperature and humidity changes; the approximately 7,000 small parts of the piano action between the key and string may need adjustment and alignment.
A well regulated piano has an evenness of touch providing optimum power and greatest dynamic range. A full regulation of an upright piano includes 31 different adjustments to each key, a grand piano includes 37 different adjustments to each key. The experienced piano technician understands the complexity of the interconnection of these adjustments.
Voicing
A piano with a tone that is abrasively bright, listlessly dull or just uneven will benefit from voicing.The instrument must first be in good regulation with all strings level and hammers well aligned to strings. Worn hammers can be filed to remove deep grooves caused by string wear. Soft hammers with dull tone can be treated with felt hardeners to brighten tone. Hammers which have hardened with use may have lost the full, ringing tones they once had and may be needled to soften the felt and regain tonal quality. A voicing tool with several sharp needles is pressed into the hammer in very specific areas to effect the desired tonal change.
A piano with a tone that is abrasively bright, listlessly dull or just uneven will benefit from voicing.The instrument must first be in good regulation with all strings level and hammers well aligned to strings. Worn hammers can be filed to remove deep grooves caused by string wear. Soft hammers with dull tone can be treated with felt hardeners to brighten tone. Hammers which have hardened with use may have lost the full, ringing tones they once had and may be needled to soften the felt and regain tonal quality. A voicing tool with several sharp needles is pressed into the hammer in very specific areas to effect the desired tonal change.
Climate Control
The most important thing you can do to protect your piano is to provide climate control. Changes in temperature and especially humidity can wreak havoc on the wood, felt and metal of your piano. In the summer, wood and felt swell with moisture causing sticking keys and sluggish action. Strings and tuning pins may rust and corrode. In the winter, glue joints on case, bench and action parts may come loose; soundboards and bridges may develop serious cracks. Piano manufacturers highly recommend some form of climate control for your instrument, keeping the temperature near 72 degrees and the humidity constant near 42 percent. This can be done somewhat with whole house systems attached to your furnace but more effectively with a climate control system installed inside your upright piano or under the soundboard of your grand piano.
The most important thing you can do to protect your piano is to provide climate control. Changes in temperature and especially humidity can wreak havoc on the wood, felt and metal of your piano. In the summer, wood and felt swell with moisture causing sticking keys and sluggish action. Strings and tuning pins may rust and corrode. In the winter, glue joints on case, bench and action parts may come loose; soundboards and bridges may develop serious cracks. Piano manufacturers highly recommend some form of climate control for your instrument, keeping the temperature near 72 degrees and the humidity constant near 42 percent. This can be done somewhat with whole house systems attached to your furnace but more effectively with a climate control system installed inside your upright piano or under the soundboard of your grand piano.
Evaluation
If you're thinking of buying a piano, call me first to inspect the piano you're considering. I can give it a thorough inspection to make sure everything is working properly. If your piano is not working well, I can tell you what it needs and the cost to repair it. You can also ask me about recycling a piano you no longer need.
If you're thinking of buying a piano, call me first to inspect the piano you're considering. I can give it a thorough inspection to make sure everything is working properly. If your piano is not working well, I can tell you what it needs and the cost to repair it. You can also ask me about recycling a piano you no longer need.