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Regulation
The piano
action is the mechanical component of a piano. A piano is made up
of a harp and a mechanism that strikes the strings of the harp,
which is called the action. The action is made up of the keys and
a system of moving parts that translates the movement of the keys
into movement of hammers that in turn strike the strings. When a
piano is new, the action is adjusted so that it will produce the
best feel and response that the piano is capable of.
Over time
as the action wears in, the felt compacts and the hammers wear,
tone and the touch of the piano may start to decline. When this
occurs it is time to look at regulating the action and voicing the
hammers. Depending on how far the instrument has been allowed to
decline this job may take just a few hours or a few days.
Signs that regulation
is overdue -
- Keys seem to go down
too far or seem too shallow
- Uneven touch from
one note to the next
- It is difficult to
play softly and still have the notes sound
- Notes do not repeat
quickly
- Notes continue to
ring after the key returns
- Pedals squeak
- Piano has developed
a harsh metallic sound
- Keys rattle, action
is excessively noisy
Hammer Voicing
As a piano ages the hammers
can develop deep ruts where they come in contact with the strings.
The hammers may also flatten out and cause a slapping sound when
they strike the strings. This causes the piano to sound harsh or
metallic. If the hammers are note too worn or too ancient they can
be filed to remove some of the felt and restore the original shape.
This procedure will always improve the sound of the piano to some
extent . Some times however the hammers are too old and worn to
produce satisfactory results. When this happens its time to look
at replacement.
Replacing old hammers
with a set of new, high quality hammers can suddenly bring a piano
back to life. Installing new hammers also involves voicing as they
may sound too harsh or too soft when they are first installed. It
is very rare for a hammers to have an even tone throughout the piano
until they have been voiced. All new pianos have had some voicing
done to the hammers in the factory. Depending on the quality of
the instrument there may still be some room for improvement in the
voicing when the piano is uncrated.
When a piano owner is
looking at having new hammers installed in their piano it is important
to ask the technician about voicing as it is often overlooked and
can make all the difference to the end result.
Piano Tuning, Repair, Regulation & Restoration in Niagara, St. Catharines, Hamilton, Burlington & Oakville- ONTARIO - CANADA
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