Voicing - Tone Regulation

Voicing is both figuratively and literally. . .a delicate matter. Voicing refers to the tone and volume of your piano.  Some pianos have a mellow tone, while others may have a bright/crisp sound.   Some pianos have certain notes that are too loud or notes that lack the power and clarity that the player demands.  It takes the skill of an experienced piano technician to bring out the best in your piano's voice.

When a piano is voiced, it should first be will regulated, up to pitch, and finely tuned.  If changes in tone are still desired, some or all of the following steps may be taken:

• lift, seat, and level strings in a grand or seat strings in an upright
• reshape deeply grooved and flat hammers
• and/or steam and iron hammers to "puff" out the grooves in the hammers
• delicately needle the felt in various locations and depths until the desired tone is reached

The voice of a piano may also change from environment to environment.  Lets say you recently purchased a new piano from a piano retailer.  There is a very good chance the piano will "sound different" when it is moved into your home.  There are many contributing factors for this, including room size, orientation in the room, and what type of flooring the piano is resting on.  I can advise you on how to achieve the desired tone.

Minor voicing services (a note here and there) can be completed at a regularly scheduled tuning at no additional cost.  More involved voicing can take anywhere from an hour to a full day or more.  Full day voicing services can be scheduled at a discounted hourly rate.

Proper voicing is a true art and can be very time consuming. Voicing should never be rushed and should only be performed by a skilled voicing technician.

Your piano may benefit from voicing if:

• you no longer are "in-love" with the tone of your piano
• it sounds overly bright or "tinny"
• it sounds "dull and lifeless"
• it no longer sounds like it did when it was new
• you hear a "ringing"  or "metallic" sound over-top the note you are playing
• certain notes are too loud
• you recently had new hammers installed on your piano and the tone is uneven and lacks clarity
• something just doesn't sound right (the is a common statement from new clients)

Click here to schedule a voicing consultation