Basics of Piano Care | Piano Regulation And Voicing

FIRST POST! Thanks for checking out this blog page. We will be adding content every week or so, as long as we keep coming up with interesting and informative things to say.

I’d like to start by talking about basic piano care… The aspect of piano care that everyone is familiar with is tuning. Pianos go out of tune due to changes in humidity, which swells and shrinks the wood of the soundboard, bridges, and action parts. This happens regardless of how much or how little the piano is played. We STRONGLY recommend having your piano tuned twice a year. This is in line with all manufacturer’s recommendations. If you put it in terms of car maintenance (the other big, complicated machine in your life), tunings are the oil changes of piano care. It’s important to note that your piano may be out of tune and still sound relatively ok, but not be at the correct pitch. More on this in a future post. Is your piano out of tune? Find out how to determine this here.

A piano is a very complex instrument, with up to 10,000 parts - many of which move and are subject to wear over time. This causes the piano to function at a sub-optimal level, lessening your enjoyment and making playing and learning more difficult. The good news is this is a relatively easy condition to combat. Every 3 years or so, the action should be serviced. To do this, we remove the action, clean it with compressed air, lubricate all action centers, and tighten all screws (over 200 in uprights!). This serves three purposes: it makes the piano play better, avoids problems due to contaminant buildup, and allows for the detection of small issues before they become big ones. If it were a car, this would be the inspection and basic tune up.

As the piano ages, the parts deteriorate. Felt gets compressed, screws loosen, and gravity acts on the hammers. The result is poor performance - lack of dynamic range, the inability to play softly, and unevenness of touch. The solution to this is regulation. Regulation is the adjusting of numerous measurements and tolerances for each note, bringing the piano back to a level of playability it enjoyed when leaving the factory (or better). This takes several hours, but it is a normal and necessary part of caring for your instrument. In car terms, it’s like having the transmission serviced, and alignment done, and a thorough tune up - like a 50,000 mile service. This should be done every 5 years or so, but can also be done piecemeal at your six month appointments to spread out the expense. Vertical Regulation is explained in greater detail here, and Grand Regulation can be found here.

Get More Info : Grand Piano Regulation

Website : https://www.newyorkpianoworks.com/

Contact Us : Piano Humidity Control

Free Pianos Aren’t Free - Al Tervenski | Piano Humidity Control

Many of us have been in this situation before. A friend, family member, or acquaintance has a free piano. Free piano! All you have to do is move it, they say. Or maybe you’ve recently moved into a new home that “includes” a piano. If these situations seem too good to be true, it’s because they often are. Pianos are like anything else in the marketplace. Some are worth thousands upon thousands of dollars, and some are absolutely worthless. If you moved into a house with a piano sitting sadly in the living room, the previous owners figured it wasn’t worth the $400 to move it. Why should you be stuck with it? Free pianos are often not worth taking. After moving it for $300-$400, and then pitch-raising and tuning it ($300), you’re in for $700 already! Now factor in regulation and repairs, and you’re well over $1000 invested into a piano that won’t last and won’t sound good. A piano your son or daughter won’t want to play, and one that will just sit and collect dust.

This is not to say that sometimes a free piano isn’t a good deal. Lucky bargains do happen upon us occasionally. But how will you know if you have a lemon or a steal? Bring a piano technician with you to help assess the piano (we’re happy to help). More likely than not, you’d be better off paying for one. For as little as $500-$1000, you can obtain a solid beginner piano that will provide you with years of enjoyment. We have pianos in stock at New York Piano Works that fit this description. They are affordable, play well, and are worth the modest investment. Or, you can take a chance on a “free” craigslist or Facebook Marketplace piano. Just remember, free pianos aren’t free.

Get More Info : Piano Humidity Control

Website : https://www.newyorkpianoworks.com/

Contact Us : Polyester Piano finish repair

Free Pianos Aren’t Free - Al Tervenski

Many of us have been in this situation before. A friend, family member, or acquaintance has a free piano. Free piano! All you have to do is move it, they say. Or maybe you’ve recently moved into a new home that “includes” a piano. If these situations seem too good to be true, it’s because they often are. Pianos are like anything else in the marketplace. Some are worth thousands upon thousands of dollars, and some are absolutely worthless. If you moved into a house with a piano sitting sadly in the living room, the previous owners figured it wasn’t worth the $400 to move it. Why should you be stuck with it? Free pianos are often not worth taking. After moving it for $300-$400, and then pitch-raising and tuning it ($300), you’re in for $700 already! Now factor in regulation and repairs, and you’re well over $1000 invested into a piano that won’t last and won’t sound good. A piano your son or daughter won’t want to play, and one that will just sit and collect dust.

This is not to say that sometimes a free piano isn’t a good deal. Lucky bargains do happen upon us occasionally. But how will you know if you have a lemon or a steal? Bring a piano technician with you to help assess the piano (we’re happy to help). More likely than not, you’d be better off paying for one. For as little as $500-$1000, you can obtain a solid beginner piano that will provide you with years of enjoyment. We have pianos in stock at New York Piano Works that fit this description. They are affordable, play well, and are worth the modest investment. Or, you can take a chance on a “free” craigslist or Facebook Marketplace piano. Just remember, free pianos aren’t free. 

Get More Info : Piano Humidity Control

Website : https://www.newyorkpianoworks.com/

Contact Us : Piano Restoration

Grand Piano Regulation | Piano Humidity Control

The proper touch on your piano depends on it being regulated. To many pianists, a piano's touch is as important as its tone. Touch refers to the efficiency and responsiveness of the mechanical action of the piano, and is what is responsible for giving a piano its full range of power from the silkiest of pianissimos to the crashing double forte. When a piano begins to lose its mechanical efficiency, it is said to have gone out of regulation. Exacting measurements and corresponding adjustments are needed to put a piano back into regulation. The adjustments of your piano action related to touch have not been attended to recently and are causing the piano to be less than responsive. A job of regulation is in order. 

What exactly would cause a piano to go out of regulation? Weren't necessary adjustments set at the factory?

To a greater or lesser degree your piano would have been regulated at the factory where it was built. Fine quality instruments obviously receive more attention than models on the low end of the price spectrum, and as such have a better touch from the beginning, but even the finest quality piano will go out of regulation over time. To understand the complexity of the grand piano action and the primary cause of an action going out of regulation, consider the cut-away photo of the working mechanism (action) of a grand piano on the next page. 

The action of a grand piano is truly a mechanical marvel. 

Even though it was perfected before the turn of the last century, its remarkable design is still in use today. Although the operation of a grand piano may seem simple from the outside, inside it is in fact highly complex. Just as an accomplished athlete can make a difficult skill "look easy," the efficiency of the grand piano action makes a very complicated set of motions seem simple. In fact, it is anything but simple. When a note on your piano is played, the energy from your finger instantly puts a carefully balanced system of levers and springs into motion. Five pivot points simultaneously swing the combination of parts into action. Felt cushions at all contact points prevent action noise from intruding upon the music produced. 

Get More Info : Piano Humidity Control

Website : https://www.newyorkpianoworks.com/ 

Contact Us : Grand Piano Repair

Is Your Piano Out of Tune? | Polyester Piano finish repair

For the piano owner who wants to maintain his / her piano but doesn't want to throw good money away on work that's unnecessary, the question of whether or not the piano needs to be tuned is an important one. As a responsible owner you would like your piano to sound its best, especially if children are taking lessons on it. A piano that is in tune will invite one to play, even when the music is on a beginner's level. A piano that is out of tune will discourage even an avid student from sitting down to practice. So, as a non-technician, how do you know if your piano is out of tune and needs the attention of a tuner? Fortunately, you don't need to be a technician or an accomplished piano player to be able to decide whether or not your instrument need to be tuned. Apply the following 4 basic tests to your own piano and you will know whether it is in tune or out of tune. If it is out of tune, it's time to call your tuner / technician to schedule a service appointment. 

Test I: Is your piano at the correct pitch? Whether or not a piano is at the correct pitch depends on the vibration rate of test notes and how they compare to a standard rate of vibration. One commonly used test note is that of A-440 (known as A4) which refers to the A in octave above middle C. When in tune, this note vibrates at a rate of 440 times per second. This is an important measure of whether your piano is in tune and is something you can easily check first. (The reason this is important is because a piano that is either noticeably flat or sharp will not be as pleasant to play as a piano that is set at the correct pitch. The further flat a piano is, the less musical it will sound. If the tension on the strings is too low, the vibrancy of the strings will have decreased along with the pitch. A piano that is noticeably sharp is no better, in that it will not match other instruments, and will sound off to people trying to sing or play along with it.)

Test: To see if your piano is at standard pitch you need to compare it to an accurate reference, such as the tuning fork shown at left. If you don't have a tuning fork handy for use but you do have a computer with attached speakers try going online at www.onlinetuningfork.com . The middle tuning fork in the online picture is A-440. Click it for the correct tone, then compare that to A4 on your piano. Helpful hint: If your computer is in one room and your piano in another, try humming the tone in between the two locations. Strike the A in the center of keyboard (photo) to see if the tones match. If your piano is either noticeably flat or sharp, it's not as musical as it should be.  

Get More Info : Polyester Piano finish repair

Also Visit Us : Wessell Nickel and Gross

Website : https://www.newyorkpianoworks.com/

Contact Us : PianoDisc Installation

Our Team | Polyester Piano finish repair

Founder and Lead Technician

Scott has trained at Steinway and Mason and Hamlin and is a Certified Dampp-Chaser Installer. Experienced in all aspects of tuning, repair, and restoration, Scott passed his exams to become a Registered Piano Technician of the Piano Technicians Guild in 2012. A dedicated technician with over ten years in the industry, Scott is committed to making your piano the best that it can be!

Piano technician

Following a rigorous apprenticeship, and having graduated from the New York School of Piano Technology, Al is pleased to be a member of the New York Piano Works team. He is an Associate Member of the Piano Technicians Guild and a Certified Dampp Chaser Installer. Al has a degree in Piano Performance from SUNY Ulster.

Piano Technician

Christopher has recently completed an intensive apprenticeship program with Scott, gaining the knowledge and skills to succeed in this challenging field. While new to the industry, he is excited to learn and grow as much as he can and make any piano the best it can be!

Shop/Harpsichord technician

A lifelong woodworker and experienced guitar technician, Jeromy discovered an interest in piano work while servicing guitars at our shop. A trained pianist, Jeromy is spending some time focusing on our harpsichord servicing, as well as piano action rebuilding.

Apprentice

While new to the piano service industry, Sean brings an infectious enthusiasm and awesome mechanical aptitude to the table.  

Get More Info : Piano Restoration

Website : https://www.newyorkpianoworks.com/

Contact Us : Polyester Piano finish repair

Our Team | Grand Piano Regulation

Founder and Lead Technician

Scott has trained at Steinway and Mason and Hamlin and is a Certified Dampp-Chaser Installer. Experienced in all aspects of tuning, repair, and restoration, Scott passed his exams to become a Registered Piano Technician of the Piano Technicians Guild in 2012. A dedicated technician with over ten years in the industry, Scott is committed to making your piano the best that it can be! 

Piano technician

Following a rigorous apprenticeship, and having graduated from the New York School of Piano Technology, Al is pleased to be a member of the New York Piano Works team. He is an Associate Member of the Piano Technicians Guild and a Certified Dampp Chaser Installer. Al has a degree in Piano Performance from SUNY Ulster.

Piano Technician

Christopher has recently completed an intensive apprenticeship program with Scott, gaining the knowledge and skills to succeed in this challenging field. While new to the industry, he is excited to learn and grow as much as he can and make any piano the best it can be!

Shop/Harpsichord technician

A lifelong woodworker and experienced guitar technician, Jeromy discovered an interest in piano work while servicing guitars at our shop. A trained pianist, Jeromy is spending some time focusing on our harpsichord servicing, as well as piano action rebuilding.

Apprentice

While new to the piano service industry, Sean brings an infectious enthusiasm and awesome mechanical aptitude to the table. 

Get More Info : Grand Piano Regulation

Website : https://www.newyorkpianoworks.com/

Contact Us : Piano Restoration