Every piano is simply unique with its own particular sound. One can be ‘warm’ while another might be ‘glassy’. One particular sound can have ‘full singing’ tone whereas the other might sound ‘thin’. The technician can certainly modify the piano’s tone to better suit your requirements but the original ones come with the basic character of piano’s tone. The modification can be based on your taste and the original tone can also be restored. This change and modification is mainly called piano regulation and voicing.
An assiduous piano owner, you probably get your piano tuned regularly by a qualified technician or a professional. However, despite regular tuning, there might be a deterioration in the piano’s performance. Thus, the piano regularly requires a servicing which is called regulation. In regulation, the mechanical parts behind the keys which cause the strings to play are attended and the sound is affected by the use of pedals. The touch is all about preferences and tastes.
- Regulating
An exacting and correcting art that requires patience and tenacity as the technician has to make approximately 20-25 changes for every single key. For pianos which are used regularly, the process should be done every 5 to 6 years.
The two categories of regulation are – upright and grand regulation. An experienced technician usually has long experience and can recommend the best your piano needs.
- Voicing
Similar to regulation, voicing is also an exacting process and requires a lot of skills. While regulation should be done after 5 to 6 years, voicing should be done annually or after 2 to 3 years depending upon the usage. But every time voicing is to be done, regulation of the piano is a must before.
- Does the piano need Regulation and voicing?
Before settling on the decision of whether the piano needs tuning or not, make sure first that it is well-tuned and well regulated. Try playing a wide variety of music. Try to explore before deciding on voicing because most voicing procedures are long-lasting. How frequently you need to get the voicing done mainly depends on the usage of your instruments and the audience it targets. Before concerts, usually, the pianos are tuned and voiced, even in case of recording studios. A personal use home piano might also need some ground-level voicing customization as per the owner’s taste. For home pianos, the voicing might be done once every year or after five years to maintain its perfect tone.
Usually, all pianos need regular regulation for the best performance. The frequency of regulation mainly depends on the usage, exposure to climatic conditions and quality, age, and condition of the instrument. In the first year, the settling and compacting of parts might need adjustments. It is advised to assist the technician to know how frequently the regulation should be done. A piano in a harsh and tough climate requires much more advantages than the one kept in relatively consistent conditions.
Always make sure you go for an experienced technician for your piano regulation and voicing. Because none wants to harm his possession.