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Piano Tuner West Virginia Continues Explanation of Piano Action Regulation

As your piano tuner West Virginia and the surrounding areas, I have been posting blog articles about the meaning of the term piano “action regulation.” Our previous article gave an overview of the meaning of the term, and this article will begin giving specific information on the procedure. If you have not read our previous article giving an overview of the term “action regulation,” this would be a good time to read it, so that the information in this article will be more easily understood.

Of the ten major adjustments performed on a piano action, the most common is the piano hammer blow distance. On both a grand and a vertical piano the distance that a resting hammer sits from the string is called the hammer blow distance. Depending on the brand of the piano, it is typically about 1 3/4″. On both types of pianos, the distance tends to increase as various felt and buckskin parts of the action get compressed with use of the piano. One reason this adjustment gets “out of regulation” faster than others, is that piano hammers sit at the end of a long shaft, which is a type of lever. Any changes in the compression of parts leading to the hammer get magnified 5-7 times due to the design of a lever.

When the piano hammer blow gets out of regulation, the pianist must loses the ability to play sensitively. Each key must be played with extra force than it should be in order for the hammer to cover the additional distance to the string. Additionally, the force needed will vary from note to note, because the wear on a piano action is uneven due to the fact that some notes are played more often than others. As a result, it becomes more difficult to play an even and beautiful phrase of music. The regulation of the hammer blow on a home piano typically should be performed every 3-5 years. This measurement is something we check at every piano tuning, and we will advise you when it needs to be adjusted.

If you have any questions about pianos, please let us know. Harker Piano Service is your Piano Tuning West Virginia expert. We also provide piano services in the surrounding areas.

Piano Tuner West Virginia Explains Piano Action Regulation

As your piano tuner West Virginia and the surrounding areas, I find there is often confusion among piano owners as to the meaning of the term “action regulation.” This article will give an overview of the meaning of the term, and subsequent articles will give specific information on the procedure.

The design of a piano action was an important breakthrough, because it made possible having a “touch-sensitive”action on a concert instrument. Prior to the invention of the piano action, the only touch-sensitive piano keyboard instrument was the clavichord, which had so soft a tone that it could be used only in a small room. The invention of the piano action stemmed from the concept of an escapement mechanism which would move the propelling mechanism when a hammer is close to the string, so that the hammer may strike the string and rebound, allowing the string to vibrate at a higher volume, suitable for a concert hall.

It takes a relatively complex mechanism to not only accomplish the initial strike of the string, but also to return the mechanism quickly to home position, so that the note may be struck again in rapid succession. The initial structure, which allows escapement is called a “jack.” The portion of the mechanism that allows rapid return of the jack for subsequent striking is called the repetition lever. A piano action uses these parts and all three types of levers in a very precise arrangement. The modern piano action has ten major adjustments and numerous minor alignments and settings in order for the action to work properly. Some of these adjustments are relatively stable, and some need adjusting every few years, in order for the action to work properly.

Making these adjustments to the piano action is termed “action regulation.” Action regulation can have many meanings. It can mean simply adjusting one variable, or any number of them, depending on what the piano needs. A “complete action regulation” usually means that the technician will check and/or adjust every variable.

Our next article will describe various specific action regulation procedures. If you have any questions about pianos, please let us know. Harker Piano Service is your piano tuning West Virginia expert. We also provide professional piano services in the surrounding areas.

Piano Tuner West Virginia on Strings in a Piano

As your piano tuner West Virginia and the surrounding areas, I am occasionally asked about the types of strings used in a piano. A piano has a wide range of pitches, requiring different sizes and types of strings. If you have a grand piano, it is easy to look at the different string types and sizes that we will discuss. If you have a vertical piano and are not able to see the strings, we will try to describe them well enough that you can visualize them. Please ask us to show them to you at your next tuning.

Generally there are two types of piano strings, but many sizes of strings. All the strings are made of high tension steel. The strings in the middle and treble of a piano are called “plain wire” strings, as they are made of a single piece of steel wire. The bass strings have a high tension steel core, but are covered with a copper winding. We will discuss each separately.

The plain wire piano strings come in many diameters and lengths. The reason is that a shorter and thinner string will have a higher pitch, and a thicker and longer string will have a lower pitch. The strings at the very top of the treble section are only a couple inches long and are the thinnest wire. Heading from there to toward the bass, each piano string is made slightly longer. The diameter does not change with each string, but changes every few piano strings. There are three strings per note in the area where there are plain wire strings. Three strings are used instead on one for greater volume.

The bass strings are wound with copper to make them lower pitched. If the piano construction had continued with plain wire all the way to the bottom of the bass section, the piano would need to be 20 feet long in a grand piano or 20 feet tall in a vertical piano. It would not be practical to have a piano that size. By making the strings thicker, then the pitch is lower. Because these strings are thicker, three strings per note will not fit in the piano. As a result, there are two strings per note in the tenor section, and one very thick string per note in the bass section.

If you have any other questions about pianos, please let us know. Harker Piano Service is your West Virginia piano tuning expert. We also provide professional piano services in the West Virginia surrounding areas.

Piano Tuner West Virginia on Types of Wood in the Piano Action

As your piano tuner West Virginia and the surrounding areas, I am occasionally asked about the types of wood used in a piano. Piano owners typically believe that a piano is made out of a single types of wood. In fact, every piano is made of several types of wood. The reason is that different parts of a piano have different stresses and have varying requirements of weight and strength.

One of our recent articles discussed the types of wood used in the outside piano case and in the soundboard. This article will talk about the types of wood used in the mechanical part of the piano, the piano “action.” The action includes the everything from the keys to the piano hammers that strike the piano strings. In short, everything that moves. We will start with the keys. The keys need to be very light, so that they will react quickly to the touch of the pianist’s hands. For that reason, they are usually made of pine, a light soft wood. The keys must withstand large forces, however, and the soft wood would not be able to do that. To prevent problems, a maple inset is glued in each key at the pivot point, where most of the force is centered. Maple is one of the hardest woods.

The upward movement at the back of the piano key is transferred to the next piece of wood, called the wippen. The wippen is a complex structure made of several pieces of hardwood, since the forces on it are considerable. From the wippen, movement is transferred to the hammer shank. These are almost universally made of maple, as the forces on this piece are the greatest in a piano. The hammer shank is thrust toward the strings at high speed for greatest volume.

At the end of the long lever of the shank, the hammer is glued. Hammers are usually made of maple at their core, although some pianos use mahogany. The hammer is covered in high quality felt, so it will withstand thousands of impacts with the strings. The damper mechanism is located behind the piano action, and is usually made of maple as well.

If you have any questions about pianos or piano tuning West Virginia or the surrounding areas, please feel free to contact us at Harker Piano Service. We are your piano tuner West Virginia and the surrounding areas piano services experts.

Piano Tuner West Virginia Explains Piano Rebuilding

As your piano tuner West Virginia and the surrounding areas, I am often asked what is meant by the term, “piano rebuilding.” It turns out that the term has no specific meaning. Generally, it means whatever work that needs to be done on a piano that requires the instrument to be moved out of the house and to a shop for piano repairs. Even the term “complete rebuilding” can have several meanings. If a piano is to be sent to a shop for repairs, very specific itemization should be done to indicate exactly which repairs will be done.

For example, if work is to be done on the piano soundboard, it should be specified whether the soundboard is to be repaired or replaced. The cost for those two varies enormously, so it is important to specify. Also, if the soundboard is to be repaired, what type of repairs will be done. For example, soundboard cracks may be repaired and the soundboard refinished, but whether the soundboard is to be secured to ribs below and the type of securing should be specified, since there are several ways to secure the soundboard.

Another example regards the work done to the action, the mechanical portion of the instrument. There are many ways to rebuild a piano action. Some rebuilders replace only the hammers and leave all the other action parts original. Some piano rebuilders will replace the piano hammer shanks, wippens, key bushings, and back action(dampers). There is a great difference in price depending on what parts are replaced. In addition, there is a great variation in the price of parts, depending on the maker of those parts. There is controversy among piano technicians as to which parts are superior. The price is not a reliable indicator, according to some technicians.

If you have any questions about pianos, piano tuning, or piano repairs, please consult us. Harker Piano Service is your piano tuning West Virginia experts, and we provide professional piano services in the surrounding areas as well.

Piano Tuner West Virginia on the Types of Wood in a Piano

As your piano tuner West Virginia and the surrounding areas, I am occasionally asked about the types of wood used in a piano. The prevailing belief is that a piano would be made out of a single type of wood. Just the opposite is true. Several types of wood are used in each piano. Their location is determined by the stresses and needs of each particular structure.

We will start with the case of the piano; that is, the outside portion. On a grand piano that is universally a layered wood. The term plywood has the connotation of being poor quality, which is not true for these structures. Because of the curves of a grand piano, a solid wood could not be used. Layers of thin pieces of wood are stacked with wet glue between them. they are then put into a press that determines the bent shape of the piano case. The glue is then allowed to dry, or in some brands it is electrically stimulated to dry fast, holding the piano rim in the desired bent shape.

Upright pianos do not have a bent shape, so the previous process is not used. Usually they are made of flat pieces of layered wood, although some less expensive pianos use fiber board.

The soundboards of most pianos are made of Sitka spruce from Alaska. This wood has been found to transmit sound waves faster along its grain than other types of wood. A typical soundboard is 3/8″ thick with ribs glued across the grain of the wood to create a convex, or “crowned” shape that is a live vibrating surface. The piano soundboard is what amplifies the sound of the strings. If you look at the soundboard of your piano, you will see that the grain runs perpendicular to the piano strings. This design spreads the sound more quickly across the entire soundboard, since sound runs more quickly with the grain of the wood than across it.

Our next post will discuss the types of wood used in the mechanical portion of pianos. If you have any questions about pianos, please let us know. We are your West Virginia piano tuning and the surrounding areas experts.

Piano Tuner West Virginia on the Benefits of Playing Piano

As your piano tuner West Virginia and the surrounding areas, I am occasionally asked about the benefits for a child learning to play piano. Several studies on pianists have reported that children who study piano tend to enhance their ability to easily learn math and reading comprehension skills, and have more success in multiple areas of their adult lives.

For a child to learn piano, then, is not simply to have the joy and satisfaction of playing music, but also to gain other advantages. The reasons for these additional benefits may not be obvious.

One clue is that neurologists report that playing piano is one of the most complex neural activities that they have found that a person can perform. That means that playing piano requires extensive use of multiple areas of the brain, which must coordinate in order for music to occur. That kind of demand on the brain results in the growing ability to perform complex functions.

For example, the fingers and hands must coordinate typically several fingers at the same time, not only to play the notes, but also to play sensitively so that a beautiful line of music results. Changes in the fingering also often must occur rapidly and in groups. Piano music usually does not just use one finger at a time. The pianist must often change the position of four or five fingers at the same time in a fraction of a second.

As if that weren’t enough, the pianist must also synchronize the use of the feet on the pedals at the same time. Every time a new appendage is used, a whole new level of complexity is added for the brain to coordinate.

That takes care of the motor skills for controlling the hands and feet, but next we must consider what it takes to read and perform music. The pitch of the notes is one thing, but additionally the pianist must at the same time read the timing of each note and the rhythm of the entire piece, all while controlling the hands and feet.

As it that were not enough, a whole additional level of complexity results when the pianist plays with another instrumentalist. At that time, all the music must coincide with that of another person. Both musicians must be aware of volume, rhythm and accuracy of playing all at the same time.

All of these skills, then, translate quite well to skills in multiple areas of life. Giving a child the opportunity to study music can be an extraordinary gift for you to give.

If you have any questions about pianos, please let us know. Keeping your piano tuned on a regular basis will help to ensure the best possible results when playing your piano. Harker Piano Service is your piano tuning West Virginia expert piano technician. We also provide piano tuning, repairs and maintenance in the the surrounding areas.

Piano Tuner West Virginia on Cleaning a Piano

As your piano tuner West Virginia and the surrounding areas, I am occasionally asked whether dirt and dust has any detrimental effect on a piano. Typically vertical pianos are closed up, so that whatever dirt gets inside does not effect function very much. A grand piano, on the other hand, is open much of the time and dirt and dust can collect on the piano soundboard and plate, and can find its way through the stings and piano keys into the action.

Dust in the action does not do much harm in the short run, but over years it can make the piano action sluggish and insensitive to your touch, making it more difficult to play a beautiful line of music. Dust that filters between the piano keys ends up on the key bed below, where it can disrupt the proper lateral movement of the piano keyboard when using the soft pedal. This typically manifests as a squeak when the pedal is depressed. This squeak results from strain to the mechanism due to the increased friction caused by the dust.

Several levels or types of piano cleaning are possible for a grand piano, depending on the amount of dust and its location. These should all be done by a professional, in order to protect fragile elements of the instrument. The most common and most frequent type of cleaning is to dust the soundboard and vacuum the plate around the tuning pins. A special tool called a soundboard steel is used to push a dust cloth around under the strings to remove dirt from the soundboard. A brush is used with the vacuum to remove dirt from around the tuning pins. This process is usually performed every 1-2 years.

A less frequent type of cleaning involves vacuuming the key bed, so that the action slides easily with use of the soft pedal. This type of cleaning is more expensive, since it requires removal of the keyboard and piano action. This is usually done every 3-5 years.

The least frequent type of cleaning involves cleaning and lubricating the action to restore the original speed of repetition and ease of playing. This is typically done every 15-20 years. This usually involves polishing the front and balance key pins, and polishing the capstans at the back of each key. At this time, the piano hammer and wippen flange action centers would be evaluated to make sure their operation is within proper tolerances.

If you have any questions about pianos, please consult us. Harker Piano Service is your West Virginia piano tuning expert. We also provide professional piano tuning services in the surrounding areas.

Piano Tuner West Virginia Explains Repetition

As your piano tuner West Virginia and the surrounding areas, I am occasionally asked about the term, “repetition,” as it relates to piano playing. An additional question is often, “What type of piano has the fastest repetition?” This post will explain both issues. If you have not read the preceding post of basic information about piano actions, this is a good time to read it before proceeding with this post.

Repetition can be defined as the speed with which a pianist can repeat the same note. Some piano music requires a single note to be repeated quickly, but most often this is encountered when the music calls for a trill, or the fast repetition of two alternating notes. A well-designed piano action will allow the pianist to repeat the notes quickly, without “cheating,” which is a failure of the note to play on the second strike.

Pianos did not always repeat notes quickly and easily. Mechanically, it is difficult to design a piano action in such a way that the striking mechanism of the action returns to its proper position quickly after a note is played, so that the same note can be repeated. The big breakthrough in design came in 1821 when a French piano maker, Erard, designed what is now known as the “modern repetition lever.” The repetition lever helps to quickly reset the elements of the grand piano action, so that the same note can be repeated even before the key reaches the top of its rest position. Prior to this invention, there were several designs of grand piano actions, including the “Viennese action” used by Mozart. Once the repetition lever was invented, all other designs of grand piano actions became obsolete. Every grand piano made today uses this design.

The problem is that the design does not translate to the vertical piano. As a result, a properly regulated grand piano action will give faster repetition than a vertical piano action.

If you have other questions about pianos, or wish to schedule a tuning or piano maintenance for your piano, please give us a call. Harker Piano Service is your professional piano tuner West Virginia.

Piano Tuner West Virginia Describes a Piano Action

As your piano tuner West Virginia and the surrounding areas, I find that piano owners are often uninformed about the piano action portion of a piano. A piano action consists of all the mechanical portion of the piano from the keys up to the hammers that strike the piano strings. This post is designed to give some basic information about this important part of a piano.

The piano action is relatively complex in design, because mechanically it is relatively difficult to have a piano hammer strike a string once, then rebound allowing the string to vibrate freely, then stop the string from vibrating, and be able to repeat the whole process immediately. In order to accomplish all this, a piano action has ten major adjustments and numerous minor alignments. Since the piano action is made out of wood, felt and buckskin, these adjustments need to be regulated from time to time.

Alignment problems can occur when the wood warps slightly as it ages. If the warping is significant enough, a part may touch an adjoining part, causing the note to malfunction. More commonly, notes get out of adjustment because of compression of felt parts. Typically, two of the ten major adjustments need to be regulated every three to five years. Those two adjustments are the “hammer blow” distance and “lost motion.” They are usually regulated at the same time.

The hammer blow is the distance from the string that the hammer sits when at rest. This amount differs slightly from brand to brand, but it is usually designed to be around 1 3/4″. On a vertical piano, as the felt on the hammer rest rail compresses with age, this distance becomes too long. At the same time, the felt in two other places in the piano action gets compressed, as well, resulting in “lost motion.” Lost motion manifests as play in the top of the piano keys before anything happens in the action. When these two things occur, the pianist loses sensitivity of touch. That is, control over dynamics becomes much more difficult, so that playing a beautiful line of music becomes impossible.

On a grand piano, the single adjustment of the hammer blow distance takes care of the problem, without the need to adjust lost motion.

Each of these adjustments are checked at the time of tuning, when you call your piano tuning West Virginia expert, Harker Piano Service. Please give us a call for quality piano service.

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Robert Harker