How to maintain the sound and touch of piano?

By: Peterson Sukhumvit#26

Regulation and Voicing are THE two well kept secrets of piano care. All piano owners know that their instruments will need to be tuned, but rarely have they been exposed to the critical importance and necessity of these aspects of the Cycle of Improvement (Tune-Regulate-Voice).



Regulation –


So, what is regulation? In some regards the expression “to regulate” is a misnomer. When your technician tunes your piano, you know that he is adjusting the pitch. But the piano technician also engages in another type of tuning – regulation.



Pianos are manufactured with 5,000 to 10,000 parts. Each has its own unique function and yet each is woven into a web of intricate relationships much like a family. Hence, when your technician regulates the piano action he or she is aligning action components and timing inter-relationships so that each note on the piano can function at its optimal level. A properly regulated piano produces:

  • a keyboard that feels uniform from note to note 
  • a keyboard that is responsive to rapid-fire fingerings and clean phrasings
  • a keyboard that commands a broad dynamic range
  • musical moments that do not resist the artist’s efforts