<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1106" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: = Verdana" bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7><FONT id=rol= e_document face=Verdana color=#000000 size=3> <DIV>Hi All,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>A while back, I put out a post about a sheet with piano service informa= tion on it, written for the layman.  Here's what I came up with.  It's short, easy, and it fits on one page.  The brevity of it really appeals= to customers.  People who have just purchased instruments are happy to hav= e something to chew on, albeit piantech-Lite.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Any criticisms, witticisms, and suggestions will be appreciated and considered for the next iteration.  Feel free to use this in whole or i= n part as a public resource (insert your name instead of mine, of course!)</DI= V> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Thanks for reading,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Dave Stahl</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#0000ff>Piano Service Recommendations</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#0000ff></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#0000ff>All pianos need periodic maintenance.  Depen= ding on the type of piano you own, the climatic/environmental conditions the pian= o is exposed to, and the frequency and intensity of play, service intervals will = vary greatly.  The three main areas of in-home piano maintenance are <U>Tuning</U>, <U>Regulation</U>, and <U>Voicing</U>.</FONT></DIV><FONT color=#0000ff> <DIV><BR><U>Tuning</U> is the area that will need to be addressed by your technician most frequently.  Tuning consists of adjusting tension of th= e piano strings so that they are at the proper pitch.  Maintaining standa= rd concert pitch--A 4, the A above middle C, set to 440 Hz., or cycles per second--is important for the developing ear. </DIV> <DIV><BR>New pianos usually need to be tuned more frequently than older ones.  Strings are still stretching, the various wood components are st= ill adjusting to the relative humidity in your home.  The piano is not a st= atic object.  Tuning can change dramatically in a short period of time due t= o climatic changes.  Most manufacturers recommend that their pianos get t= uned 3-4 times in the first year.  Though our climate in the San Francisco B= ay Area is a bit more hospitable to pianos than most,   Your piano sh= ould be tuned twice a year for the first 2-3 years in order to maintain and stabi= lize at concert pitch .</DIV> <DIV><BR>Tuning older pianos is necessary as well, but they are more likely = able to hold tune for longer periods of time.  Let your ear be your guide, b= ut if the piano gets played or is in an environment with changing climate, once= a year is the normal recommendation.  Even if the piano never gets played= , letting it go for more than 3 years without attention is probably not a good= idea.  Once an old piano drops well below concert pitch, there can be problems associated with pitch adjustment*.<BR>Pianos develop squeaks, click= s, clunks, buzzes, and other annoying noises that can be a detriment to your playing enjoyment.  Many technicians will deal with these at your regul= ar tuning call, as they come up, if you have your piano serviced regularly.</DI= V> <DIV><BR><U>Regulation</U> becomes necessary when various felt and leather p= arts in your pianoâ€™s action** have become compressed or changed shape fro= m wear.  There are several points of regulation that should be addressed within your first few years of ownership to insure that the action performs = as it should. <BR>A complete regulation is seldom necessary on newer instrument= s, but there are several functions that should be addressed within 1-3 years of= delivery, particularly on grand pianos.  If you are interested, I will = be happy to demonstrate how your piano action operates.  </DIV> <DIV><BR><U>Voicing</U> deals with the tone of your piano. What is â€= śgoodâ€ť tone quality?  That is up to the owner-player of the instrument.  Some = like a bright, lively sound, while others prefer a mellow, and darker sound.&nbsp= ; Whatever type of tone you prefer, a piano should be able to play soft passag= es with delicacy, and loud passages with brilliance and powerâ€”within th= e limits of the instrument, of course. </DIV> <DIV><BR>In order to be properly voiced, a piano needs to be well regulated = and tuned to ensure that the inconsistencies in tone are not because the piano i= s out of tune or because the action plays unevenly. Sometimes voicing is a mat= ter of going through all of the hammers to soften or brighten the tone, and sometimes itâ€™s just evening out the tone by voicing a few hammers or= sections of hammers that are overly bright.  </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#0000ff></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#0000ff>*Pitch Adjustment: this is necessary when a piano= gets too far below (or above) pitch.  In short, it is a rough tuning to get = the piano close enough to pitch so that fine-tuning is possible.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#0000ff></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#0000ff>**Action:  all of the moving parts between t= he key and the string)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#0000ff></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#0000ff>This is just a brief outline of maintenance that = your piano will need during its time in your home if you want an instrument that sounds good and plays as intended by the manufacturer. If you would like mor= e detailed information about specific functions, feel free to <BR>contact me at:<BR>650-224-3560<BR></FONT><A href="mailto:Velopresto@AOL.com">Velopresto@AOL.com</A></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#0000ff></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Trebuchet MS" color=#0000ff><FONT face=Verdana>Thanks= for reading! <BR>Dave Stahl / Dave Stahl Piano Service</FONT><BR></FONT></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>