The Unsung Hero of Piano Maintenance: Piano Regulation 101
When most people think of piano maintenance, tuning is usually the first - and only - thing on their mind.
There is no question, keeping your piano in tune is essential. However, there is another aspect of piano maintenance that often goes overlooked - indeed, many people are completely unaware of it. That aspect is piano regulation.
If you’ve never heard of regulation, no worries; you’re not alone. Talk of regulation is often confined to conversations between fellow technicians. However, if your piano feels sluggish, unresponsive, or simply doesn’t play quite like it used to, regulation is more than likely exactly what is needed.
Which begs the question:
What Is Piano Regulation?
In short, regulation is the process of making adjustments to the internal mechanism of your piano in order for it to work smoothly and efficiently. A piano is a complex machine, made of thousands of moving parts. Most of those parts are made of felt or wood, two materials that tend to degrade and compress over time. As a result, each of those parts needs to be properly aligned and adjusted so that they can work together to make the piano perform at its best.
That is the goal of regulation: to compensate for the gradual degradation and misalignment of your piano’s internal mechanism. While tuning effects the sound of your piano, regulation is all about the responsiveness and feel of the keys.
Why Pianos Need Regulation
As mentioned before, the thousands of parts in your piano can, over time, degrade or get misaligned. There are some easily identifiable symptoms of a piano that is out of regulation:
Keys that feel uneven or “sticky”
Inconsistent feeling from key to key
Notes that don’t repeat as quickly as they should, or fail to repeat altogether
Ultimately, what may tip you off that your piano might need regulation is that it just doesn’t seem to play quite like it used to. Think of it like getting a tune-up for your car. Over time, your car’s parts need maintenance: new belts, topped-off or changed fluids, and other adjustments. Just like your vehicle needs these things regularly, your piano needs regulation to keep playing at its best.
What I Do When I Regulate a Piano
If you have me regulate your piano, this is what I focus on, in descending order of importance:
Action Regulation: First and foremost, making sure all of the moving parts between the key and the hammer striking the string work correctly, as well as making sure the dampers go up and down on the strings properly.
Pedal Regulation: Making sure the pedals respond properly and engage correctly.
Key Regulation: Finally, making sure the actual keys themselves move correctly and consistently when played. Piano keys pivot back and forth on pins, and regulating involves adjusting the key’s height and alignment to ensure that is done efficiently.
Each of these processes requires a deep understanding of how a piano works and how all of the different parts interact with one another. There is an extremely high level of precision in regulation; some tolerances are to be kept within a sixteenth of an inch. Depending on your piano’s condition and how often it is played, regulation can make a massive difference in how it feels under your fingers.
How Often Should A Piano Get Regulated?
Just like tuning, regulation is something you want to stay on top of to keep your piano performing at its best. While tuning needs to be done once a year, regulation needs attention at least every few years, especially if it is played frequently or undergoes significant changes in temperature and humidity.
To make it easy, I include regulation as part of my Complete Service Appointment. This comprehensive approach to piano maintenance ensures that your piano not only sounds great, but also plays smoothly and consistently. During a Complete Service, I choose one aspect of regulation mentioned above and work on it for around 45 minutes. This always makes a pretty big, positive difference. Regular maintenance in this way helps keep your instrument in tip-top shape and prevents more significant problems down the road.
Don’t Let Your Piano Lose Its Touch
Even if your piano has been tuned regularly, it might not be playing as well as it could. Regular regulation ensures that your piano feels as good in your fingers as it sounds, giving you a consistent response, a more enjoyable playing experience, and a longer-lasting instrument.
If you’re curious about how your piano could benefit from regulation, don’t hesitate to reach out or make an appointment! I’m happy to work with you to get your instrument back to playing its best!