Regulation and Voicing

Before a piano comes into its true personality, years of fine tuning must be performed, hopefully by the same piano technician. Steinway used to provide a small amount of this on its concert pianos, but economics now require the owner to request it. Unless you know what you want and what the piano lacks, of course, it is impossible to tell an expert what he should do for you, somewhat like biology class in high school, when only the future biologists sitting erect in the front row understand the teacher well enough to ask intelligent questions.

    This piano had the advantage of having a fine technician of my acquaintance work on it consistently before it began the long journey to Nepal in its shrinkwrap coffin, to prevent any temperature differences from affecting it en route.

    Once transferred by helicopter and flown in to the site, which the pilot estimated at just below 18,000 feet, setting quite a few absurd records (for instance, altitude reached by a grand piano, altitude for a helicopter carrying a grand piano, stupidity of everyone involved), I myself was called upon to assemble its lid, legs and lyre (the pedal holder). I also performed more serious adjustments, as a more or less competent amateur regulator since my conservatory days.

    Those of you who wish to frolic in the meadow may do so, or skip to a subject of more interest. Those hearty few who are just now uncorking that second bottle of Burgundy and settling in for a stormy night may wish to continue. I will be brief.

    Following Brinkerhoff's wishes, I adjusted the una corda positions of the hammers. The una corda or soft pedal, shifts the entire keybed of the piano over, including the keyboard, so that the hammers hit two instead of three strings. If the hammers do not strike the strings perfectly, using the soft pedal makes the piano sound thin.