Piano Voicing

Piano Voicing Services

At Ken Coleman's Piano Services, we know that every piano has its own unique sound. One might be described as "glassy," another as "warm". One might have a "full singing" tone, and yet another sounds "thin." Although the original design establishes the essential character of your piano's tone, Ken can modify it to better suit your taste or restore its original tone if it has deteriorated with age or neglect.


If you have recently purchased a new or used piano, call Ken today for your free phone consultation. We also offer the best services at affordable prices and are dedicated to all clients throughout Buck and Montgomery County, VA. To speak with Ken or to schedule an appointment, call today at 215-663-2393.

Quick, courteous, and professional. Called to confirm time the night before. Played a beautiful song to check the tuning so also a performance! One of our keys stopped working in the next week and he came right back to fix it.

What Is the Difference Between Tuning and Voicing?

Tuning

Tuning is the adjustment of the tension of all of your piano's strings to the correct pitch or frequency. This ensures that notes played in the musical intervals will sound in harmony.

Voicing

Voicing is the adjustment of tone or the quality of sound for your piano. Tone can be changed without affecting the pitch, but with Ken's extensive experience, he can voice a piano to change its tonal personality from mellow to bright or robust to delicate. The degree of change is possible depending on the piano's design and condition.

What Is a Good Tone?

The tone varies, even among pianos of the same make and model. A good piano should provide a wide range of tone, from soft, sweet, loud, and bright. The tone should be even from the lowest to the highest notes.


There is no single answer for the perfect sounding piano. This is due to everyone having different tastes. Certain tonal characteristics are also more suited to specific styles of music.


A piano's tone changes over time from use. The hammers wear down, and the tone may start to sound harsh. When your parts wear down, the regulation becomes uneven, and the pianist loses control over volume and tone. This means it can become challenging to play, and some keys may not sound at all if played very lightly.

Other Factors that Affect Sound:

Room Acoustics

The hard shiny surfaces such as windows and bare floors reflect high frequencies, making a piano sound bright and loud. High ceilings or large adjoining rooms add resonance. Rugs and upholstered furniture soften the tone and add warmth.

The Lid

Both grands and verticals sound louder and bright if the lid is opened.

You

Your ears are sensitive and will perceive sound differently if you have spent all day in a quiet office or at a loud construction site.

Does My Piano Need Voicing?

Sounding Off?

Your piano will start to sound different than when it did when you purchased it.

Don't Like The Sound

If you don't like the sound of the piano even after being tuned.

Tone

Tone varies radically from note to note.

Volume

You cannot achieve a range of tone at a different volumes.

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