Over years of heavy playing, the soft felt hammers in your piano become deeply grooved and compacted by striking the steel strings. This hard, flat striking surface creates a harsh, overly bright, and sometimes metallic tone. A master piano technician can perform a process called 'voicing'—carefully using needles to loosen the compacted felt and reshape the hammers, restoring the piano's original warm, singing tone.
The Impact of Compacted Felt
When a piano is brand new, the hammers are shaped like a teardrop and the felt at the striking point is resilient. As you play, the massive tension of the steel strings acts like an anvil, crushing the felt layer by layer. Eventually, the hammer essentially turns into a hard rock. A hard hammer produces more high-frequency overtones, leading to a thin, glass-like sound.
What is Voicing?
Voicing (or tone regulation) is an art form. Unlike tuning, which only adjusts the pitch of the strings, voicing directly manipulates the density of the hammer felt. Our chief technician uses a specialized voicing tool equipped with fine needles to prick the shoulders of the hammer. This releases the internal tension of the felt, softening the strike and bringing out the fundamental, warm frequencies of the piano.
Is Your Piano Ready for Voicing?
Before voicing, a piano must be perfectly tuned and regulated. The strings must be seated, and the action must be smooth. If your piano still sounds harsh after a fresh tuning, it is likely time for professional voicing. Contact Piano Movers Toronto today to schedule an acoustic assessment with our master technicians.