#Piano tuner columbia sc professional#

Over time they can oxidize and become covered with rust. The tenor and treble strings are the shiny, silver strings. These strings are the large 'wound' strings on the left side of the piano. With too much age bass strings can rattle & buzz, and ultimately produce an unfavorable tone. Restringing is the removal and replacement of the bass, tenor and treble strings.īass strings are custom ordered to fit exactly. The damper system is the mechanical parts of the piano that stops the vibration of the string when you release the key. The trapwork connects that pedals to the action, affecting sustain and dynamics. The action is the mechanical part the of piano that transfers the motion of the fingers on the keys to the hammers that strike the strings.

There are 3 systems involved in regulation – the action, trapwork and the damper system. Regulation is the adjustment of the mechanical aspects of the piano to compensate for the effects of wear. Iron the felt to bring out the focus of sound. Harden the hammer felt to increase volume. Soften certain areas of he hammer felts with needles or steam to reduce brightness. Mate hammers to strings to improve clarity. Here are some examples of the procedures of voicing. The degree of change possible depends up the piano’s design and condition. The tonal personality can be mellow to bright or robust to delicate. Tone can be changed without affecting the pitch. The voicing is great.Voicing is the adjustment of a piano’s tone or quality of sound. “It’s one of theĬoncert pianos in the Recital Hall,” he says. Of 120 pianos in the School the Music one stands out to Williams. The director of piano services, he’s responsible for keeping as many as 375 piano pedals, 11,000 piano keys and 29,500 piano strings in working order, which includes tuning and voicing the school’s four Steinway & Last year, Williams moved to Columbia to join the staff at the School of Music. The Midwest to serve as a staff piano technician at the University of Nebraska. For 15 years, he was self-employed, logging more than 50,000 milesĪ year while working on pianos throughout the state of Washington. He completed his training and passed the certification tests to become a registered Variety of projects that I could take on.”

It was an ideal environment to learn, Williams explains. Where he learned to do everything from replacing strings to rebuilding keyboards. As he watched the technician tune the instrument WilliamsĪ two-year apprenticeship under Steve Brady at the University of Washington followed So Williams got his piano back fromĪ cousin and got it tuned. To convince him to reconsider a piano career. “I studied engineering, then business and finally earned a degree inīut working for a subsidiary of publishing giant McGraw Hill for a few years was enough

#Piano tuner columbia sc professional#

He saw concerts by leading pianists, such as Van Cliburn and Arthur Rubenstein.Īnd he grew up thinking he would one day be a professional with a career in the spotlight.īut his father, a banker, persuaded him to pursue “more practical” career options, Most recently he tuned the piano used by Academy Award and Grammy winning songwriterīurt Bacharach during a visit to the University of South Carolina.Ī student of piano throughout of his childhood, Williams mastered works by ChopinĪnd Mozart. Used in ensembles featuring the likes of Itzhak Perlman, Yo Yo Ma and Winton Marsalis. Tuning, voicing and repairs right hundreds of times. “I guess I got that one right,” says Williams, who is the director of piano servicesĭuring his 25-year career as a registered piano technician, Williams has gotten the “I was nervous until the sound check,” Williams recalls. Winner, Williams worked feverishly tuning and voicing the piano Corea would play. Leading up to that performance by the Grammy 14, 2007, not because it was Valentine’s Day, but for theĬoncert given by jazz pianist Chick Corea. School of Music piano technician Paul Williams keeps 120 pianos in working order byĭoing everything from replacing strings to rebuilding keyboards.

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