VOICING.

Piano hammers are made of a very dense felt wrapped around a piece of wood. The manufacture of the hammer builds forces of tension and compression into it, which creates an elastic striking surface. The nature of the hammer and the way it strikes and rebounds from the string has a lot to do with the characteristic tone of the piano. Over time, and with use, the surface of the hammer gets compressed and flattened, which produces a less and less desirable sound. The piano may seem very "bright" or harsh, and the sound may appear to die away more quickly than when it was new. It may be hard to play quietly. On the other hand, if the hammers are too soft, the piano will produce a "muted" or muffled sound. Both of these situations can be improved by working with the hammers, although in some cases new hammers are a better solution.
Regulation
Regulation refers to adjustments made to the piano action—the keys, hammers, pedals, dampers, and the mechanisms in between. A piano that is out of regulation will often still work, but might be compromised in several ways. The action might not be delivering the player’s full power to the strings. The touch may be unpredictable from note to note, making quiet playing impossible. The hammers might not reset quickly enough for fast repetition, making it hard to play repeated notes and trills. Some notes may not even play in certain circumstances or with a certain touch. A complete regulation should not be required very often for a home piano, but frequent touch-ups help keep the piano playing well.
Piano hammers are made of a very dense felt wrapped around a piece of wood. The manufacture of the hammer builds forces of tension and compression into it, which creates an elastic striking surface. The nature of the hammer and the way it strikes and rebounds from the string has a lot to do with the characteristic tone of the piano. Over time, and with use, the surface of the hammer gets compressed and flattened, which produces a less and less desirable sound. The piano may seem very "bright" or harsh, and the sound may appear to die away more quickly than when it was new. It may be hard to play quietly. On the other hand, if the hammers are too soft, the piano will produce a "muted" or muffled sound. Both of these situations can be improved by working with the hammers, although in some cases new hammers are a better solution.
Regulation
Regulation refers to adjustments made to the piano action—the keys, hammers, pedals, dampers, and the mechanisms in between. A piano that is out of regulation will often still work, but might be compromised in several ways. The action might not be delivering the player’s full power to the strings. The touch may be unpredictable from note to note, making quiet playing impossible. The hammers might not reset quickly enough for fast repetition, making it hard to play repeated notes and trills. Some notes may not even play in certain circumstances or with a certain touch. A complete regulation should not be required very often for a home piano, but frequent touch-ups help keep the piano playing well.