My Piano Service Philosophy
Piano work is my passion: Tuning, regulating, voicing and repairing pianos to serve pianists is a great joy for me; I particularly love to service pianos for kids and enthusiastic pianists who share my love of music. I received intensive and comprehensive piano work training from Mr. Richard Bittner, RPT, the founder of the Piano Place in Troy, Michigan, who served as the Central-East regional vice president of the Piano Technicians Guild (PTG) for twelve years. My professional piano work skills are certified by PTG as a Registered Piano Technician (RPT). I had serviced numerous pianos in the greater Ann Arbor and Metro Detroit area in Michigan from 2014 until I relocated to Newton, Massachusetts in 2020. You can find what my clients are saying about my service in online reviews on platforms such as Google review and Yelp review.
Music and science are my two passions: At home, I play piano for my own enjoyment. Before pursuing my piano work, I had intensive experience in scientific research at Stanford University and the University of Michigan. Although piano work and scientific research look very different, there are common components that are essential to both: attention to detail, the precision of the work, and a logical approach to trouble-shooting. To perfect my piano work, I apply the skills that I developed in scientific research in conjunction with my PTG-certified knowledge and skills of piano technology.
Piano tuning:
an endeavor for optimum harmony
I was originally trained as a strictly aural tuner, tuning the whole piano entirely by ear. This training allowed me to "listen" to a piano and perceive the timbre and harmonic sounds that are intrinsic to each individual instrument. Every piano is different, and the tuning process needs to accommodate its unique characteristics. In addition, the physical nature of piano string—steel wire—imposes an inharmonic nature on the piano that makes tuning challenging. Although I now use an electronic tuning device as an aid to make my piano tuning more efficient, aural techniques are essential components of my tuning that I remain deeply dedicated to using.
Piano regulation, voicing & repair
In additon to tuning, I provide piano regulation, voicing and repair services. The performance of a piano depends upon the proper adjustment and condition of its action—including dampers, pedals, keys, hammers, and the mechanisms that transmit force from the key to the hammer. The process of adjusting these components is called "regulation.”
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Tone control of the piano is called voicing. Voicing is essential in getting the best sound out of your piano and allowing the player to create the sounds they want to express in their music.
In cases where it necessary, I also provide repair services for the problems that arise in home use of a piano. One of the most common piano problems is a sticking key: The key will play, but does not return smoothly to its initial position. There are actually 87 possible causes of sticking keys, and addressing the problem requires professional diagnosis and servicing.
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