I want to take a step back from my usual blog writing to offer a special thank-you to the crew at Bethesda Piano Tuning by PianoCraft. Their team has been an absolute lifesaver when it comes to my family’s beloved baby grand, which I can finally enjoying playing again! Let me share my story with you.
Our Beloved Baby Grand
I started taking piano lessons as a child but today I play only for a bit of relaxation. However, my beloved Steinway has been in the family for decades! It was bought by my grandparents and given to my mother some years back, and she eventually gifted it to me.
For the first few years of piano ownership, I foolishly hired cheap piano tuning companies, thinking that all piano tuners were alike! After each visit, however, my piano still sounded a bit tinny and high-pitched. I kept scheduling piano tunings, assuming the instrument was simply wearing down due to age. No matter the company I called, my Steinway always sounded a bit “off,” and I was getting very frustrated!
Enter the Experts at Bethesda Piano Tuning by PianoCraft
One day at the office, I told my coworker the problems I was having with my piano and poor-quality tunings. She immediately recommended the team at Bethesda Piano Tuning by PianoCraft. I was hesitant at first, thinking that maybe my piano was just beyond proper tuning. She then told me that she went through the same thing I did when trying to find an expert piano tuning company!
I gave Bethesda Piano Tuning by PianoCraft a call, although I admit I was still skeptical. My skepticism didn’t go away when the tuner they sent seemed to be taking far too long under the piano’s lid! I then realized that he was listening intently to every note rather than rushing through the job.
Once he was finished, I tried a few keys and heard an instant improvement over anything any other tuner had accomplished. Despite that, I still wasn’t hearing the sound I expected, and he noticed my disappointed expression. When I told him what I wanted from the piano, he said that it needed voicing as well as tuning!
Being a mere hobbyist, I had no idea what he meant by voicing. He then explained that piano voicing is the process of adjusting the piano’s wires and other moving parts to slightly alter the sound produced. Voicing might create a fuller, deeper tone or it might allow for better quality from the piano’s higher notes.