Curriculum: Regulation
Regulation I (1st Quarter)
Prerequisites: none
Course Length and Type: 10 weeks, 1.5 hours/week;
combined lecture, demonstration and hands-on (lab)
Text Requirements:
Piano Parts and Their Functions by Campbell and Mason, published by the Piano Technicians Guild
Other Text Resources:
Tools Required: all required regulation tools
Course Description:
At End of Course, Student will know and be able to demonstrate
knowledge of:
- All action parts and their regulation structure
- Action geometry issues, and selecting appropriate ways to adjust geometry
- The appropriate tools for the particular points of regulation and the general effects of one regulation step on another
- Regulating springs
- Correct backcheck position, alignment, and relationship to hammer
- Setting let-off and drop
- Setting jack position and repetition lever height
- Keys, key height, and dip
- Setting hammer blow
- How to begin to create a strategy and implement tactics for overall regulation
- Diagnosing basic regulation issues and problem-solving
Regulation II (2nd Quarter)
Prerequisites: 1st Quarter Curriculum
Course Length and Type: 10 weeks, 1.5 hours/week; combined lecture, demonstration and hands-on (lab)
Text Requirements:
Piano Parts and Their Functions by Campbell and Mason, published
by the Piano Technicians Guild
Other Text Resources:
Tools Required: all required regulation tools
Course Description:
At End of Course, Student will know and be able to demonstrate
knowledge of:
- Implementing strategies of moving from gross to medium to fine regulation and the repetition and circularity of the interrelationships of the steps of regulation
- Proper alignment of action parts from the key up and the string down, and general specifications for the movement of parts and how to adjust them
- Fine regulating of hammer/spring/backcheck
- Fine adjustments for aftertouch and the relationship to the hammer and jack, and the balance between blow, dip and aftertouch
- Keyframe structure, bedding and aligning the keyframe
- The relationship of the dampers and back action to the keys and the touch effects of damper regulation
- General damper regulation, single damper and overall damper rise
- Basic sostenuto and una corda regulation
- Customizing action performance; letting the piano tell the story
Regulation III: Skills Lab (3rd Quarter)
Prerequisites: 1st and 2nd Quarter Curricula
Course Length and Type: 10 weeks, 1.5 hours/week; combined lecture, demonstration and hands-on (lab)
Text Requirements:
Piano Parts and Their Functions by Campbell and Mason, published by the Piano Technicians Guild
Other Text Resources: none
Tools Required: all required regulation tools
Course Description: Selected topics in regulation in Skills Lab setting
Regulation IV (4th Quarter)
Prerequisites: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Quarter Curricula
Course Length and Type: 10 weeks, 1.5 hours/week; combined lecture, demonstration and hands-on (lab)
Text Requirements:
Piano Parts and Their Functions by Campbell and Mason, published by the Piano Technicians Guild
Other Text Resources: none
Tools Required: all required regulation, hammer shaping, and voicing tools
Course Description:
At End of Course, Student will know and be able to demonstrate knowledge of:
- General grand regulation procedures recap
- Vertical actions, action parts, geometry, and the analogies to grand actions
- General vertical regulation steps and the differences between grands and verticals
- Upright damper systems and how to adjust them
- Pedal systems on uprights and grands and how to adjust them
- The differences between upright, spinet and other styles of pianos and their varying regulation specs
- Regulation diagnostics
- Fundamental fine regulation on grands and uprights
- The basics of touchweight, measuring touchweight and strategies for adjustment
- The integration of regulation and voicing
