Piano Hammer blow distance is the distance between the piano hammer at rest and the piano strings.  As the piano hammer strikes the strings, the hammer felt compresses, increasing the distance between the piano hammer at rest, and the strings. To remedy this, the hammer rest rail is shorn up with felt which shortens the distance between the piano hammers and the piano strings. Now the hammer is at the prescribed distance from the string.

If your hammers are double hitting the strings, there’s a good chance this is one of the reasons why.

I am starting a series on piano regulation to help educate my customers about this very important aspect of piano maintenance.  Have you ever wondered why a note won’t sound? Or it’s sluggish and won’t repeat as fast as you’d like?  Perhaps the note is double hitting the string?  Perhaps you’re wondering why your piano scales aren’t even as you play up and down the piano.  It may be that your skills and technique are just fine and that your piano is in need of some serious regulation from years of use.

I am experimenting by putting this regulation information in a video format.  Hopefully it helps to illuminate these issues that might have been previously thought to be just a “condition” of your piano.

Look out for the first video entitled “Piano Hammer Blow Distance”