hammer voicing

[Benjamin Treuhaft]

Soft-pedal voicing often consists of getting rid of the "chiff" sound
that occurs when one of the two whacked strings is getting hit by a
hard spot on the hammer.  That can make things sound pretty thin up there.
Listen to
the middle, then the right string (using your fingers to mute the
other two) with the pedal on.  If it's the middle string that clinks, jab a
chopstick-mounted needle into the hammer about 1/3 way in from the left
side.  If it's the right string, jab the middle of the hammer - right
into the crown.  This works out to be where the strings hit with the
pedal on, assuming the hammers are spaced to the right of the unison.
Benjamin Treuhaft
Underwater Piano Shop
Berkeley, Calif.