It's Alive!!!!

[Mark Cramer]

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Wim,

I recall trying the "playing-in" approach on a new, but "not alive" D in a
local hall several years ago.

We sent students over daily to bang out octaves from bottom to top. Other
than tendonitis, the effects (IMHO) were marginal. Or let me put it another
way, the contributions of "playing-in" towards (everyone's) performance
expectations, were small, if any.

After several moderate hammer-filings, and 4 days of careful prep, I finally
caved in and let Trevor Nelson, RPT (Boulder, co.) treat 'everything that
moved' for friction, albeit within current factory practice.

"Almost there,.. but not quite," I applied two tiny drops of acetone/keytop
solution to every hammer crown, lightly filed, then needled
"string-by-string."

THE GIANT AWOKE!

Yes, the piano is lovely, even 3 1/2 years later.

And BTW, I don't disagree that there are benefits of "playing in." These
however are fairly predictable and specific, and sometimes, you just know,
that's NOT what's going to get the job done.

The irony of this tale (as those who remember it will recall) is that people
who heard/played this instrument "before," now say it's sure lovely now that
it's "played-in!"  ;>)

Mark Cramer,
Brandon University




 ----- Original Message -----
    From: Wimblees@aol.com
    To: caut@ptg.org
    Sent: Monday, December 01, 2003 4:19 PM
    Subject: It's Alive!!!!


    Well, actually, it's dead. At least that is what Olga Kern told me last
week. She was here to give a recital. I prepped our new D, and put it in the
middle of the stage. At 6:30 I stopped by to see if there was anything she
needed. She said, "This piano is dead." I said it was only a year old, and
had probably only been played about a dozen times. She said, it sounded like
it. I should have kept my mouth shut, but I offered her our 14 year D, which
was sittting off stage. After playing just 3 chords, she said she wanted to
play the recital on that piano, but only after warming up on it. I had 15
minutes to tune it before the doors opened. Unfortunately, by the end of the
fist half, there were several notes that didn't make it.

    But that is not what I'm here to complain about. Olga was not the first
pianist to complain about the new piano. Last March Misha Dichter had the
same complaint. (but at least he gave me 2 hours to prep the older piano).
My question is, how do I put more "life" into a new piano? As I said, the
piano only comes out of it's hiding place for special occasions. (No, sun
down is not a special occasion here in Alabama, especially not on Sundays.)
Since we got the piano in August of last year, there have been about 12
performances on it. The piano is voiced, regulated, etc., so I don't quite
understand when a performer says there is no life in the piano. Not even our
piano faculty agrees with that, although they do think the piano is a little
stiffer than the older one.

    Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

    Wim
    Willem Blees, RPT
    Piano tuner/technician
    School of Music
    University of Alabama


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