Hello, All Stephen Birkett wrote: Now, whether we want them stiff or a bit limp, that's a 'nuther question altogether. It seems to me that a less rigid shank might allow for more variation in tone even though it might also be tougher for the pianist to control. A hard blow will contort the shank so that the hammer hits farther to the front (player side) of the hammer in a grand. A soft blow will have so little shank bending, that the hammer will over center. This has always made me wonder if hammers shouldn't be hung at less than 90 degrees. I've heard it said that Steinway hammers that are worn and about to need replacing sound the best. That's precisely when the hammers would be overcentering most, but on a hard blow the hammers may be hitting the strings at exactly 90 degrees due to shank flexing. Add to this the micro-second, massaging of the string by the hammer after the hammer initially hits the string, and you add to the complexity of the hammer/string love affair. A too stiff shank merely has the variability of speed and force with the hammer blow. It doesn't allow as much of that cute little bending and wiggling of the hammer that you see on the high speed film. Another way of characterizing it is that the shank and hammer are more like a pole vaulter than a stiff lever. At least that's the way my uneducated eye sees it. Richard West, University of Nebraska
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