Hammer Shanks

[James Ellis]

Years ago, I was told that there was a famous piano teacher in New York who
taught her pupils to play with the soft round parts of their fingers when
they wanted round tones, and the ends of their fingers when they wanted
bright tones.  There was another not-so-famous teacher who taught her
pupils to wiggle the keys when they wanted to produce a vibrato.  I almost
lost it when I saw one of the kids doing this.  (I'm talking about a piano,
not a clavichord.)

There have been dozens and dozens of recent posts to this list asserting
that firm pinning makes for better tones because it does not allow the
hammer to shake and wobble when it hits the strings.  That was followed by
the assertion that "hex" (sic) shanks produced better tones, for similar
reasons, because it was believed they were lighter and more rigid, and did
not bend as the hammers approached the strings.

I just proved that the "hex" shanks are in fact octagonal, and that they
are in fact not any more rigid than round ones, and not any lighter.  If
fact, the round shanks that are tapered toward the end are just as light
where it matters most, and much more rigid than the octagonal shanks that
are not tapered.  (I'm talking about shanks that are available on the
market, not theoretical unavailable shanks.)

Now, the argument has suddenly shifted.  Some just make a joke of the
discussion.  Others say that the octagonal shanks just sound better, for
whatever reason.  Prove to me that this is so, and I will be the first to
go to work to find out why - but you must first prove it to me - otherwise
I will consider it just one more absurd notion that took wings and flew.

Jim Ellis