Practical Concert Work

[Fred Sturm]

Hi Dave,
	I agree, I don't want to feel the hammer letting off on the string. I 
suppose we all have different approaches to how we measure actual letoff 
distance. I do it by eye, by feel, and by response, so an actual 
measurement number is probably not an accurate representation. But I sure 
do go for less than 2 mm, in the neighborhood of 1 - 1.5.
	There was a time I shied away from such close tolerance because blocking 
problems showed up. But further analysis showed it occured where I had 
dimpled regulating buttons. Or brand new, fuzzy ones. So I started ironing 
my letoff buttons, and that problem disappeared.
	Of course, different parts of the country experience different changes, 
and we all learn from our own experiences. Bottom line, I have not found 
closer letoff tolerances risky. I do fine regulation over the summer, and 
almost never find an incipient blocking hammer during the school year when 
touching up. Nor do I find double-striking an issue. I guess that has to be 
qualified with controlled aftertouch, drop, front rail punching firmness, 
check distance, yadda, yadda. There's no simple answer to any question 
concerning pianos.
Regards,
Fred

--On Saturday, May 29, 2004 4:25 PM -0500 "David M. Porritt" 
<dporritt@mail.smu.edu> wrote:

> Fred:
>
> Just musing here, but I do think a "reliable" regulation has some merit.
> I've regulated pianos to the gnat's eyelash and had it go south on me
> making blocking hammers, or double striking hammers.  Generally, when you
> go back to fix that you say something about fine regulation being very
> close to blocking.  I don't think the customers are impressed at that
> point.  You regulated, you had to come back and fix it.  In their mind it
> was wrong.  I heard Bill Garlick once tell a class that if you're going
> to regulate it that close make sure to hang around for the concert!
>
> I live 17 miles from the school so I do tend to like a "safe" regulation.
> I don't set it at  3mm but I don't like it so close that you can kind of
> feel the hammer letting off on the string.  In addition, in a recital
> hall seating 500 there is seldom any playing done at the pppp level such
> that the note would miss.  Most recital playing is pp to sfffffff!
>
> I enjoyed his perspective and his comments on voicing.  I too mainly
> worry about the striking surface though I understand that this is
> somewhat controversial.  Whatever floats your boat!
>
> dave