Downbearing Question -Reply

Jack,

Excuse my style of responding as well as some of the other nuances that
accompany my post.  I have no way, at least that I'm aware of, to import the
text of a previous post.  I also have no control over the format.  It seems that
it always sends my phone number.

In answer to your question.  I must say that I'm not sure.  I think that there
are many factors.  Physicists use the terms Impedance and Admittance.  I think
that there meanings are somewhat similar to the meanings they have in the field
of electronics.

I have also heard the terms "strong coupling" and "weak coupling".  A strong
coupling is one where you might say there is little or no lost motion (to
connect to terminology that we are familiar with) and a weak coupling is like
lots of lost motion but the bridle strap is still connected.  In terms of energy
a strong coupling would indicate a quick transfer of energy and a weak coupling
means a loss of energy through the coupling but at a very slow rate.

But there are other things to consider in a piano string when talking about
coupling the most importantly the capo, agraffes, and bridge pins.

I can refer anyone who is interested to a book "The Physics of Musical
Instruments" by Fletcher and Rossing, Springer-Verlag, 1991.  It has a section
devoted to the peculiarities of the piano, with references to Conklin,
Sanderson, and some work done here at Cincinnati on soundboards by Wang and
Kindel.  There is a chapter on the String equations and one on Couplings.

I think that this can be shown fairly easy by an experiment, that is, we can
aquire the empirical data that will show a direct connection between the
downbearing and the rate of decay.  Saying why it is so is a different matter
and can never be totally conclusive.

Michael Wathen

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