Tonal control from the keyboard

[Richard Moody]

----------
> From: BobDavis88@aol.com
> To: pianotech@byu.edu
> Subject: Re: Tonal control from the keyboard
> Date: Sunday, April 13, 1997 3:01 PM
>
>
> from Richard Moody:
> >The only thing a piano keyboard can do in regard to tonal quality
(or
> >control) is vary the velocity of the hammer.
> -------------
> Another factor I have seen mentioned is oscillation of the shank
and hammer
> head. Take for example two blows, each causing the same sound
pressure level
> but one of which is a staccato style, which has most of its force
at the
> beginning, and one a more "pushing" blow. Although the hammers
reach the same
> final speed, some would say that a different set of oscillations
are set up
> in the shank/head, which could continue beyond letoff. In the
fore/aft mode,
> this would change the strike point (although I doubt enough to
change the
> tone). It also may set up larger oscillations in the side-to-side
mode, which
> could cause the string to contact a slightly different place on the
head,
> i.e., on the edge of the groove, which would most definitely change
the tone.

Granted, but since it can't be controlled by the player, or
consistant from piano to piano,it can be regarded as a defect, or
short comming. either in the music or the instrument. rm
>
> I'm not necessarily trying to sell either of these arguments, just
trying to
> keep the discussion going. At my piano club, I listened to several
of us
> amateurs play, and I thought "I wish I had voiced this piano. It
sounds
> edgy". Then a really fine pianist sat down, and suddenly the piano
didn't
> need voicing anymore.
> Bob Davis

I have noticed this on player pianos in regards to the tuning. When
someone pumps it and I am in the other room, I think, "Hmm, could it
have gone back into tune?" but when I sit down it sounds worse than
ever.
Richard Moody