Richard Brekne wrote: > A lot of pianists complain about actions being "to stiff". I am wondering how one > avoids too stiff a feel to the action, while at the same time finding every > possible way to make parts so that they are stiffer in effort to transfer more > energy from finger to string ? > > Richard Brekne -------------------------------------------- Yes, piano keys can be too stiff, but they are not likely to be so in any modern piano. The "ideal" height (and the resulting stiffness) of a piano key is a function of its working length -- that is, the distance between the front of the key and the capstan. A 22 or 23 mm key height may be adequate in a 160 cm piano. It may not be in a 200 cm piano. And it definitely will not be in a 275 cm piano. If the keys are so flexible that under a reasonably hard blow the front of the key bottoms out before the hammer starts to move, it is too flexible. And, yes, this happens, especially in larger pianos. We had a Steinway D (built in the 60's) in the shop a couple of years back that had a severe problem with this. With just a moderately hard blow in the bass you could easily hear the key bottom out and then, some moments later, you could hear the hammer strike the string. Needless to say, the complaint was a lack of acoustical power. Usually when a pianist complains about an action being too stiff it is because of excessive friction and/or mass. It is not unusual these days to find keys with 5 and 6 leads in them after the keys are weighed off for "proper touch" by some factory worker. This is too much mass for the human finger to repeatedly accelerate rapidly. Technicians tend to check and regulate things statically on the bench, touch weight being one of them. During the 70's it was not unusual to find Steinway actions with the "correct" 52 grams of downweight and 6 or 7 leads in the keys through the first couple of octaves. I once encountered a Model M with 9 -- but the touch weight was "correct." This piano was barely playable but the keys had been "individually weighed off" at the factory -- a thoroughly miserable practice no matter how much the marketing guru's like to brag about it. Fortunately there are at least some technicians -- see Stanwood's writings for example -- who are taking a hard look at this issue even if most piano makers are not. Well, enough of this -- go back to the Journal. Most of what I have to say on the subject is in there. The problem and at least one possible remedy can be found in the "Action Power" articles.... Regards, Del
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