Damper Voiceing

[Roger Jolly]

Hi Richard,
                If your damper regulating skills are up to speed, timing,
lift, etc. I have a suggestion. If you are a novice with grand dampers,
this is not the type of client to gain experience with.,

1. Remove all dampers laying them out on the bench on their sides.
2. Mute off entire piano.
3. Reinstall one uni cord, one bi cord, one tri cord, and one flat damper
4. Play each of these notes and listen to the 'oink' as the damper slowly
returns. A hard damper will make quite a rattle type noise.  Play at
different dynamic levels and listen to the contrast of 'oinks'
5. To soften, first lightly brush with a fine brass brush, to clean and
raise the nap.
6. Pass the damper head thro' a jet of steam from a steam kettle, do it on
both sides,"Caution" move fairly quickly, as you can have too much of a
good thing. You don't want the dampers to puff up and become useless.
7. Re install the dampers after you have left them to dry for a few hours.
8. A certain amount of reversal can be achieved by ironing with a voicing
iron.

Some observations on damper felt.

1. Grain orientation. Parallel or right angled to string. Parallel like
Yamaha gives a fast shut down but little tone color variation very durable.
I have used some French felt that has the grain in the opposite direction.
Great shut down when new, wide tone color variation, less durable, the bass
windings tend to indent the felt. The felt also bunches with time,
effecting damper timing.
2. Treble dampers flat vs sewn. The sewn dampers give the biggest variety
of tone variation for half pedalling. The flats are almost insignificant.

It is worth while educating your client as to where the damper breaks are,
and make sure that they are aware there is change in tone at each change of
damper type. It's a wonderfull challenge to work for this kind of musician.

Hope this helps.
Regards Roger



>What is requested from these pianists, is to be able to exploit different
>effects dampers make soundwise as the damper pedal is used in different ways.
>They want to be able to create a kind of "stachato", as well as a kind of
very
>slow .. tempted to use the term "lagato" damping, and a host of varients
>inbetween. Of course the system needs to be very even and well regulated.
That
>much is easy enough.
>
>This goes beyond eliminating "wank" noises from damper felt that is too
hard. In
>most cases this fellow seems to complain about dampers not being capable of
>damping strongly (quickly) enough. If he can get that out of the damper
system,
>then he can get the rest as well, at least to some degree.
>
>His favorite piano at the conservatory in this regard is a Schimmel grand,
which
>displays very firm, quick and quiet damping, and is easy to control to get a
>kind of "muffing" effect if he wants it. He seems to think this should be
>possible on any piano, upright or grand.
>
>Upon thinking about his request, it seems logical enough and its one of those
>"jobs" I would like to develop better skills at.
>
>Richard Brekne
>
>I.C.P.T.G.   N.P.T.F
> 
Roger Jolly
Baldwin Yamaha Piano Centre
Saskatoon and Regina
Saskatchewan, Canada.
306-665-0213
Fax 652-0505