Key Whakker/Thumper

[Farrell]

Boy, your design sure sounds different than my double-ended grand hammer
whakker. The one thing that seems less than perfect with mine is that I tend
to roll my thumb over the top of the hammer and it ends up taking the brunt
ot the whakking. I am considering making one with a ball on top, but yours
sounds interesting also.

So what is the total length of yours - about 5 or 6 inches? It sounds pretty
straight forward. When using it, do you grip it like you do for skiing? On
an upright, do you tend to put your hand on top of it (standing at an
upright)? I don't suppose you have a pic of it? Thanks for any info.

Terry Farrell
Piano Tuning & Service
Tampa, Florida
mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "John R Fortiner" <pianoserv440@juno.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, February 10, 2001 9:08 PM
Subject: Re: Key Whakker/Thumper


> OK, I've simply got to tell the list what I have been using for the past
> year - and very successfully.  Let me preface this by stating that I was
> forced to do something because of arthritis and dupuytren's contracture
> both occurring to one degree or another in both hands - not a good thing
> for a person that was a piano major through UCLA's music school.
> My "thumper" started as a ski pole.  I cut off all but about the top 1/2"
> of the pole leaving a ski pole grip that was already ergometrically
> designed.  As I wanted it a little larger in diameter I wrapped this with
>
> 3/16" closed cell self-adhesive foam tape, topped off by foam backed
> bicycle handlebar tape.  Comfortable - YES!!!  Epoxy a short length of
> dowel into the remaining short pole that is still in the grip and follow
> that with a piece of hammer felt, followed by a small piece of buckskin
> or other leather.  You don't have to "beat" the keys as the weight of the
> thumper will do it for you.  Other side benefits:  If you are tuning an
> upright the height of the grip effectively "raises" the keyboard several
> inches so you aren't reaching quite as far between your two hands.  All
> in all, it takes a lot of stress off your body.  Bear in mind that our
> finger joints are some of the smallest we have and yet we are asking them
> to hold up under very strenuous work when playing the piano or when
> tuning.  I know this has really helped me and hope it helps someone else
> out there.
> fwiw My occupational hand therapist told me that between that "thumper"
> and a pair of weight lifter's gloves that have wrist wraps built into
> them I had come up with what she considers the "cat's meow" when it came
> to protecting my hands.
> btw. Ski poles can be had for next to nothing at second hand stores.  I
> paid $2.00 for the pair.
>
> John R. Fortiner
> Billings, MT.
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