Grand Regulation Compromises

[Delwin D Fandrich]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Overs Pianos" <sec@overspianos.com.au>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: November 28, 2001 10:49 PM
Subject: Re: Grand Regulation Compromises



> After years of regulating performance instruments, and taking note of
> the preferences of a number of pianists, I have settled on a key dip
> of 10.25 mm. I have found that a 10.5 dip will yield the occasional
> "it's too deep" complaint, and vice versa with 10.0 mm. Obviously,
> the center of 'public preference' has come about in part from the
> individual's experience with a number of different instruments, but
> setting the dip to a figure which will satisfy the greatest number of
> pianist is to be recommended, provided that the action in question
> will function well at that setting.
>


Sigh! How things change with time. Or, perhaps I should say, how our
perceptions change with time.

When I started in this business a key travel of 9.5 mm (0.375") was
considered the norm and Steinway's 10 mm (0.395") was, by many, considered
some on the deep side. Time passes and hammers get heavier but our fingers
didn't get any stronger to compensate so action ratios have to change
accordingly. Key travel has to increase so we can produce ever-more strident
and raucous sounds from our pianos without inducing carpel stress syndrome
in all of the pianists playing these beasts.

Has it occurred to anyone that the pianist might be better off with somewhat
lighter, more resilient hammers so we could move back toward a more
realistic key travel? The human hands and fingers can only put up with so
much abuse beyond which they will ultimately rebel. Even 10 mm of key travel
should be considered excessive for rapid key work. Sure it takes a bit of
getting used to now. Most everyone has become used to the massive actions
required to play today's somewhat less than musical pianos, but give them a
reasonable alternative and see what happens. (Yes, I've conducted the
experiments--people really can play the piano with a key travel of 9.0 to
9.5 mm. And, when the piano is tonally responsive, they love it!)

Del