Feeling the Hammers when playing

[Avery Todd]

Thanks, Andre. Yes, very interesting. I've got some voicing work
on a Steinway B coming up tomorrow. I'll see what I can "feel". :-)

Avery

At 05:39 PM 06/30/02 +0200, you wrote:
>Hi Avery,
>
>I learned this in Berlin (Bechstein)..
>The instructor there (a Japanese guy) suddenly asked me this "when you
>strike this key, what do you feel" (instead of what do you hear!).
>I felt a strong tingling sensation under my finger and at the same time I
>noticed that that particular note sounded very good and strong.
>He then asked me to "try other keys" and I found out that they were not all
>the same in intensity. Some were weaker, some stronger and a few had no
>tingling at all.
>Very interesting aye?
>He then instructed me to "make all tinglings the same" and afterwards I
>noticed that almost all keys now had that funny vibrating sensation and that
>most keys were very strong sounding.
>The next procedure was to even out the volume.
>
>Result?
>
>Madonna Madonna!
>Un Miracolo!
>
>
>friendly greetings
>from
>
>Antares,
>
>Amsterdam, Holland
>
>"where music is, no harm can be"
>
>visit my website at :  http://www.concertpianoservice.nl/
>
>
> > From: Avery Todd <avery@ev1.net>
> > Reply-To: pianotech@ptg.org
> > Date: Sun, 30 Jun 2002 10:17:33 -0500
> > To: pianotech@ptg.org
> > Subject: Re: Feeling the Hammers when playing
> >
> > Hi Andre,
> >
> > Could you possibly expound on this a little? Thanks.
> >
> > Avery
> >
> > At 02:44 PM 06/30/02 +0200, you wrote:
> >> When voicing a piano we must always feel vibrations in the key.
> >> No vibes, tone nor strong enough. By feeling the differences between the
> >> keys we have a second sense to aid us in voicing.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> friendly greetings
> >> from
> >>
> >> Antares,
> >>
> >> Amsterdam, Holland
> >>
> >> "where music is, no harm can be"
> >>
> >> visit my website at :  http://www.concertpianoservice.nl/
> >>
> >>
> >>> From: "Richard Brekne" <richard.brekne@grieg.uib.no>
> >>> Reply-To: pianotech@ptg.org
> >>> Date: Sun, 30 Jun 2002 14:36:06 +0200
> >>> To: "PTG" <pianotech@ptg.org>
> >>> Subject: Re: Feeling the Hammers when playing
> >>>
> >>> Hi Patrick
> >>>
> >>> Say if you could remember the name of the instructor I would be very
> >> glad to
> >>> know who it was.
> >>>
> >>> I have no doubt that what we hear affects what we feel (or think we
> >> feel) in a
> >>> very big way... but I also wonder about whether or not we really do
> >> physically
> >>> feel the hardness of the hammers, and if so how and how is that 
> explained.
> >>> Lots
> >>> of ideas presented but mostly in the form of beponderments.
> >>>
> >>> Bill Ballard said something about how difficult it would be to find out
> >>> anything definant... perhaps this is true but on the other hand it
> >> would seem
> >>> easy enough to ascertain whether or not pianists (or anyone else for that
> >>> matter) can indeed sense hammer hardness at the key or not.
> >>>
> >>> Would seem an interesting and kind of an important point to clear up 
> really
> >>> when it comes down to it.
> >>>
> >>> Anyways, if you remember his name let me know
> >>>
> >>> Cheers!
> >>>
> >>> RicB
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> Patrick C Poulson wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> Hello All: I remember a discussion in a convention voicing class 
> about the
> >>>> phenomenon of "psychoacoustics."  The contention of the teacher, whose
> >> name
> >>>> escapes me at the moment, is that what we hear influences what we 
> think we
> >>>> are feeling as we play the piano.  A very bright piano will be
> >> perceived by
> >>>> many as being "easier" to play, because it seems louder and therefore
> >>>> doesn't require as much effort from the pianist.  Vice versa for a very
> >>>> mellow piano, where the pianist may have to play harder to get the
> >> piano to
> >>>> project.  In both cases the pianist is not actually feeling the hammer
> >>>> itself, but is reacting to the kind of tone the piano is producing 
> and is
> >>>> automatically and perhaps unconsciously adjusting his or her playing to
> >>>> compensate for what the instrument is not giving.
> >>>> Patrick Poulson, RPT
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> Richard Brekne
> >>> RPT NPTF
> >>> Griegakadamiet UiB
> >>>
> >>>
> >
> >
> >