Feeling the Hammers when playing

Richard Brekne richard.brekne@grieg.uib.no
Sun, 30 Jun 2002 22:52:14 +0200


So how do you explain this "tingling" sensation at the key ? Specifically,
exactly when during the hammers travel from just at sting impact to checking
does this happen, and what is the duration of the sensation ? What do you have
to say about the fact Joe brings up that the key is not coupled to the hammer
at the moment of string impact ?

I agree that on some level or another one can feel the hammer hardness....
still... its problematic to explain.

RicB



 antares 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
>>>> 
>>>> 
>> 
>> 
>>


Richard Brekne
RPT NPTF
Griegakadamiet UiB



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