> From: "Richard Brekne" <richard.brekne@grieg.uib.no> > Reply-To: pianotech@ptg.org > Date: Sun, 30 Jun 2002 22:52:14 +0200 > To: "PTG" <pianotech@ptg.org> > Subject: Re: Feeling the Hammers when playing Hello Brekman! > > 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 ? It's simple Ricky, you just strike a key, you hit the bottom which is the front rail punching right? you then clearly feel the energy from the impact of the hammer against the string. >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. No it is not. I'll explain. Some time ago I was in Korea at the Samick factory. I had to explain why a harder or more firm front rail punching would produce a better (i.e. louder) tone. right on the spot (boy, was I lucky... pfff) I found the perfect answer which they all immediately understood : Why does a tone get louder when you replace the front punching with a more dense one? We have to compare it with a seasaw on which two little children sit. One child pushes off from the ground, the other hits the ground. The ground is soft because it is sand so the impact is not painful. OK..I can see that you already got it. Now we replace the sand...it is hard cement. The child coming down hits the cement BAM! it hurts! and the other child on the other end of the the seasaw is almost catapulted off into the sky. The difference lies in the hardness of the ground, which, in our case is the front punching. The opposite takes place as well but is a bit more dampened by the different action parts absorbing the blow of the hammer against the string. Also, the hammer blow against the string causes overall vibrations throughout the whole instrument resulting in vibrations we can perceive with our sensitive fingers, just like you can feel the vibrations if you put your hand against the side of the grand. So...the harder the hammer, the harder the impact, the more you can feel the vibrations. However, a stone hard new hammer causes less absorbtion of energy through the keys. A well voiced hammer, but not too much please, sort of 'spreads' energy better and that we can feel easily in our sensitive fingers. Using this method amplifies our perception during the voicing process and we would be stupid not to use it. Capisce? friendly greetings from Antares, Amsterdam, Holland "where music is, no harm can be" visit my website at : http://www.concertpianoservice.nl/ > > 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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