Even balance weight or even something else, that's thequestion.

[Classic Touch Ent]

Dear piano tech beings,

The attention being devoted to physics and the design (especially 
design), setup, function, and regulation of piano actions is laudable. 
The recognition that it is a challenge to achieve balance is more 
laudable. For me (as a pianist) I appreciate an action 
design/setup/regulation which gives me the quickest response of the 
part of the keystroke which I can NOT control (I'll simply call this 
the return). Assuming friction is at a functional minimum and as 
uniform as practicable, my preference is for a facile return. The true 
genius applied to action regulation is (in the most general terms) 
creating the ultimate teeter-totter without 'boogering' the potential 
quickness of the 'return'.
             A LOT of the balance/inertia relationship issues (assuming 
'reasonable' consistency and predictability) can be addressed and 
should be the responsibility of a well practiced musician. 
Consideration of mass, balance, inertia and force necessary to 
accelerate a hammer toward its string(s) are affected (and can to a 
significant degree be controlled) by the mass and or strength of the 
pianists fingers, paws, forearms, posture, as well as THE TECHNIQUE 
APPLIED.  While each pianist  develops a 'preference' for action 'feel' 
or 'touch' (which preference often differs with composer and 
composition), I think many (myself included) are seduced toward 
'preference' rather than 'practice', 'experience' , and 
'accomplishment'.
          One experience which sharpened my appreciation and awareness 
of design limitation (piano & performer) happened this summer. For a 
little over 20 years I have had the pleasure of playing a 1905 Mason 
Hamlin AA. In July 2003 I acquired a 1964 and a half Mason Hamlin CC.
Both are beautifully regulated, yet it  is ASTONISHING how my playing 
improved 'overnight' on the CC (I attribute this to 1.) my relatively 
smaller finger/hand mass, and 2.) the mechanical advantage  the 'longer 
lever' of the concert grand action affords me.

Best, Rich Olmsted



On Tuesday, April 22, 2003, at 06:56 PM, Ron Nossaman wrote:

>
>> Thanks Phil,
>>
>> Maybe I have this wrong could you help? The leads in a key lighten 
>> the touch when the key is pushed slowly. So for soft playing it looks 
>> like they assist in playing the key. At what point do the leads begin 
>> to hinder the touch? I am making an assumption but it looks to me 
>> like they help up to the point they are accelerated past the speed 
>> they would fall. After that additional energy needs to be applied to 
>> move the lead faster. As a key is played faster and faster more of it 
>> begins to accelerate past the falling point. A lead out toward the 
>> end could be hindering the touch and a lead near the balance point 
>> would still be helping to depress the key.
>
>
>> John Hartman RPT
>
>
>
> Hi John,
> That's the way inertia works. The faster you try to accelerate a given 
> mass through a given distance, the more force it takes, and the harder 
> it is to stop once it is moving. The greater the mass, the more force 
> it takes to move it the same distance in the same amount of time. 
> That's just what you're seeing in the action. When the mass gets too 
> great, it's harder to push through the keystroke quickly (though it's 
> easy to push through slowly), and since you can't add similar power to 
> the return, the extra mass just moves slower. Makes it hard to play, 
> and slows repetition. Is that any help? I don't know how to figure how 
> much is too much without finding out the hard way.
>
>
> Ron N
>
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