Key Leads and Inertia

[Keith Roberts]

----- Original Message -----
[link redacted at request of site owner - Jul 25, 2015]
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2003 1:33 PM
Subject: Re: Key Leads and Inertia


 In order to play a note
> the key is accelerated from  0 velocity to some  greater velocity during
> a short period of time. There is really no time for the player to
> benefit from any momentum (mass time speed) that may happen in the
> action. While playing the action bits and pieces are accelerating or
> decelerating. I can't think of any time when a part is moving with
> constant speed except when the note is not being played at all.
>
> John Hartman RPT
>
I have to disagree. There are many times I play a key with a constant or
even stroke on soft blows. Sometimes all the little finger can do amongst
all the rest of the activity is add a note on the downbeat. Nice and steady,
pressed down, not struck. Certainly an exact constant velocity is impossible
to obtain but the change in acceleration can be controlled by the pianist.
Kind of like the feel you get when the action is out of the piano and you're
tossing the hammers up so they come back down nicely into check and you set
the repetition spring tension. The velocity of the hammer is much easier to
control with less change in acceleration of the key. There are other ways to
"toss" the hammer and I try to use them all. They all make a different
sound. I certainly think I take advantage of momentum/ mass speed. Some
notes I set the hammer in motion and never feel the key bottom out because
that finger is needed some other place. Aftertouch is the warning signal
that the bottom is near. Most real pianists don't like keyboards because
there is no aftertouch. But I digress, great thread. Great topics for the
last couple of weeks.
Keith Roberts