How We Hear

[David Andersen]

> I also tried Andre's suggestion of tuning quietly, using as a
> technique having my finger at a dead stop in contact with the key and
> accelerating the key no faster than is possible with a 3/8" stroke of
> the forearm. (You quickly learn not to aim for loudness with that
> short a stroke. The forearm simply can't accomplish anything in 3/8";
> the key bottoms out too soon. It's like sitting down for a
> harpsichord tuning after a whole music department's worth of practise
> room pianos. "....This instrument is supposed to be played quietly.")
> 
> So with a mezzo blow, the 7th came through just as clearly as with my
> normal tuning blow, and I had plenty of sustain time to work with the
> 7th (easily 12-15 seconds in the 3d octave). Less stress on the ears
> and on the left hand, and although the facts about strings friction
> and tuning pin grip aren't altered by the softer blow, in this
> working situation the hand-on-the-hammer processes feel much more
> relaxed. Test blows revealed no difference between loud and quiet
> tuning.

Hey Jeneetah---
I also have been trying Andre's soft blow technique---I love it; it shows a
"partial beating," as you say, a very subtle phasing, about 2-3 seconds in,
that I wasn't consciously picking out before. Talk about making
micro-incremental hammer/pin adjustments...but it adds to the bloom and the
sustain of the note. The tuning seems more smooth, more singing. The serious
ears of an extremely picky producer/engineer and a blazing young Israeli
jazz player loved it too. That's why I'm here: to learn from some of the
titans of the craft. Thank you so, so much, List, for all your wisdom and
good cheer.

Warmly,

David Andersen