Hi Owen, I would like to thank you for providing me with a term I have been trying to find, describing the piano ³a moving target² which has to be wrangled into shape....etc. This term perfectly describes the piano. And because of this, one has to be flexible and try to avoid condemning non destructive easily reversible and often temporary simple measures that would enhance it¹s action and sound, serving it¹s immediate needs to such a goal. The bottom line to be achieved is a) an even well regulated action, and b} a beautiful sound. Stability of these two factors depends a) on the quality of the piano, b) on the talent of the technician servicing the piano and c) on multiple other unpredictable environmental factors active at the time of the performance. It is amazing that many people consider tuning as the only thing needed to keep a piano in good shape, and that so many technicians bother to do just that, although I understand that time is money, and action regulation when not properly appreciated is futile. I am glad that you have used the Œcard trick¹ successfully on a Fazioli. Increasing the cards one at a time also, allows one Œto brake in¹ the left pedal, until a Œdue cordi¹ is reached, which would reduce the volume of the sound. Gradual pedaling not infrequently yields an ugly sound but properly done, is a great help to the pianist. If the left pedal is used too much, it loses it¹s effect, and the same thing happens if it is not used enough. Again another Œmoving target¹. Regards Steve P.S. Yes I have filed the hammers with excellent results on my Yamaha C7, but breaking a string while trying to level the strings on the Blüthner after changing it¹s hammers, has cured me from ever using this modality again. This taught me a lesson. I would rather work on the hammer, marking the string that sings, and filing appropriately the others so that all three strings are silenced when the hammer is held against the strings. (I use a carbon paper to mark exactly where the hammer hits the string). I wish I could do good voicing. I am trying to learn. S.P. On 11/30/06 8:45 PM, "Owen Greyling" <greyco at kingston.net> wrote: > Hi again Stephen, > > > > I guess that we are going to have to agree to disagree. I don¹t think pianists > should be messing with piano hammers. (It messes with my life). Perhaps > neither of us is any better or worse, just different, know what I mean? I¹m a > professional tech who likes to play the piano; you¹re a pianist who likes to > tinkerŠ.It¹s funny that you should mention Fazioli, because I have used this > trick with the card to slightly move the action over on a Fazioli concert > grand in a recording studio a few years ago. The recording engineer was very > impressed by my remaining for the session, but I really just wanted to remove > my card when the session was over, and not have anybody else find it. As it > turned out, I was the next technician, same piano two days later in a large > venue, and the piano sounded wonderful, just as it was. > > > > While the piano to you as an artist is a Œbeautiful ever changing instrument¹ > to most technicians, or at least to me, it¹s just a moving target which has to > be wrangled into shape to satisfy somebody else¹s idea of what makes them > happy at that time , on that day, on that pianoŠOh well perspective is > everything isn¹t it? We see from where we sit! > > > > Occasionally we see comments from people who obviously don¹t believe in GodŠ I > saw a bumper sticker recently that said ³God doesn¹t believe in Atheists² > Perspective IS everything. > > > > Wait till you discover fitting hammers and leveling strings, you¹ll be > incorrigible. > > > > Glad you don¹t live within my radar! (Just kidding) > > > > Owen > > > > > From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf > Of Stephen Papastephanou > Sent: Thursday, November 30, 2006 7:58 PM > To: greyco at kingston.net, Pianotech List > Subject: Re: Playing cards aren't just made for poker > > > > Hi Owen, > > Your comments are welcome. One does however what one can, to get this > mysterious beautiful ever changing instrument, the piano, sound the best way > possible to HIS ears. What sounds good to one may not sound good to another > person because of taste, or limitation in appreciation of certain frequencies, > which is inevitable as one gets older. Voicing should be the task of the > pianist and not the technician, or at the very least should be approved by the > performing artist as he is responsible for the tone and quality of sound he is > projecting to his audience. > > The piano touch Œseems¹ to change after one plays for a short while, usually > feeling lighter, and so does the sound, feeling less loud. After half an hour > playing on the piano, one sometimes gets the feeling that he is playing on a > different instrument. More so, when people, humidity, temp. etc. change the > room or hall acoustics. It is very important that the circle is completed, > grey matter, fingers (touch), keyboard, tone, (sound) projecting to the room > or hall, bouncing back to the ears ending in the grey matter, which in turn > regulates the touch, etc and the cycle goes on and on . > > Minimal shifting (with usually 2 cards) gives a slightly mellower tone to the > piano, (provided it has been played for a while, and has well defined grooves > in the hammers not a very new piano without used hammers, where it makes no > difference) and can be cancelled in an instant, if the room or hall acoustics > warrant it. It is not meant to be a permanent solution, or a substitute for > good voicing, but a temporary effective one. This trick helps me a lot when I > practice on a piano that has been played a lot and has not been voiced for a > while. > > On another note, I have been occasionally overwhelmed by the loudness of some > pianos. To remedy that, I carry with me special ear plugs that reduce the > overall volume of the sound by only a few decibels. This allows me to > articulate better and attack the keys without the fear of playing too loud > which may have an inhibitory effect. This can also be cancelled if the room > absorbs the sound, and the loudness becomes acceptable to the pianist. > > I have recently played in a small hall on a beautiful Fazioli piano. I used my > ear plugs and felt very comfortable. Thank God I played well, because I was > afraid that after the recital someone would comment that the ear plugs were > used in the wrong ears !!!!!! > I hope to meet again Paolo Fazioli at the NAMM show in January in Los Angeles, > and pick his brain, as his pianos are extraordinary. > > As for the ketchup, this was a trick comment. No doubt this must be a sure way > to kill the bass strings. > You picked it up and therefore you pass the test with flying colors. I have > rejuvenated the bass strings in my old piano, by detaching them from the > bottom (NOT FROM THE TUNING PIN end) running a loop 5 inch in diameter up and > down a few times, followed by cleaning (rubbing) with #3 steel wool. The > results were spectacular. > > I have another really valuable use for playing cards, but that¹s another > story. > > All the best > > Steve > > On 11/30/06 6:00 PM, "Owen Greyling" <greyco at kingston.net> wrote: > > Hi Stephen, > > > > I just spent a full morning on a set of hammers and flange centers, on a > semi-concert grand that had been treated in this manner. While I appreciate > your enthusiasm and interest, let me quote Ed McMorrow from his book ³The > Educated Piano²Š. > > > > ³The piano industry suffers from a glut of partly trained people who eagerly > dismantle and then falteringly attempt to rebuild or tone regulate pianos² > > > > While you may not be one who is out there representing yourself as a > professional, you sure are encouraging well meaning ³characters² to make work > for real piano folk! > > > > Sorry if this offends you, but really, ketchup on copper? I hope you don¹t > mean bass strings! > > > > Owen J. Greyling > > > > Hi Julia, from Reading PA > > Here is another PROVEN idea for you, since you seem to be the only one to > endorse my ideas, and for which I thank you. > > ŒA quick and dirty method to voice a grand piano, a.k.a. ŒInstant voicing¹¹ > > It is no secret that concert pianists are often faced with pianos that may > have a sharp and unpleasant sound. Needless to say, it becomes obvious that > the culprit piano needs voicing. > It is also no secret that most experienced concert pianists voice the piano as > they play, by resting their foot on the left pedal, hoping to improve the > sound. (The ones that wear heavy shoes are more successful. Women with small > feet seem to suffer the most from this unfortunate not infrequent aberration > of sound). > > This needed voicing, is accomplished (while performing on stage) by shifting > the keyboard ever so slightly, so as to prevent the strings from hitting the > predetermined grooves on the hammer that have been hardened with playing, and > produce a metallic sound. The left pedal of the piano ( as per Josef Hoffman > and other great pianists) is not designed to make the piano softer, (although > it does it to a certain extent when played Œdue cordi¹) but is primarily > designed to change the character of the sound, emanating from this mysterious > and complicated musical instrument. > > So imagine this scenario: You have tuned a piano beautifully, but the sound > somehow is not satisfactory. If you can voice it with good results, well and > good, but if you can¹t, or if you are not further satisfied with the voicing, > try this. > > Press on the left pedal, and insert two to three playing cards on the left > margin of the keyboard (after removing the lid, inside the piano), to prevent > the keyboard from returning all the way back to the left when you let go of > the pedal. > In fact you would be imitating or initiating very gentle pressure on the > pedal. (Remember the pianists with the heavy shoes) > The groove on the hammers will now be shifted very slightly to the right, and > the strings will be hitting virgin territory slightly to the left of the > grooves, usually producing a much softer and more pleasant sound. And for Dale > who is very scientific and thorough, each card used will shift the keyboard by > .010 of an inch. (Thickness of a playing card, as measured by my micrometer). > The strings, striking now so close to the original grooves on the hammer, will > eventually change the density of the hammer-felt next to the old groove, and > so when the cards are removed after a while, one may find to his surprise, > that the character of the sound has improved altogether and that the cards are > no longer needed. (He can then start using them again for his poker game). > If two cards aren¹t enough, one can use three. Using more than that, one may > enter into Œdue cordi¹ territory, which may be desirable under certain > conditions if one is planning to Œvoice¹ the left pedal after a change of > hammers. After a change of hammers, in order for the left pedal to respond > properly, (especially to partial pedaling) it has to be broken in by playing > the piano for a while, keeping the pedal down. > > Be it as it may, one can adjust the different grades of left pedaling (partial > pedaling) on the piano, by increasing the number of cards as needed. If many > cards have to be used, the left pedal may get loose, and may need slight > adjustment under the piano (Usually takes a couple of minutes). > > I have no doubt that Dale has a better way of shifting the keyboard (with > screws controlling or maintaining the shift of the keyboard) , but keep in > mind that the beauty of using playing cards is that one can add or remove one > as needed, instantly. (You may even hide the use of these cards from your > client, and remove them secretly upon your next tuning visit, after asking him > or her for a glass of water). > > I am presenting this method with some trepidation, following a proven > successful personal experience. (I am not a technician, but a classical > pianist. After all, who has ever heard of a respectable RPT using playing > cards inside a piano !!!!!!!) > > I have another good trick with cards to report, and some more quick and dirty > ideas but I will save them for later, if I survive the attacks from my > Œunscientific empirical and amateur¹ methods being tested successfully on my > two beloved grand pianos. (They have no choice but to succumb to my surgery, > fortunately with good results). > > All the best > > Steve > > P.S. Is it true that ketchup cleans and restores copper? > > > > On 11/30/06 8:35 AM, "KeyKat88 at aol.com" <KeyKat88 at aol.com> wrote: > > Greetings, > > There is so much to learn! Every time I think I have learned > something, it turns out to have many more aspects to it. (...great isn't it) > > Thanks > JUlia > Reading PA > > In a message dated 11/26/2006 5:21:09 PM Eastern Standard Time, > Erwinspiano at aol.com writes: > > HI Julia > For a light filing, yes, you raise a practical issue. There is of course a > tolerance at which performance won't suffer greatly. It would be great if > the fix were as simple as a let--off adjustment but in order to maintain > proper regulation/ i.e. blow distance .... hammer line needs to be raised as > will the drop & let-off screw. The magic line changes & the hammers now over > center more as well. All the while the touch becoming lighter due to felt loss > & geometry changes. It always Strikes me as such a sticky wicket. Don't you > think? And then there's the scruffing scuffing hammer thing. > Dale > > > > > -- -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/20061201/60adff2d/attachment.html
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC