Action weights and "concert pianist" advice

[Anne Acker]

Dear Stephane,

Yes, your instincts are good. This is a recipe for disaster for a young girl's hands and arms.   Her piano's downweights sound just fine.  Nor do I find that well prepared concert pianos are any heavier!  I would advise the girl's parents to consult with injury prevention specialists and talk with other performers.  A huge number of conservatory pianist students are injured each year.  

There is NO need for a piano to have excessive touchweight to sound well, enough yes, but not excessive.  I do not know why this mythology persists.  

As piano technicians you do not have to do make changes to a piano that are unnecessary and could hurt your client.   Are you desperate for business?  I think not.  I smile, and am firm.  You don't have to get too involved or preachy.  Simply saying something to the effect of, "She is still young.  I would suggest you talk with many more teachers and injury specialists before making such changes to your piano.   Concert level pianos do not necessarily have tremendously heavy actions."

IMHO as  pianist as well as a technician, suppleness and control controlled by a thinking mind are more important than brute strength.

AA






From:		Stéphane Collin <collin.s at skynet.be>  [ Save Address ]
Reply-to:		Pianotech List <pianotech at ptg.org>
To:		"'Pianotech List'" <pianotech at ptg.org>
Subject:		Touch design for concert pianists
Date:		Thu, 7 Aug 2008 10:40:26 +0200

Hi list.

I face again the same old problem of a client of mine who's been told by an
authorized concert pianist that her beautiful piano (Bechstein model D) had
too light a touch for her to train properly.  The static downweight is for
now tapered from 52 grams in the bass to 47 grams in the treble.  To my
fingers, the weight feel is medium and the action plays quite well.

How do you all address this issue ?  I know that the easy undoable way is to
add clip leads at the back of the keys, but won't this affect the
responsiveness and repetition performance of the action ?  Clips on the
hammer shanks will also alter the sound (maybe for better in the bass, but
certainly for worse in the treble).
I would prefer redoing the front weighting (cost is not an issue in this
case).  But then, what are the reasonable limits in which we can work ?
Should I add 2 grams to all downweights ? 5 grams ? 10 grams ?
My client is a young girl with small hands (gifted, for sure), and the guy
who told her her piano is too light is more the Russian kind of KGB security
agent pianist.  I fear for tendinitis behind the corner.

No way my explanations could ever balance the authorized advise of the super
graduated banger.  But your advise will certainly balance my lack of
experience in this matter (I always refused up till now to alter the factory
specs).

Thanks in advance.
Best regards.

Stéphane Collin.