Low Inertia

[jimialeggio5 at comcast.net]

List,

>... the excess lead wouldn't be in the keys in the 
>first place unless the hammer weight is too heavy for the 
>action ratio. I don't think key lead has a lot to do with down 
>stroke inertial feel.
>
>My take,
>Ron N

Hmm...

I've been following the recent inertia thread as well as a "hammer weight 
reduction" thread from a couple of weeks ago with great interest.

I think I would like to widen this out a bit. Hammer weight is one of the 
major weight variables we have some control over, but the amount that hammer 
weight management is controlled and/or limited by the geometry interests me. 


As a pianist coming to tech-hood as  a second career, there were two artistic 
reasons for my career shift. One huge reason was my unrelieved  frustration with 
the unyielding feel of almost all of 
the grand actions I had played, and the other (which I now see 
as an essential part of the "feel" of the action), the amount of 
non-fundamental noise generated by poorly responding belly systems. 

In trying to understand  what frustrates me about grand actions, I have 
navigated various action balancing protocols, spoke with techs proficient in 
their particular protocols, listened to their explanations and played their 
rebuilt actions. 

I'm afraid I haven't endeared myself to some of these fine techs, because, 
though thoughtfully, skillfully and lovingly executed, most of the protocols 
left my fingers with the same frustration, ie, the amount of energy needed to 
move the action dictated how I interpreted my music...the piano's engineering 
challenged and somewhat overruled my artistic vision...this is not acceptable to 
me.

In the various weight balancing protocols, for example the Stanwood, much effort 
is spent balancing out the response of the action, but, as my fingers 
perceive it, the balancing effects are micro effects...an improvement, but an 
improvement which, alas, leaves my biggest complaint, a huge global complaint, 
unaddressed, ie  I feel that most actions I have played possess a  high or 
"higher-than-I-would-like" dynamic touch weight (hdtw). 

Geometry and weight are so interrelated, it is somewhat challenging 
to differentiate between the effects of the two; the effects of each have the 
ability to magnify and mimic each other.

I read the symptom of HDTW as high or uncontrolled inertia, and is evidenced by 
the relative quantity of lead needed to achieve customary static down weights. 
(My fingers would like to see leads in the low base way down around 1.5 or 2, 
and low friction values: an uncommon scenario, I think.) 

Hammer weight is involved, but often, the levers are just not functioning in an 
optimized fashion...yes, we got it to regulate, but the 
the geometry is still sometimes quite marginal. To my mind and fingers, all the 
careful balancing of each of the levers will only take you so far...geometry, 
that is geometry that pays attention to the location of the balance rail x,y 
either optimizes or 
hinders the proceedings...

My thanks to Bruce Clark who is speaking about these issues in a way that fits 
my point of view. He generously took a group of us,  through a protracted series 
of mind bending Saturdays to explain how to 
actually understand and achieve balanced geometry at half stroke...

...challenged my cognitive facilities, it did. My work now reflects this 
redesign work. (it does require high end customers)

Geometry that is actually, precisely at the half stroke for whites and pretty 
close for sharps, in concert with appropriate hammer weights, gets me the feel I 
want.

What's interesting to me is, that in a low inertia action, since my global 
complaint has been addressed, I'm really not bothered by slight unevenness key 
to key, and don't fuss with it. (however, the rest of the redesign is plenty 
fussy...no escaping 
the fuss factor)

As a disclaimer I should say that I am aware that the accepted "feel" which 
most pianists learned on, and therefore look for and expect in an action, is 
higher in dynamic touch weight than what I'm looking for...and that although I 
interpret this as undesirable, many if not most pianists experience it as a 
positive. 

Maybe low inertia actions are a bit out of the norm...or depending on 
how you see it, maybe just ahead of the cusp.  

Since its a diverse world out there, I would really like to see discussion out 
there which can accommodate different ways of interpreting what constitutes a 
"good" action feel. What feels good quite possibly can change with differing 
musical and body styles.   

Now to incorporate this work together with a proper RC&S belly .

Jim
 
--
Jim Ialeggio 
www.grandpianosolutions.com (under construction)
Shirley, MA (978) 425-9026