[pianotech] The Db1 theory

[erwinspiano at aol.com]

Hi Stephane
 All this is interesting musing for us trivial pursuers but...  I often noted which natural resonance /frequency an un unloaded soundboard gives off when giving it the boom test. (pounding on it with a fist.) Oh & by the way your soundboard must be elevated off the cement floor on blocks, otherwise the energy goes down thru the legs aaaaaaaaaaand, is absorbed into the concrete.) 
  Anyway, I think its like Bb-2 but it vary's slightly depending on the size of board. If the same boom test is given say after the top half of the piano is strung the frequency rises as the board compresses.
  What this has to do with any thing but trivial observations...I don't know, but maybe there is something that coincides with your theory. I'll check on this for fun on the next restring, which is a CC Mason & Hamlin Concert grand from 1975. I'll see if the frequency of the unstrung board may rise to Db. WHo knows. I'll string the enire trebles & bring it up to pitch  before Trix applies the bass strings.
  I find that the Stwy D and other concert grands have 2 modes of boom ... a low frequency in the bottom & another higher one located when pounding higher up.
 In general... The healthier the boom,ie longer the sustained tone, the livelier the board
  Dale


-----Original Message-----
From: Stéphane Collin <collin.s at mobistar.be>
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Sent: Sat, Nov 14, 2009 9:15 am
Subject: Re: [pianotech] The Db1 theory




Hello Dale.
 
I see clearly what you mean, and of course agree completely.
 
My test was simply playing a bass note and the major chord in the disposition reinforcing its natural harmonics, trying to balance the notes so the sound is as “full” as possible.
Doing this, why, oh why is it so often Db1 that expresses itself in the most overwhelming way ?  why never A#0 ? or E1 ?  Not even C1.
I was thinking at Db1 as the cross point of multiple graphs representing involved characteristics :
-          Ideal mass of the string
-          Ideal length of the string
-          Ideal position among the single wound strings section (fewest scaling compromising)
-          Ideal position of the string on the bass bridge bridge
-          Ideal note for major chord built on it (higher = less full, lower = not clear anymore) relatively to the human hearing
-          And so on
 
Maybe I should have asked first if other techs feel the same, once they pay attention to these points.  But if a consensus would appear, we could consider that the piano design was optimized for Db1.
Even the keyboard configuration is reflecting this : pianists know that Db major scale is the easiest of all, as it conforms so well the natural position of the hands (left and right).  Now, that was probably by chance.  (By chance ?)
 
Best regards.
 
Stéphane Collin.
 

  Hi Stephane


  This may not be what you are experiencing.


 I find that on SO many pianos there are at least a few notes that sound truly exceptional as to sustain and clarity and others that are noticeably not as magic. Usually this is from the  note 40 ish on up.


 I've tried switching the great sounding notes hammer with the one that doesn't countless times and have found that 99% of the time its not hammer related.....and, so frequently they are right next door to the one the sounds fantastic. Sometimes its around the plate strut breaks and others not.  I personally think it is variations in soundboard impedance. 


  Probably due to invisible spruce gnomes and spruce fairies burrowing into the wood. grin


  That's my story & I'm stickin to it.


    Dale Erwin






-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://ptg.org/pipermail/pianotech.php/attachments/20091114/ddf03a5e/attachment-0001.htm>