[pianotech] What is bloom,

[John Delacour]

At 10:35 -0700 17/03/2011, Nicholas Gravagne wrote:

>...Still, if your intent is to bring us back to your question RE the 
>phenomena of bloom and lifting dampers, then my comment above of 
>"mechanical coupling and sympathetic vibration" is unsatisfactory as 
>it apparently doesn't satisfy your quest to explain your experience. 
>(See below.)

On the contrary.  It is satisfactory as far as it goes.  It could 
hardly be due to anything else, and I put forward my suggested 
explanation -- also not by any means comprehensive -- in the new 
SWELL topic I have begun.  I think you may see some sense in that too.

>  > My question is
>>  about the bloom that occurs in a very small minority of pianos when the
>>  dampers are raised, and this is an 'extra', allowing the player to use
>>  effects that are not available on most of even the very best pianos.  A
>>  piano without it can nevertheless be an excellent piano, and a piano with it
>>  might not have necessarily have certain other desirable qualities.
>
>This fascinates me, JD, as I am unclear beyond a general idea as to
>what you mean. I don't expect you to continue to attempt another
>discourse on this experience unless you wish to, or else re-articulate
>the technique you employ that I may learn to zero in on what you are
>hearing or hope to hear. Perhaps if we could all hear this for
>ourselves at you elbow. That pianists might exploit the effect is
>further tantalizing. Perhaps the accomplished pianists among us might
>chime in. But then I would expect the subject to once again change.

Well that last bit is guaranteed on this list!

I'll write more to make it clearer under the SWELL topic.

JD