psycho-acousti-what?

[Mark Cramer]

Just to remind y'all, we were discussin vertical pianos, not grands. I thank
Ed for recommending piano wire to pluck the strings, there is no room for
fingers, picks, etc.
On the subject of blocking hammers in grands however, I've experimented with
the cloth (Kawai trick) over the reps, and also (with escapement set very
close), blocking the hammer by finger pressure via the jack.

With the possibility I might be doing something totally different in a year,
I'll tell what I'm doing now, and why I like it.

Trevor Nelson, RPT (colleague & friend from Boulder) showed me the method
used at Boesendorfer. Like Newton, they prefer hooking the shank to block
the hammer. To avoid inadvertantly lifting strings in the process, they
insist that you chalk your fingers, such that as you are blocking the
hammer, your fingers are actually slipping up the tool handle.

I like the method, as it deals with the one concern I've always had, and
that is that we block hammers with the least pressure possible. If the
strings are level under this faint contact,in my mind, they are level in all
conditions.

Mark Cramer, RPT
Brandon University

Original Message-----
From: owner-caut@ptg.org [mailto:owner-caut@ptg.org]On Behalf Of Newton
Hunt
Sent: Friday, February 16, 2001 11:34 AM
To: caut@ptg.org
Subject: Re: psycho-acousti-what?


> Any suggestions on how to block the hammer and pluck strings in the
treble?

I use a piece of coat hanger I bend into a handle and a hook.  I go
down between unisons, hook a shank and gently lift it up tot he string
as the same time stepping on the sustain pedal or I have it blocked
sot he dampers are out of the way.  I use my left hand for lifting and
right hand for leveling the strings.  I then tune the piano and do it
all over again.

		Newton

I use coat hanger wire because it is readily available and I keep
loosing them.