performance piano - student psychopathology 101

[Ed Sutton]

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Otto-

Some non-destructive options- light steaming with a damp cloth; ironing =
with a hammer iron; dropping a few index cards between the left side of =
the action and the key frame stop block.  All presented with gracious =
concern, and a request "Please try this for a few days and let me know =
how it works for you."

Ed Sutton
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Otto Keyes=20
  To: College and University Technicians=20
  Sent: Wednesday, September 17, 2003 3:25 PM
  Subject: performance piano - student psychopathology 101


  Just thought I'd throw something out for your thoughts & comments.  =
The following has not been a huge issue, but I'd like to educate the =
crew here to avoid recycling history.  Just wondered how many of you =
have come accross the same type of issue, & how you handle it. =20

  Many of the pianos here have been over-voiced, causing them to split =
after awhile.  This seems to have come about because the players =
perceive the pianos to have changed over-night.  One student in a studio =
class will have a poor performance (for whatever reason), & this seems =
to be infectious, so everyone gets a hair up his/her nose that "the =
piano is too bright, dull, doesn't _____" (you fill in the blank).  =
However, the day before, the instrument in question was wonderful, blah, =
blah, blah...

  I have been attempting to educate the faculty & the students that =
perceptions change like (& sometimes with) the weather, and my goal is =
to keep the instruments as consistent as possible so as to avoid having =
to hang yet another set of hammers prematurely.  It is sometimes =
difficult to inform them in a tactful manner that perhaps this is a =
problem of perception, especially the gale force of opinion is blowing =
unchecked in the opposite direction.  One of the problems of democracy, =
I guess, but that is another discussion altogether.  :-)

  Anyway, just thought I'd throw that out for your comments.

  By the way,  this summer I restrung the treble, shaped the capo bar & =
hammers, etc., of several G-2s (& others) which were breaking an =
inordinate number of strings.  Should take care of the problem, but =
we'll see as we get into the heavy practice season for recitals, etc.  =
They sure tune cleaner now.

  Otto

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