performance piano - student psychopathology 101

[A440A@aol.com]

Otto writes: 
<< tone is a sticky

issue, and the view of the technician can be taken as a challenge, if not

addressed very carefully.  Therefore, any additional wisdom would be most

welcome. >>

Wisdom, I dunno, but this is what has kept the door open for me: 

    Rather than tell the pianist what they want, I have had good success 
describing what I want from a piano.  If approached as a concept in which I need 
their input, I find most pianists go right along with it.  
     What I do is begin the discussion with what I hope the piano hammer is 
capable of.  I say that in a perfect world,  the hammer should provide the 
widest possible range of tone.  That it should be warm, soft, dark, etc. when 
played  very softly, and it should be brassy, strong, commanding or even 
clangorous when played at the maximum force the pianist is capable of.  Ideally, the 
transition from one extreme to the other should be gradual and predictable, 
giving the pianist the maximum resources to create whatever sound they desire. 
   I then point out that every pianist has his own "range" and I would like 
to move the piano into their desired realm.  The big strong ones will often 
prefer a softer hammer, since they can dial up the power to suit whatever they 
want.  The delicate, lighter, less muscular pianist often prefers a harder 
hammer so that the extreme color is accessible while they rely on finesse to create 
the softer textures. Whatever,  the important thing is that the pianist be 
given the concept of variable "voice" at the same time that they understand you 
want to tailor the range of it to their specific desires.  
   Pianists like it when techs talk this way.  
   If you can find a note whose hammer is capable of gradually increasing 
brilliance with added force, and then compare it to one that is harsh from the 
get-go or to one that is essentially dead, they begin to get the idea of a 
palette of tonal responses.  If so, you become a resource to them, rather than a 
challenge or, heaven forbid, an obstacle.  
  There is a lot more that we can learn from each other on this subject.  The 
practise rooms are surreal, but deep needling and soft shoulders , as well as 
a resilient core can give longevity.   And if they wear them out in a hurry?  
Hey, that is what we are there for.  It helps if the powers that be 
understand that rock-hard hammers last longer but don't allow students to learn tonal 
control.   Then, they can decide how high a standard they can afford. 
Regards,   
Ed Foote RPT 
www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/
www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html
 <A HREF="http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/399/six_degrees_of_tonality.html">
MP3.com: Six Degrees of Tonality</A>