[CAUT] Pianos for piano performance majors

[Paul Williams RPT]

Hi all.  When I play a piano (tech stuff out of the way and as a musician) I want to feel comfortable with the instrument.  I want it to be smooth and even, and depending on the type of music, either bright. light and lively, such as would be expected for jazz; or I would want even and mellow for Chopin or 
Debussy. ..  I believe all pianos should be brought to the highest capability they can attain.  Sometimes a Yamaha or even a Kawai can produce confidence in the player that would please them.  I, however, still prefer a Steinway or Bosendorfer, but perhaps I am too educated in the production of those pianos.  I do enjoy Yamahas and some Kawais although I find the Kawai doesn't quite get great sound when brought up to fff, but maybe I haven't learned enough on their potentials.  I agree that the correct hammer should fit the piano, but generalizing a particular "brand" is a bit hasty.  Many fine hammer producers are available and many can be adjusted for the piano at hand.  Please respond....
Paul T Williams RPT and pianist
pno2nr at whidbey.com 

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Fred Sturm 
  To: College and University Technicians 
  Sent: Friday, March 31, 2006 11:27 AM
  Subject: Re: [CAUT] Pianos for piano performance majors




  On Mar 31, 2006, at 11:17 AM, Jim Busby wrote:
    Thanks Fred

    I never thought much about the hammers being considered. As a pianist (leave off your technician hat, if you can) when you sit down to a piano do you find an immediate difference in expression between the two hammer types, or is it very subtle?

    Would a non-tech pianist be aware of this or are you hypersensitive to it? I’m trying to get into the performers head, if you will.



    Jim Busby


  Well, that would depend on a lot of things: sensitivity of pianist (varies all over the place), voicing techniques of the tech, yadda, yadda. But, given pianos prepped to the max and reasonably sensitive pianists, I would venture to say that it would be a difference apparent to most. I'm not going to say that most would prefer one or the other, just that there would be a perceived difference  of range of response. Personally, for most of the music I play, I prefer a well-needled hard-press hammer. Which isn't to say that I don't like a well-voiced Steinway lacquered hammer - I guess I perform and record much more often on them, and I am (or can be) satisfied most of the time.
  When you come down to it, there is so much variance between individual pianos of any make, and so much variance in taste among pianists, and considerable difference in prepping standards and tastes among techs - it's hard to state anything conclusively. It is, I think, quite possible to get both types of hammer to sound nearly identical. Depends how you work them. I do think there will always be tonal shadings available in a resilient well-needled hard-press that can't be created in a lacquered hammer. Subtle to some, blatantly obvious to others.
  I do happen to be a pianist who loves variety. I don't want every piano I play to be the same. The variety inspires me to try something a little different. I don't know if that is common among pianists or not. I'm sure there are others like me, and that there are those who want the familiar, the thing they are used to, predictability.

  Regards,
  Fred Sturm
  University of New Mexico
  fssturm at unm.edu
   "Art is not a mirror held up to reality, but a hammer with which to shape it." 
  Bertolt Brecht

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