<HTML> <HEAD> <TITLE>Re: [CAUT] rubbing back checks.</TITLE> </HEAD> <BODY> So Wi= m, How are the key bushings? Alan McCoy <HR ALIGN=CENTER SIZE="3" WIDTH="95%">From: <Wimblees@aol.com>= Reply-To: "College and University Technicians <caut@ptg.org&= gt;" <caut@ptg.org> Date: Tue, 15 Feb 2005 10:03:58 -0500 (EST) To: <caut@ptg.org> Subject: [CAUT] rubbing back checks. Yesterday t= here was a note on the piano of one of the piano profs' D, ("key rubs w= hen holding down Db6 and playing C5)  Upon inspection, I noticed the ba= ck checks were rubbing against each other. I wrote the following to the prof= essor.     > The problem with the keys you pointed out was the Dd back check was<BR= > > rubbing   > against the C back check, but only when the Db was depressed. When I<B= R> > had the   > action out, I noticed several other back checks that were almost > rubbing > against  their neighbors. There was one similarity with all the o= nes > that were > close to  their neighbors. They all belonged to a black key. Then= I > looked at the > front of  the key, and noticed they were very close to the white = key. > >   > This is caused by playing glissandos on the black keys. It has always<= BR> > been   > advised for piano players not to play glissando on the black keys. > Primarily   > because the key button can't take the strain, but also because it > does cause > the  key to move over, and thus create this problem. >   > Now, if you are not playing glissando on the black key, I wonder if<BR= > > perhaps   > when you play a glissando on the white key, your fingers rub against <= BR> > the > black keys, causing them to move over. >   His response was:   Wim, "I rarely play glissandos."   My question to you guys is this. Have any of you experienced this, and what= solution do you have? This is a 45 year old D, with the original action. <B= R>   His other comment was:   "Perhaps the technicians guild needs to take this matter up with the <= BR> composers guild, particularly the branch that deals with dead composers.  Debussy and Ravel were noted for their transgressions into= glissandi." Any takers for an ad hoc committee to investigate this problem and make rec= ommendations?     Wim Willem Blees, RPT Piano Tuner/Technician School of Music University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL USA </BODY> </HTML>