<HTML> <HEAD> <TITLE>[CAUT] Pianos for piano performance majors</TITLE> </HEAD> <BODY> On 4/1/06 2:09 AM, "Paul Williams RPT" <pno2nr@whidbey.com> wrote: <BLOCKQUOTE>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@whidbey.com </BLOCKQUOTE> Hi Paul,     I try not to generalize about brands. There are significant things that can be said about differences between brands which have to do with design and execution, but when you get to the top of the lines, it largely becomes a matter of taste, IMO. For example, there are those who claim that as a concerto piano, cutting through and powering past an orchestra, a Steinway D can’t be beat. I don’t have the experience to have an opinion: how many of us have heard a significant number of concertos on enough other instruments to have enough of a basis to make a judgment? But, regardless, this only touches on one, rather specialized use of the piano. I am personally more interested in the piano as a solo or chamber instrument.     In my comments about hammers, I was trying to get at a rather subtle thing which comes from my personal experience trying out various pianos. There is a certain magic generated sometimes, when you simply connect with an instrument. I have had experience with a few instruments that really had something extra special, to my own subjective ear. They just had more depth and breadth of tone color than any other instrument I had played, and I could achieve very subtle effects of layering of both dynamics and color. It’s not just the individual voice of the instrument I am talking about, but the range of responsiveness.     I came to the conclusion that it was largely hammers: probably the felt itself, plus the voicing technique. My tentative guess is that, in addition to needle placement and sensitivity of the fingers and hands to how the felt feels while inserting needles, it also included the way in which they were inserted: pressed in instead of jabbed. My impression is that, for instance, one of the common shortfalls of many Yamahas is caused by the common jabbing technique taught at the factory. This seems to me to lead to a monochrome color. German techs by and large are adamant about slow and firm insertion to avoid tearing the felt (to the extent possible). I think they are probably right.     At any rate, I think there can be a real difference of tonal range in a needled hard-pressed (but not too hard) hammer that can’t be achieved with a lacquered hammer, although a lacquered hammer can be voiced very nicely indeed. It’s subtle and maybe splitting hairs for many, but it resonates with me with my pianist cap on, and I try to find the way to achieve it with tech cap on. Sometimes I think I get close. Regards, Fred Sturm University of New Mexico ------ End of Forwarded Message </BODY> </HTML>