<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; =
-khtml-line-break: after-white-space; ">Thanks again for your comments, =
Fred. More below:<DIV><BR =
class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR><DIV><DIV>On Oct 20, =
2005, at 3:13 PM, Fred Sturm wrote:</DIV><BR =
class="Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><P =
style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" =
size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">The woolen material is that =
stuff that used to be used for weather stripping: about 1/8" thick<SPAN =
class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>by about 3/4" wide I'm =
thinking, that grey stuff with threads of other colors, made from used =
fibers. It's fairly course, so muting felt is not a great substitute. =
Maybe some of that dense, hard understring felt or the like. I agree =
with you in being frustrated by his lack of detail in saying "screw," =
"bolt," etc.<BR></FONT></P></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR =
class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Unfortunately, I'm not =
familiar with the material you're referring to. I'll figure this part =
out, though.</DIV><BR><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><P style="margin: =
0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" =
style="font: 12.0px Helvetica"> Sometimes you have to use your best =
guess. Eg, "bamboo" would have to be of a size to actually fit =
between<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>the strings =
specified.<BR></FONT></P></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR =
class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>I'm just curious as to =
whether he might have been referring to a "solid" piece, like a =
chopstick, a hollow piece, like towards the top of the bamboo plant, or =
perhaps a "slice" of the larger end that would wedge in there. Each =
option could create a different effect. This piece is to be wedged =
between the strings of two notes in the bass, actually connecting them =
to the soundboard. But here, it doesn't give a distance from the =
damper or bridge. It just says "LARGE PIECE of =
BAMBOO".</DIV><BR><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><P style="margin: 0.0px =
0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: =
12.0px Helvetica"> Plastic would be something available in the 40's (or =
30's to 50's, or whenever the piece was composed) - meaning probably =
something hard. I don't think there were any soft plastics readily =
available then (I could well be wrong). =
<BR></FONT></P></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR =
class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>The copyright is 1960, so a =
number of possibilities exist, such as drink straw, etc. It actually =
has to be threaded or woven between the lowest three strings, (over A =
& B, and under Bb). I don't like the sound of this for the sake =
of the dampers, unless we're talking about a pliable piece of material =
here (like a drink straw)</DIV><DIV><BR =
class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><P =
style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" =
size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">The up side to this is that =
a very, very good argument can be made for the position that a D (or =
other concert size) is not appropriate for this kind of music - it =
doesn't meet the needs of the performer or fulfill the intent of the =
composer. <BR></FONT></P></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR =
class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>I'm thinking that even =
perhaps performance notes, to explain EXACTLY why we brought in a =
Steinway L for the performance.</DIV><BR><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><P =
style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" =
size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">This is the kind of argument =
that resonates with the general faculty, more than the "pianos should =
only be played using the keys" or "keep those durned screws out of my =
piano" type argument.</FONT></P> <BR><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><P =
style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; =
min-height: 14.0px"><BR></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px =
10.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px =
Helvetica">Is there enough scale difference between an O and an L to =
make his measurements incorrect for an L?</FONT></P> <P style="margin: =
0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" =
style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">Jeff</FONT></P> <BR></BLOCKQUOTE><P =
style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; =
min-height: 14.0px"><BR></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px =
0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px =
Helvetica">An L would be better than a D, for =
sure.<BR></FONT></P></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR =
class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Logistics and how receptive =
everyone involved is to the idea of going to the hassle of moving an L =
into the hall will be the determining factor.</DIV><BR><BLOCKQUOTE =
type="cite"><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT =
face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica"> It would =
depend how precisely you were measuring. In the end, you would adjust =
the precise position by experiment anyway, shifting a wee bit in each =
direction and listening. (What exactly are you listening for? That's a =
good question <g>. Whatever sounds "best" - maybe most =
pronounced). If your student has an L available for practice purposes =
(or at least for experiment), the sounds could be used as a basis for =
deciding where to place things in a =
D.</FONT></P></BLOCKQUOTE><BR></DIV><DIV>We can do that. We have an L =
in one practice room and a D in another. MY CONCERN is that these =
practice pianos are used by ALL the piano majors, and if she's going in =
there, preparing this piano herself, with screws, plastic, bamboo, etc., =
several times a week, we're talking about hastening string corrosion =
from fingers constantly on the strings, damper damage, etc. =
Everything we're imploring pianists to not do, she's going to be =
doing.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>THAT =
is my argument for "pianos should only be played using the keys". =
It's not my "ignorant, unwilling to hear something different, =
conservative, bullheaded, closed minded"" musical taste. Promise :-) =
(some of this stuff actually sounded pretty good as background =
accompaniment when Barnaby Jones was breaking into someone's filing =
cabinet.)</DIV><DIV><BR =
class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Thanks =
Fred!</DIV><DIV>Jeff</DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>=