<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; =
charset=us-ascii">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2600.0" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY>
<DIV><SPAN class=250221919-20022003><FONT face=Arial size=2>Many =
times while
filing hammers, particularily on older uprights, where the grooves had =
worn
through to the wood, I would wondered who wears the felt out up here? I =
don't
just mean "who plays these notes," but who wears them =
out?</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=250221919-20022003><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=250221919-20022003><FONT face=Arial size=2>My =
conclusion is
that "we" do.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=250221919-20022003></SPAN><SPAN =
class=250221919-20022003><FONT
face=Arial size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=250221919-20022003><FONT face=Arial size=2>I =
can't imagine the
generic home user taking a note and pound, pound, pound, listen, listen, =
pound,
pound, pounding it like we need to.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=250221919-20022003><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=250221919-20022003><FONT face=Arial size=2>That =
said, in recent
years, I've changed in a couple things to do my part for hammer
and string (and hearing!) conservation.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=250221919-20022003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff =
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=250221919-20022003><FONT face=Arial size=2>1.) =
Voicing (as
already mentioned), understanding the musician's need for "definition" =
in the
treble, I've really tried to maintian a culture of mellow tone =
here, as
possible, from piano-to-piano and room-to-room. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=250221919-20022003><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=250221919-20022003><FONT face=Arial size=2>Go too =
mushy
afterall, and we can't hear what we need to hear =
either.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=250221919-20022003><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=250221919-20022003><FONT face=Arial size=2>2.) =
Lighter test
blows. I used to "test" the note equal to or greater than what (I =
thought)
it might get in performance. That was before the =
tendonitis.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=250221919-20022003><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=250221919-20022003><FONT face=Arial size=2>I now =
(forever in
debt to the PTJournal contributor who suggested this)</FONT> <FONT
face=Arial size=2>use a karate chop, allowing my hand to fall from =
the elbow, of
it's own weight, from no more than an inch above the key. It's
plenty.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=250221919-20022003><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=250221919-20022003><FONT face=Arial size=2>BTW, =
after the
tendonitis, I used a striker for a while, still with a good blow. =
Though
easier on the body parts, but found the capo sections would tend to =
drift sharp,
and this is a discussion in itself.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=250221919-20022003><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=250221919-20022003><FONT face=Arial size=2>I'm =
happy with the
maintainance approach others have suggested (please include keeping an =
eye on
let-off in the dead of winter) as well as trying to do my part to "tread =
gently."</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=250221919-20022003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff =
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=250221919-20022003><FONT face=Arial size=2>Now if =
you'll excuse
me, I honestly am on my way to replace a string broken by a 5'1" =
musician on a
5'4" piano, no,.. the pianist must be 5'4" cause the piano's just =
5'1!"
:>) </FONT> </SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=250221919-20022003><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=250221919-20022003><FONT face=Arial size=2>Mark
Cramer,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=250221919-20022003><FONT face=Arial =
size=2>Brandon
University</FONT></SPAN></DIV></BODY></HTML>