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<font size=2>List, <br><br>
Since the subject has come up again, below are some posts I've <br>
saved from previous discussions on this subject. Hope they will<br>
be of use to some of you. I'm a little late because I was <br>
waiting on permission from the various techs but have only <br>
gotten two replies, so I'll post anyway and hope the others <br>
don't mind. <br><br>
Avery Todd<br>
University of Houston<br>
Houston, TX<br><br>
=========================================================<br>
Date: Fri, 26 Mar 1999 12:27:07 -0500 (EST)<br>
From: "Christopher D. Purdy"
<purdy@oak.cats.ohiou.edu><br>
Subject: Re: prepared piano<br><br>
<b>Policy Regarding Prepared Piano Use<br>
</b>March 23, 1999<br><br>
1. All structural changes to any piano must be approved by and in
<br>
most cases performed by the piano technician. This includes removing
<br>
the lid or other case parts and attaching anything to strings or <br>
soundboard to modify the sound. <br><br>
2. <b>Marking strings.<br>
</b>Small stickers may be used on dampers or agraffes to mark notes.
<br>
Please purchase stickers that are easy to remove such as the small <br>
colored dots. Care must always be used when touching dampers as they
<br>
are easily bent. Never use masking tape or any other adhesive that <br>
may leave a residue. The performer is responsible for removing any <br>
stickers immediately after any performance. There should be nothing
<br>
applied directly to the strings. This includes white-out, tape, <br>
stickers, nail polish, etc. In some cases chalk may be used to mark
<br>
steel strings but never the copper wound bass strings.<br><br>
3. <b>Striking and plucking strings.<br>
</b>Strings may be struck or plucked with fingers or guitar pick. Other
<br>
devices must always be a material that will not mar or scratch strings.
<br>
On steel strings only materials that are softer than the steel string
<br>
may be used, such as brass or aluminum. Copper wound bass strings must
<br>
also be struck or plucked with a material softer than the copper. <br>
Acceptable material include wood, plastic, rubber, etc. Never use a
<br>
steel chisel on piano strings. As the piano technician, I will be happy
<br>
to help any performer select materials that will not damage the
piano.<br><br>
In some cases, literature calls for the insertion of screws or mutes
<br>
between piano strings. Again, a material softer than the string must be
<br>
used, such as brass or aluminum. <br><br>
4. <b>Extreme volume.<br>
</b>There is a fine line to be drawn between passionate musical
expression <br>
and outright banging on a piano. Please use good judgment when playing
<br>
above a forte. Harsh playing is damaging and will not be
tolerated.<br><br>
5. <b>Common sense.<br>
</b>Most damage to our pianos can easily be avoided by using good
judgment. <br>
Please consult with the piano technician or piano faculty before using
<br>
unconventional techniques. Usually an alternative can be found to satisfy
<br>
both the performer and this policy.<br><br>
-Christopher D. Purdy R.P.T. School of Music Ohio
University Athens
OH
<br>
-purdy@oak.cats.ohiou.edu (740) 593-1656
fax# (740) 593-1429<br><br>
</font><font size=3>========================================================<br>
From: Rick Florence <Rick.Florence@ASU.Edu> <br>
Subject: Re: Crumbling pianos? <br><br>
We've had BAD luck with any sort of solvent (including alcohol) and
bass<br>
strings - it will either discolor, cause loose windings, or both.
For node<br>
points, we instruct our students and faculty to use the dry erase markers
on<br>
the plain wire and to tie colored yarn on the wound strings. The
markers<br>
clean off easily and the yarn stays put, is easy to locate, doesn't
effect<br>
the sound at all, and comes right off. (Tie on one sting of a
unison - I<br>
had to explain to one student why the note sounded funny after she tied
two<br>
bi-chord strings together tightly - DUH!)<br><br>
For marking dampers, we have found that the post-it flags work the best
and<br>
leave the least residue.<br><br>
BTW we have three pianos on which we allow preparations. Everything
else is<br>
off limits. Our faculty is very supportive.<br><br>
Rick<br><br>
==============================================================<br>
From: "Fred S. Sturm" <fssturm@unm.edu><br>
Subject: Re: Crumbling pianos? <br><br>
One thing you should tell the music director is that Crumb wrote at the
piano<br>
in his office, which was a Steinway L, I believe. Hence, his inside the
piano<br>
moves are designed with that geometry in mind - where the struts are,
for<br>
example. Much of what he wrote doesn't work well on a 9 foot concert
grand.<br>
Trying to reach the correct nodes on strings can be impossible on such a
long<br>
instrument as well. So a model L (or maybe M) Steinway, Yamaha C-2,
or<br>
similar, might work better for them.<br>
I have used Post-its for marking nodes - just a very
small strip from the<br>
stick part, fished through and around the string. Doesn't seem to have
much<br>
effect on the sound of the string, and leaves no perceptible
residue.<br>
Regards,<br>
Fred Sturm<br>
University of New Mexico<br><br>
========================================================<br>
From: "Wolfley, Eric (WOLFLEEL)"
<WOLFLEEL@UCMAIL.UC.EDU><br>
Subject: RE: Crumbling pianos? <br><br>
We have been using "dry erase" markers here - the kind they use
on the<br>
"white boards" in the classroom. The marks they leave don't rub
off when<br>
touched but will come right off with solvent (I use "goof off"
brand spot<br>
remover). Chalk rubs off immediately and the constant re-application
tends<br>
to leave piles of chalk "crumbs" on the soundboard. Tape will
dampen the<br>
string and leave bad residue which will have to be removed with
solvent<br>
anyway. I don't know about crayon....might be hard to get off. Any
marks<br>
made on bass strings must be carefully kept from getting into the
cracks<br>
between windings....just gently mark the outer edge of the windings.
Give<br>
the pianist a soft cotton cloth to (carefully) wipe off the strings
where<br>
(s)he touches them immediately after the performance. Take the time
to<br>
remove the marks yourself - that way you know it will get done
well!<br><br>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br>
Eric Wolfley<br>
Head Piano Technician<br>
Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music<br>
University of Cincinnati<br><br>
================================================<br>
Use the waverley dots. Come in different sizes and
colors. They leave no<br>
residue and don't cause buzzing on the strings. Easy to pull off
agraffes<br>
and dampers. We marked and dedicated one piano with white pin
stripes on<br>
the dampers of the sharp keys. Using different colors for two
sharp group<br>
and the three sharp group. It's hard to distinguish if there isn't
this<br>
easy marking.<br>
The dots are great for marking nodes. They also
work in bass strings.<br>
DEFINITELY no chalk, white out, crayon, masking tape, dry markers,<br>
because no matter how lightly you put these on the strings,
performers<br>
always need more and heavier marking .<br>
Anecdote: In my early days I painted the dampers
white and left the<br>
sharps black. Took hours to make it easy to see. Performer
came in and<br>
immediately wrote C D E etc. on the white dampers. Oh,
well.<br>
Do you have the William Bunger book. There
was a class in Arlington<br>
about interior performance. Right now I don't remember the
instructor, but<br>
she had a great hand-out. If you need more info I'll do some
searching.<br>
Keep in tune.<br>
Joel<br><br>
==========================================================<br>
From: Robert Moffatt <moffatt5@telus.net><br>
Subject: Re: Crumbling pianos? <br><br>
</font><font face="arial" size=2 color="#0000FF">Putting anything on the
strings is not a wise thing to do....<u>particularly</u>, the bass
strings. <br>
On the prepared pianos I have attended to, placing the little round
coloured self adhesive <br>
markers on the appropriate damper - agraffe - capo bar works just fine.
If you have to use <br>
a solvent to remove any residue ( I haven't yet ), the only worry is<u>
accidentally</u> getting it <br>
on the odd string....let alone actually applying it (?) to a bass
string.<br>
</font><font size=3> <br>
</font><font face="arial" size=2 color="#0000FF">Sincerely,<br>
</font><font size=3> <br>
</font><font face="arial" size=2 color="#0000FF">Bob<br>
</font><font size=3> <br>
</font><font face="arial" size=2 color="#0000FF">Moffatt & Sons Piano
Atelier<br>
Calgary, Alberta - Canada<br>
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