Tonal control from the keyboard

[Richard Moody]

The only thing a piano keyboard can do in regard to tonal quality (or
control) is vary the velocity of the hammer.  The harder the key is
pushed, the more velocity the hammer has as it strikes the string.
So in that regard the only tonal control a pianist has from the keys
at least on the down ward stroke results from  the velocity of the
hammers.
	If one is not able to observe the grand piano action in action in
and out of the piano, there are models that show the movement of the
hammer as the key is depressed.  At the point of let off, the hammer
is no longer in contact with any mechanism as it flies toward the
string. During this "free flight" or "travel" no more control can be
given to the hammer.  So if you can see this you realize that there
is a split second before the hammer hits the string that is beyond
the control of the pianist.
	When you press down on the key of a grand piano, very slowly, so
slow that you will not produce a sound, you will feel resistance
toward the bottom of the dip, and then it sort of "snaps" through,,
and on a finely regulated piano, this "snap through" will be enough
to produce a tone no matter how hard you try not to. Well maybe after
5 or 6 go throughs you might be able not to cause the hammer to
strike.
	 The beginning of this resistance is the beginning of what
technicians call "let off".This is the point which the mechanism must
dis-engage itself from the hammer.  You can visualize  in order for
the hammer to strike the string, there must be a period of time where
it can freely rebound from the string. To do this, it must be free
from the mechanism for a split second. Other wise it would "block" So
now you know the considerations the first piano makers had to deal
with.  Actually the problem was, what to do with the hammer after it
had struck the string.  Look at toy pianos for example.
	Any how it is important to realize  as the hammer strikes the string
it has been beyond the control of the key for an x amount of time.
	At this point we are at the proverbial, "one picture is worth a
thousand words".  In less than 10 years one might be able to send a
"moving picture" (is that mjpg ?)over computers that would be worth a
thousand chapters.
	In the mean time, I  hope that music students would be granted at
least one class session devoted to the workings of  the mechanism of
the piano and the movement of the piano hammer.
	We come to a point where  we are beyond the physical aspects of the
piano mechanism, so when the teacher says to play through to the
bottom of the key, or press harder at the bottom of the dip, for
greater tonal control, we know we are in the mind over matter, or
metaphysical aspects of tonal control from the keyboard.
	For the influence of dampers on tone, that's taken up next semester.

Richard Moody


----------
> From: KUANG <v137z2ng@ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu>
> To: pianotech@byu.edu
> Cc: V137Z2NG@ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu
> Subject: Re: String breakage
> Date: Friday, April 11, 1997 4:42 PM
>
>
>
> 	Right now I'm trying to figure out why alot of pianists believe a
> note played at same dynamic can have different tone quality depends
on how
> you play it (there might be a reason behind it).

	{perhaps you mean "on how the key is pressed"...?...rm}

>Can this be easily explained?  Or is this a wives' tale?  Can
someone with a very good
> understanding of action/mechanism express their opinions?  Are
modern
> pianos designed so pianists can change the tone quality while
playing
> (e.g. during a performance) as much as they want without
> voicing/regulating?  Is there a way a technician can optimize a
piano to
> do this?

> with regads,
> Kuang Wang