<HTML><BODY> Richard Moody wrote: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE>---------- <BR><I>> From: BobDavis88@aol.com</I> <BR><I>> To: pianotech@byu.edu</I> <BR><I>> Subject: Re: Tonal control from the keyboard</I> <BR><I>> Date: Sunday, April 13, 1997 3:01 PM</I> <BR><I>></I> <BR><I>></I> <BR><I>> from Richard Moody:</I> <BR><I>> >The only thing a piano keyboard can do in regard to tonal quality</I> <BR>(or <BR><I>> >control) is vary the velocity of the hammer.</I> <BR><I>> -------------</I> <BR><I>> Another factor I have seen mentioned is oscillation of the shank</I> <BR>and hammer <BR><I>> head. Take for example two blows, each causing the same sound</I> <BR>pressure level <BR><I>> but one of which is a staccato style, which has most of its force</I> <BR>at the <BR><I>> beginning, and one a more "pushing" blow. Although the hammers</I> <BR>reach the same <BR><I>> final speed, some would say that a different set of oscillations</I> <BR>are set up </BLOCKQUOTE> <BR>Now, there's a bunch of malarky if I ever heard any..... <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE> <BR><I>> in the shank/head, which could continue beyond letoff. In the</I> <BR>fore/aft mode, <BR><I>> this would change the strike point (although I doubt enough to</I> <BR>change the <BR><I>> tone). It also may set up larger oscillations in the side-to-side</I> <BR>mode, which <BR><I>> could cause the string to contact a slightly different place on the</I> <BR>head, <BR><I>> i.e., on the edge of the groove, which would most definitely change</I> <BR>the tone. <BR> <BR>Granted, but since it can't be controlled by the player, or <BR>consistant from piano to piano,it can be regarded as a defect, or <BR>short comming. either in the music or the instrument. rm <BR><I>></I> <BR><I>> I'm not necessarily trying to sell either of these arguments, just</I> <BR>trying to <BR><I>> keep the discussion going. At my piano club, I listened to several</I> <BR>of us <BR><I>> amateurs play, and I thought "I wish I had voiced this piano. It</I> <BR>sounds <BR><I>> edgy". Then a really fine pianist sat down, and suddenly the piano</I> <BR>didn't <BR><I>> need voicing anymore.</I> <BR><I>> Bob Davis</I> <BR> <BR>I have noticed this on player pianos in regards to the tuning. When <BR>someone pumps it and I am in the other room, I think, "Hmm, could it <BR>have gone back into tune?" but when I sit down it sounds worse than <BR>ever. <BR>Richard Moody </BLOCKQUOTE> <BR> </BODY> </HTML>
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