Optimizing repetition

Joel Rappaport joelr@flash.net
Tue, 15 Apr 1997 17:14:52 -0500


Ed Foote wrote:

>      This confuses me.  Is this position describing the jack being moved
> distally so that it is farther under the knuckle?  If so, ( all other things
> being equal), it will move farther when placed in this position,  since the
> tender is brought closer to the let-off button and will contact the let-off
> button earlier.  And how does the rest position, which is governed by the
> jack adj.screw, have any effect on the position of the jack when the hammer
> is held in check?
>
Jon Page wrote:

> I don't see how moving the jack back will bring it closer to the
> knuckle when tripped, it will just drag it thru more distance; and
> places it in contact with the letoff button sooner.

Both Ed and Jon immediately thought this through and came to the same
conclusion at the same time.  See how genius can occur simultaneously in
different locations?  Both are correct that the jack tail hits the let
off button slightly earlier and the jack starts it movement slightly
sooner.  In anticipation of everyone running out to the garage to delve
into the mysteries of jack movement, I got out an action model.  I
regulated the jack as normal, pressed the key and put a light pencil
mark on the side of the repetition lever where the jack ended its
travel.  Then I adjusted the jack _substantially_ back, away from the
player.  Pressed the key and, as Ed and Jon theorized, the jack wound up
at the same place, not as I thought, closer to the knuckle.  But I still
think this works, only now I have to figure out why.  My thinking is
that this gives the artist the feeling that there is more room at the
"bottom" area of the key travel in which to work his/her repetition
magic.  If you duplicate my experiment, do you think that a little more
movement of the jack causes just a little more spring pressure on the
jack down where that type of spring enters the jack, which may quicken
the jack's return?

Horace Greely also points out a very relevant side point:

> The consistency is sometimes a problem on  a piano with front rail
> punchings that are too soft.  After a good deal of playing with different
> things, I have wound up using the Renner-supplied  Bosendorfer punchings.
> What makes them superior is that they will maintain a consistent keydip
> with a variety of "touch"  (read "hardness of blow") - the result is that
> you have a sound (sorry) foundation on which to build the rest of the
> regulation.
>
It's very advantageous to have a solid, secure end to key travel.

Thanks to all who have joined in this discussion.  It makes us think and
that can't be all bad!

----Joel




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