METHOD

[Billbrpt@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 7/2/00 10:53:52 AM Central Daylight Time, 
yardbird@sover.net (Bill Ballard) writes:

<< Another way to look at this is that the standard dip and adjusted blow
 approach is the Historical Treatment of aftertouch, that is, the one we
 probably all learned first and which we would say if surveyed, is the most
 long-standing. The method of setting in aftertouch directly is the Equal
 Treatment, as it produces a consistent aftertouch. Certainly there is a
 place for both HT and ET. ET proponents claim that the pianist's
 performance suffer when aftertouch is inconsistent. One should be able to
 move a piece from key to key and not have to worry that the feeling of the
 regulation has changed with this transposition. Advocates of HT maintain
 that something is lost when the character of a series of indivudal
 aftertouches encountered during the execution of a musical passage is
 traded for a mindless uniformity thereof.
 Thoughts anyone? <g> >>

People often resort to analogies to explain why today, someone would even 
entertain the seemingly illogical notion of making a temperament unequal.  It 
takes a lot of explaining to get the idea across that there is a real musical 
benefit to doing so but one must also be mindful that it is the *modern* 
piano we are tuning, not a harpsichord or fortepiano and the fact that 
today's listeners are used to hearing at least what is intended to be ET.

So, I think Bill Ballard's analogy can work even though my first impression 
is that tuning and regulation are completely separate issues.  An unequal 
temperament cannot work as a general purpose tuning on a modern piano if it 
is *too* unequal.  Something extreme like 1/4 Comma Meantone can only work if 
everyone involved knows what is going on.  Otherwise it will probably end up 
being a disaster.

What is being discussed here is deliberately making one regulating 
adjustment, the Keydip, which is generally thought of as being the same 
throughout the keyboard, slightly uneven in order to satisfy another desire 
for evenness of touch.  That is why I began my answer with the disclaimer 
that this should only be considered with the finest caliber instruments used 
in the most discriminating professional circumstances.

Everyone knows how quickly a hammer line will fall from its precise 
regulation.  As soon as this happens, whatever effort was put into equalizing 
Aftertouch is a moot point.  Any other change in regulation adjustment that 
affects Aftertouch would also ruin the precision.  To use Bill Ballard's 
analogy, even as possible Keydip along with evenness of all other aspects of 
regulation might be considered the same as a policy of using ET as the usual 
and default temperament.  Only in specific, high level circumstances might 
one want to use this custom approach, knowing that it in itself must be 
maintained diligently.

Some of this information can be dangerous in the wrong hands.  Somebody whose 
skills at regulation are limited such as in the case of an energetic but 
inexperienced novice, might try this idea and produce an action with wildly 
varying Keydip.  It is my understanding that in order to have good 
regulation, the keydip *must* be basically even.  A casual placement of the 
Keydipblock should confirm that.

But, and this is the big [but small at the same time] distinction, the idea 
of fine adjusting the tripping of the jack with a certain even pressure as Ed 
described will result in small, nearly imperceptible distinctions in the 
Keydip, the kind made with paper punchings at the most, say .003 to .010 " 
(white, green, pink or blue paper).  This will result in the jack tripping 
out from the knuckle [or butt in a vertical] a very precise and even amount 
which will in turn help in finer control during pianissimo playing, very fast 
repetition and a better ability to repeat without letting the key fully 
return to the resting position.

It might be mentioned that this is the best way to get the best repetition in 
a fine quality vertical.  Since it has no repetition lever, a very precisely 
controlled Aftertouch will minimize the amount that the jack escapes from the 
butt.  It will return quickly under the butt upon releasing the key.  By 
regulating for a minimum amount of Aftertouch and fairly close checking, the 
vertical action can repeat nearly as well and fast as the grand.  Jack Wyatt 
RPT has done a lot of work in this area.

Bill Bremmer RPT
Madison, Wisconsin