Tripping, (was METHOD)

[A440A@AOL.COM]

Bill asks:
<< I assume that to get the let-off just shy of this excurson zone, you're 1.)
holding the damper up with the sostenuto, 2.) giving a hard blow with the
hammer and, immediately afterwards 3.) slowly raising the hammer (by the
key) to hear any sign that the hammer has crossed into the excursion zone.
Or do you have another indicator for this excursion zone? >>

Greetings, 
   That is the way I do the notes up until about C5.  And I will add that 
there are all kinds of ways to re-approach the vibrating string for that 
"check note". A small flip off the jack as it trips will toss the hammer 
higher than if it just falls off the top of the jack.  Whatever way a tech 
uses, it has to be consistant. 
    At the upper end of the piano, I go by feel.  What I do is set the 
let-off too high, so that the hammer can be felt blocking on the string.  
Then, as I slowly turn the let-off button down, I play the note softer and 
softer, making it block on the absolutely lightest, slowest, steadiest press 
of the key that I can until no matter how soft I play, I can't it feel it 
touch the string, then I turn the let-off button about another two degrees 
and then look at it.  
     As the let-off is lowered from blocking,  it goes through several 
different 'feels".  After it stops blocking, you can still feel it hitting 
the string on a very slow, steady press of the key,  continue turning the 
let-off button down and there will be a very transparent feel start to 
manifest itself. All of a sudden, you can hear the note but not feel the 
escapement that precedes it.  This is where Ronnie Milsap likes it, but for 
sanity and safety, I lower others just the slightest amount past here.  
     Alicia De LaRoche said that an action like this felt like "the notes 
were sitting right on the end of the key", (Whatever the heck that means, it 
was a compliment....).
Regards, 
Ed Foote