How much friction? (was friction.... yet another attempt)

[David's Email]

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So Ryan, how many of Ed's pianos have you run into?   I haven't seen a =
one in the Bay Area.  I suppose the North Coast has a few...?  Does Ed =
still do this sort of thing?  =20

David I.




  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Ryan Sowers=20
  To: Pianotech=20
  Sent: Friday, August 27, 2004 6:45 PM
  Subject: How much friction? (was friction.... yet another attempt)


  antares <antares@euronet.nl> wrote
    Your mentioning the rep springs and the lacquered hammers have =
nothing=20
    to do with it. Light is light, either in weight or because of low=20
    friction.

    =20
  Andre,

  I have to entirely disagree on this point in particular, for 2 =
reasons:

  1. It sounds like you are saying that increased down weight that =
results from increased friction is the same as increasing the down =
weight by manipulating the weight of action parts. Lowering friction =
will increase the up weight of the key, while decreasing the down weight =
at the sometime. Adding friction does the opposite.

  Adding lead to the front of the key will will decrease the down weight =
and decrease the up weight. A very different effect on the touch of the =
piano to be sure. You can have actions with equal down weight that feel =
very different.

  Don't forget that inertia plays an important role in the players =
perception of the touch. Ed McMorrow's (author of "the Educated Piano") =
pianos are a perfect example. People perceive his actions as light but =
he gets his down weight toward 60 grams (if I'm remembering properly). =
The lower inertia he achieves by drastically removing hammer mass (and =
also key leads)  produces the sensation of a light touch despite a =
60gram down weight. Interestingly Ed also recommended (in his book) =
pinning the hammers a little on the tight side (which goes back to our =
previous subject on pinning)!

  2. Lacquered hammers have plenty to do with it! There is a strong =
connection between voicing and touch perception. A player will many =
times perceive an action with soft hammers that require greater velocity =
to gain fortissimo tone as heavier than an action with hard, less =
resilient hammers. I've had clients be amazed at how I changed the touch =
of their piano by only working with the hammers.=20





  :

  =20



  Ryan Sowers, RPT Puget Sound Chapter
  Pianova Piano Service
  Olympia, WA


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