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

antares antares@euronet.nl
Sat, 28 Aug 2004 19:05:50 +0200


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On 28-aug-04, at 3:45, Ryan Sowers wrote:

> antares <antares@euronet.nl> wrote
> Your mentioning the rep springs and the lacquered hammers have nothing
>  to do with it. Light is light, either in weight or because of low
> friction.
>
> =A0
> Andre,
> =A0
> I have to entirely disagree on this point in particular, for 2 =
reasons:
> =A0
> 1. It sounds like you are=A0saying that increased=A0down weight that=20=

> results from increased friction is the same as increasing the=A0down=20=

> weight=A0by manipulating the weight of action=A0parts. Lowering =
friction=20
> will increase the up weight of the key, while decreasing the down=20
> weight at the sometime. Adding friction does the opposite.
> =A0
> Adding=A0lead to the front of the key=A0will will decrease the down =
weight=20
> and decrease the up weight. A very different effect on the touch of=20
> the piano to be sure. You can have actions with equal down weight that=20=

> feel very different.
> =A0
> Don't forget=A0that inertia plays an important role in the players=20
> perception of the touch. Ed McMorrow's (author of "the Educated=20
> Piano") pianos are a perfect example. People perceive his actions as=20=

> light but he gets=A0his down weight toward 60 grams=A0(if I'm =
remembering=20
> properly). The lower inertia he achieves by=A0drastically removing=20
> hammer mass (and=A0also=A0key leads)=A0=A0produces the sensation of a =
light=20
> touch despite a 60gram down weight. Interestingly Ed also recommended=20=

> (in his book) pinning the hammers a little on the tight side (which=20
> goes back to our previous subject on pinning)!
> =A0
> 2. Lacquered hammers have plenty to do with it! There is a strong=20
> connection between voicing and touch perception. A player will many=20
> times perceive an action with soft hammers that require greater=20
> velocity to gain fortissimo tone as heavier than an action with hard,=20=

> less resilient hammers. I've had clients be amazed at how I changed=20
> the touch of their piano by only working with the hammers.

We still have the fact that most pianists like to feel a clear=20
'response' caused by for instance the combined weight of keys, dampers,=20=

action parts, the moment of let off and drop. Whether the instruments=20
plays light or heavy depends on the wish of the pianist and the skill=20
and experience of the technician.
Applying too much anti-friction material causes an action not only to=20
feel light and speedy, but also slippery and uncontrollable.

In regard to all this I like Horace's remark :
"All of which is to say that these issues are matters of perception;=20
and, subsequently, matters of communication".



Andr=E9 Oorebeek

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