Low friction actions

[Stéphane Collin]

Well,

pianists are just human beings, and I believe that even in a top pianist's
hand, finger action is not 100 % even.  Too responsive an action will just
enlight this unevenness, which will be commented as a lack of control.  But
I think that more inercy, preferably to more friction, will do the trick,
that is to integer smoothly the small discrepencies in the pianist's hand.

Stéphane Collin.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "gordon stelter" <lclgcnp@yahoo.com>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Sunday, August 29, 2004 11:15 PM
Subject: Low friction actions


> Which raises the question: Are low friction actions
> "bad", or just something most pianists are not used
> to, but could adjust to with benefit to their overall
> playing, with a little practice ?
>      Thump
>
> > All mechanical systems have a "damping ratio".  This
> > is a ratio of stored to dissipated energy.  Control
> > basically amounts to being able to impart just the
> > right amount of momentum to the hammer.  A mechanism
> > with a low damping ratio (little friction) is harder
> > to control because a mass set into motion without
> > friction will continue to move freely.  The player
> > has
> > no means to slow the mass down if he initially
> > presses
> > too hard on the key.  His skills then consist of not
> > pressing too hard, or quickly backing off in case he
> > did press too hard.  This is exactly what a
> > "frictionless" action requires - the ability to
> > change
> > finger force in an incredibly short period of time.
> > Again, he has only 10mm of key travel during which
> > he
> > can distribute the force.  For best expressiveness,
> > the musician would probably like to have as much of
> > those 10 mm available to modulate the pressure
> > without
> > feeling that he is moving the key stick through
> > molasses.  If he doesn't have the physical ability
> > to
> > reduce the force quickly, he will feel that the
> > action
> > is "temperamental".
> >
>
>
>
>
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