Voicing and the Verboten area (Area 51?)

[A440A at aol.com]

<<  By going by the book, I would have achieved nothing, where as, a very 
tiny touch to the string indentation did the job I required, after I had 
carried 
out the 'correct' procedure, that is.
Am I getting frowns from all and sundry about this, or is it acceptable by 
some of you to go out of the square? My belief is that as long as you don't 
go 
crazy and damage the fibres of the hammer, you are doing no harm, just 
improving the tone. >>

Greetings, 
    On some very hard pressed hammers, loosening the shoulders does virtually 
nothing.  There is no resiliency in the hammer and you will destroy the 
shoulders before you get any softening under the strike point.  In these cases, I 
have found that running a big needle into the crown will make wonderful 
improvements.  
     After I have softened the lower and upper shoulders, and optimally, 
giving the hammer a few hours of playing to let anything move around that is going 
to move around,  I have no qualms about putting a #6 sharp into the crown a 
couple of times.  I ususally do this betwen the string cuts, and if I can get 
it half way to the core, I find it really opens up whatever tone is available.  
      Hammers ain't sacred, they are meant to be used up!   
Regards,



Ed Foote RPT 
http://www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/index.html
www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html