SV: So, let's talk about damper lift

[Kjell Sverre Fardal]

Hi, Ed! 

This way of adjusting the pedal on a grand sounds strange to me. If we
think about how the pianists normally uses the right pedal, it is not so
often "the underlever drop can be felt in the keys as the damper pedal
is lowered" in real piano-playing! I'm talking about traditional
pedalling in classical music.

On the other hand, what the pianist could feel with this alternative
adjustment of the pedal, is the contact between keyend-felt and
underlevers when playing single-note passages (in most cases with his
right hand) when the pedal is down.

Do you re-adjust the damper-stop rail a little bit lower as a part of
this modification?

It's bed-time here in Norway now. Might think a little more about this
with eyes wide open ;-)


Kjell

Kjell Sverre Fardal NPTF
Kristiansand / Norway  

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Fra: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] På
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Sendt: 14. mars 2006 23:10
Til: pianotech at ptg.org
Emne: So, let's talk about damper lift

Greetings, 
     I am having some considerations banging around in my head about
just how 
much pedal lift is the optimum amount.  I thought I would toss it out,
rather 
than spending sleep time chasing down all the possibilities; (I once saw
a 
cartoon of a guy in bed, lights out, eyes wide open,  and in the
"thought 
balloon" over his head was an exploded view of a complete Volkswagon
engine.  that 
could be me with an action, a Timex watch, or any number of arcane 
assemblages). 

       If the pedal lifts the dampers higher than the keyends, the
underlever 
drop can be felt in the keys as the damper pedal is lowered. I don't
like 
this bump, and removing it for pianists has caused them to begin
describing the 
change as a "smoother touch", or "I can't tell what you did, but this
feels 
better" sort of thing. 
So,  I think this is a good thing.
      Having the pedal set so that the keystroke lifts the dampers the 
slightest amount above the pedal causes the contact between keyend felt
and 
underlever to occur just as escapement is happening. I really prefer to
make the 
escapement zone as transparent as possible so that pianissimo playing is
most 
controllable.  So,  I wonder if this is too much of an improvement.
     Having the pedal lift only enough to clear the dampers from the
string 
will often make a very short throw of the pedal and some pianists have 
expressed trouble half-pedaling with so little movement available. 
I am interested in the collective ideas here about this.  Anyone? 

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