[pianotech] Hammer Technique: was Q & A Roundtable

John Formsma formsma at gmail.com
Tue Feb 1 21:03:16 MST 2011


On Tue, Feb 1, 2011 at 8:31 PM, David Love <davidlovepianos at comcast.net>wrote:

Consider that the main issue in stability is tension equilibrium in the
> various string segments (more than leaving excess flex in the pin).
>

Could be. I've never measured for any equilibrium. I just think in terms of
leaving the string and pin so neither moves.



>  Over shooting means that you have necessarily increased the tension in the
> first segment (nearest the tuning pin) more than the other segments and
> stability is only achieved when you have released the excess tension from
> that segment back to the remaining segments and they land where you want
> them.  Not only does that increase the possibility that with any rendering
> issues the first segment will be slow to give up its excess tension but it
> gives you an automatic correction that must be made.  If you could simply
> increase the tension in the first segment only the requisite amount
> necessary to bring the speaking length up to pitch, then you only need to
> wait for the pitch to rise to where you want it and stop, not rise past
> where you want it settling it back down to where you hope it will stop and
> stay.
>

Read my reply to Ron N's email.



> It is interesting to note that in the RPT exam re stability, according to
> my local CTE, 95% of the loss of stability is to the flat side.  That
> suggests that the tendency to leave excess tension in that first segment is
> the prevailing one when things go wrong.  It would be better not to get it
> there in the first place.
>


Could be. I don't know. My unisons were 100%. But, heck, it's a pretty
generous tolerance, so that's not necessarily braggin' or nuthin'. <G> I'd
be embarrassed if my unisons were merely good enough to pass the RPT unison
section!



> Overshooting also, in my opinion, increases the likelihood of string
> breakage, especially on pianos that render poorly.
>


How so? From the higher pitch?


-- 
JF
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