[pianotech] Hammer Technique: was Q & A Roundtable

[Ron Nossaman]

On 2/2/2011 2:07 AM, David Love wrote:
> Overshooting means that you increase the tension in the first segment of the
> string (the segment leaving the tuning pin) to the first friction point
> before the  speaking length moves.

Nonsense. That has nothing whatsoever to do with overshooting. If you're 
going to raise the pitch of the speaking length with the tuning pin, 
you'll increase the tension in the first segment first and most. That's 
not hammer technique. That's kindergarten physics.


>If you have a piano with a rendering
> problem and the friction points don’t release quickly, then you can easily
> increase the tension in that first short segment past the break point and
> the string will break.

Yes, it can happen.

>If you tune with counter pressure applied to the
> tuning lever that compensates for the twisting of the pin, you can move the
> pin in the block without increasing the tension in that first section, no
> overshoot.  The risk of exceeding the break point then is minimized.

Absolute nonsense. It's still the higher tension in the first segment 
that pulls the string from the speaking length through the agraffe or capo.
Ron N