<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" = http-equiv=Content-Type> <META content="MSHTML 5.00.2314.1000" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: = 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A href="mailto:Vince@byu.edu" title=Vince@byu.edu>Vince = Mrykalo</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = href="mailto:caut@ptg.org" title=caut@ptg.org>caut@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, July 29, 1999 = 7:06 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: 7/8 Keyboard</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV>I thought "normal" size for a keyboard <I>was </I>48".  BTW = Ed's temperament class was so persuasive, that I will again try a well temp = for specialized programs such as an all Chopin one.  A very well = presented class, Ed!<BR><BR><FONT = size=2>----------------------------------------------------------------= ---------</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>When I designed my first grand piano I did a = little (to little, as it turned out) research on key headscales.  I was told = by several folks within the company I worked for at the time there had = been an "International Standard" of 1220 mm agreed to by most of the industry = in the late 1940's.  So I acted accordingly and designed the keyset accordingly.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>On submitting the drawings to the keymakers (a = division of this same company) I was told that they couldn't make keys to this width.  There's were something wider than that.  So much for = standards.  I then did what I should have done in the first place = and went out and measured what they were actually making.  Since then = I have measured quite a few and have found that there is really no standard = at all.  Everyone pretty much makes what they want to = make.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Personally, I would like to see key headscales = just a little bit narrower than what we currently see.  Over the years I have encountered quite a few pianists (not all of them women) who have had difficulty reaching some of the common intervals found in standard = piano music.  Yes, they have, for the most part, been able to train = themselves to reach what they need to reach.  But not without some cost to = their hands.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>This experience has indicated that a key headscale = width of around 1190 to 1200 mm might well be an improvement.  It's not = enough of a change to require any great adjustment, but is enough to make = reaching some of the wider intervals just a bit easier.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Regards,</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Del</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>