<html> OK, so that's a better explanation than my 'flury o' fingers' idea but when playing in close, it is probably a little of each. It doesn't even have to be octaves, fifths will produce the same "close effect".  Here's where we can actually give this phenomenomenomenmnennnnom a deffefinition or handel. (We can take these liberties with Susan on vacation) My nomination for nomenclature is:  the envelope please . . . Tied:   Close Encounters  and  Fatal Attraction but seriously, something like . . . like . . . just can't put my finger on it . . . Any ideas? Jon Page PS  Is the secluded retreat where the sock absconded to with all the buttons, the same place where the dish and the spoon slipped away to? Actually, I find the cow and the moon thing a bit preposterous. At 07:35 PM 6/12/99 -0400, you wrote: >There is no riddle as to how the marks get there.  When playing octaves or >other very wide intervals spanned by thumb and little finger, the hand is >positioned so that fingernails will gouge the fallboard.  Try it and see >what I mean. > >Frank Weston > >-----Original Message----- >From: Wimblees@AOL.COM <Wimblees@AOL.COM> >To: pianotech@ptg.org <pianotech@ptg.org> >Date: Saturday, June 12, 1999 9:19 AM >Subject: Re: The Missing Sock > > >>In a message dated 6/12/99 9:02:07 AM !!!First Boot!!!, rrg@nevada.edu >writes: >> >>< >> pianos sometimes develop wear marks on the fall board above >> the keys.  Admittedly I had no definitive answer.  I'm sure >> you have all notice this, particularly above the sharps. >> Sometimes the wear can be so bad that it can extends well >> into the wood.  But then you have to stop and wonder how >> they got there.  For technical reasons you do not play the >> piano that close to the fall board.  In observing a pianist >> playing I have never seen any kind of technique that would >> suggest a reason- even in aggressive playing.  Certainly >> there are other case parts on a piano that receive rougher >> treatment.  Nevertheless somehow these wear marks appear >> very defined and consistent.  So here then is the riddle: >> How do these marks get there?  Is there a particular type of >> maneuver required by the pianist?  Is it avoidable? Can you >> find the missing sock? >> >> Rob Goodale, RPT >>  >> >> >> >>Very energetic players carve the fall board with their fingernails. I had a >>customer who complained to me that I put the nail marks on her piano when I >>tuned it. These gouges were so deep, it would have had to use a chisel to >>carve them. I told her she did it. She didn't believe me. I then asked her >to >>play some of her favorite music. Within 5 minutes she had hit the fall >board >>a dozen times. It wasn't until I pointed it out to her that she realized >she >>was doing it. >> >>Willem Blees >> > <div>Jon Page,  Harwich Port,  Cape Cod,  Mass.  <a href="mailto:jpage@capecod.net" EUDORA=AUTOURL>mailto:jpage@capecod.net</a></div> <div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div> </html>