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<font size=3>The wear marks are from fingernails constantly hitting the
fallboard.<br>
This chipping action must be on releasing the finger from the key<br>
because the player would change their playing style if their fingers
were<br>
hanging-up on the fallboard.<br>
<br>
One restaurant owner asked if a beaver had gotten to it from the
severity<br>
of the gouging. So with these deep troughs, I know the flick is happening
<br>
on release; otherwise there would definitely be finger-catching/broken
nails/<br>
deeper routing.<br>
<br>
They are looking into replacing the piano and I would consider a thin
sheet<br>
of glass epoxied to the fall board to eliminate this wear. A Plexiglas
sheet<br>
would protect as well and replaced regularly, these are available
through<br>
one or two suppliers as protection in showrooms. Practice safe
playing.<br>
<br>
Regards,<br>
<br>
Jon Page<br>
<br>
PS The sock stole the buttons and is doing well on a secluded
island.<br>
<br>
<br>
At 01:39 AM 6/12/99 -0500, you wrote: <br>
<font size=3><u><blockquote type=cite cite>Thought for the
day:</u><font size=3> <br>
<br>
Have you ever put exactly ten pairs of socks into a clothes drier but
pulled out only 19 when they were dry? One of those unexplained
mysteries in life that has no answer. <br>
<br>
I was talking with a client who was wondering why grand 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? <br>
<br>
Rob Goodale, RPT </blockquote><br>
</font><br>
<br>
<div>Jon Page, Harwich Port, Cape Cod, Mass.
<a href="mailto:jpage@capecod.net" EUDORA=AUTOURL>mailto:jpage@capecod.net</a></div>
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