tapping strings

[Richard Brekne]

"Richard E. West" wrote:

>
>
> An interesting question for me is whether piano tone may actually be enhanced by
> slight indentation of the bridge tops.  We all assume that the termination should
> be sharp and clean, but given the history of the piano, it's reasonable to assume
> that no one really researched that supposed fact.

I haven't ever run into any hard research on that question, but its an interesting one
I will agree. I suppose to begin with it may be a bit necessary to clarify a bit
closer what we consider to be "tone enhancement" in this regard. That said there are
many who insist that the string must terminate exactly at the same spot on the bridge
pin as on the bridge itself.

That can occur by creating a "sharp" corner for the string to bend over on the bridge
(traditional)  or the bridge surface could be a convex slope for the string to climb
over (I have seen this twice), or the bridge surface could initially be made concave
as someone suggested.

It has been stated that a convex surface, though it would tend to even the pressure
relationships between the bridge surface and strings, would result in a loss of
energy. This seems reasonable enough on the surface of it, though I have seen no real
justification for the claim.  But then if the flat surface so easily deteriorates as
also claimed, (and in a fashion resembling to the convex shape mind you) then perhaps
to start with a convex shape might be more useful then presently assumed after all.


> Secondly when a piano is restrung common practice nowadays to to get rid of the
> indentations, and refresh the notching.  I've often wondered what this is doing to
> downbearing.  To me the depth of the bridge indentation might be a measure of the
> extremes of humidity that the piano has been subjected to.  If you take out the
> indentations, you're taking the bridge cap down to the lowest level and changing
> the bearing enough that there actually may not be enough bearing during dry times.

I have played with the thought of trying to find some way of filling indentations
because of this same worry. Sound boards generally have lost a bit of crown already
and the down bearing / upbearing relationship has then already changed. Taking more
off from the upbearing side of that equation would seem to exasperate that condition.

>
> Thirdly, how does the alleged "bridge roll" affect the bridge.  Does it exacerbate
> bridge damage or does it somehow reduce it by allowing the bridge to "roll with
> the punches" so to speak?

never thought about that one...... grin.

> Richard West
> University of Nebraska

On the side......I was born in Loup City, and lived in Lincoln til I was 5. My family
has been Huskers fans ever since.  My older brother is quite fanatical about it all.

Cheers !
Ricb

--
Richard Brekne
RPT, N.P.T.F.
Bergen, Norway
mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no
http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html