piano evaluation

[Ed Sutton]

Richard-
These are the sorts of questions I ask musicians to get them talking about
pianos.  I find their answers very helpful in seeing the piano from their
points of view.  Whatever you come up with, I hope you will publish the
results here.
Ed Sutton

Is there anything about this piano you find especially surprizing?
Is there anything that seems distracting, interfering or unnecessary?
Did this piano enable/inspire you to play certain pieces better than you
usually imagine yourself playing them?  Give details.
Is this piano especially suitable for certain repertoire? Which? Why?
Is this piano not well suited for certain repertoire? Which? Why?
Do you feel "in control" of this piano or do you feel the piano is
controlling you?
Do you have to work too hard to get certain effects?  Give details.
Does it wear you down or give you energy?
Does the tone quality of the piano seem to adapt itself to different pieces?
Does the tone quality seem "stuck in a rut" or overbearing?
Does this piano enable you to do something you cannot do on other pianos?
How do you feel after a practice session with this instrument?
Does this instrument advance or hinder your musical conceptions? Howso?
Will you remember this piano and want to play it again?

----------
>From: Richard West <rwest1@unl.edu>
>To: College & University Technicians <caut@ptg.org>
>Subject: piano evaluation
>Date: Fri, Oct 4, 2002, 10:29 AM
>

> Hello, All,
>
> We have a Mason & Hamlin BB this semester as part of a program by M&H to
> loan a piano to universities so that they may evaluate M&H pianos and
> become more acquainted with the brand.  They are soliciting input from
> the school of music regarding how well the piano was received by
> students and faculty.  I thought this could be a good educational
> opportunity for our students and faculty in how to go about evaluating
> pianos.
>
> Have any of you made up some sort of form to help pianists evaluate
> pianos?  Do any of you have some suggestions for questions that might
> help teachers focus on the issues that are important to them.  I'm
> thinking specifically of when pianists go to music stores or factories
> to pick out a specific piano for use at the university.  As technicians
> we look at a piano differently than players.  What questions would help
> players in evaluating/selecting pianos?   What criteria should players
> be listening for?  Are there questions that would help them focus on
> certain issues that would help them make comparisons?
>
> Some questions that I have come up with off the top of my head are:
>
> What is your overall opinion of the piano?
> Are there areas that sound stronger/weaker?
> Are there keys that don't work properly?
> How is the repetition?
> Can you control soft playing?
> Do the pedals operate properly?
>
> I don't know if any of these questions are really that good, but I hope
> you can get an idea of the direction I'm wanting to go with this
> evaluation project.  In the end I would like a short set of questions
> that students and faculty could answer.  The answers would give me and
> the manufacturer an idea of how the piano was received and it might
> educate educators about picking out and evaluating instruments.
>
> Richard West, University of Nebraska
>
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