Tim, At 08:04 AM 10/10/2003 -0500, you wrote: >Does anyone remember the classes Chris Robinson did using a Realtime >Spectrum Analyzer (borrowed from Kurztweil Company)? I know it was in >Philadelphia about 12 years ago. Using a mechanism to create an even blow >and recorded with the analyzer he showed how repinning to proper specs (at >that time 6 grams) changed dramatically the tone of a particular note. > >Pretty eye opening. Previously people speculated about the tonal affects >of proper flange friction. He showed it scientifically to be true. Yes - this was one of the best classes ever presented by anyone anyplace. Chris had several that were all at that same level. 12 years ago was about at the time when Chris stopped teaching. As with a couple of other well-known instructors, all of his material was clearly announced as being under copyright; and a number of us were hoping that this meant an eventual publication of some very important stuff. So far, that has not been the case. As Roger noted about his demonstrations of pinning, there were any number of "slack-jawed" technicians at the end of Chris' classes. Nothing like meticulous reductive research and careful demonstration to clear the air. I remember sitting with several prominent factory folks who spent most of the class time squirming in their chairs...I rather enjoyed it, actually. Horace >Tim Coates >University of South Dakota >University of Sioux Falls > >Fred Sturm wrote: > >>>--On Wednesday, October 8, 2003 7:55 PM -0600 Roger Jolly >>><roger.j@sasktel.net> wrote: >>> >>>> >>>>>Hi Fred, >>>> >>>> >>>> 4gms of friction seems to be the optimum for tone >>>>production, _as it keeps the knuckle firmly in contact with the >>balancier_. >>snip >> >>>>Regards Roger. >> >>Roger, >> Looking at this more carefully, I have to disagree with you as to >> the mechanism for the tonal effect of firm pinning. From the point of >> view of the hammer being thrown to the string, I think mass, inertia, >> and leverage are plenty to maintain firm contact between knuckle and >> jack. Where lack of firmness has its effect is in the wobble that is >> introduced during the throw of the hammer, and even more so the wobble >> upon impact with the string (ie, what the hammer does during the time it >> remains in contact). So from a purely tonal point of view, I don't think >> friction per se plays a role. >> Where it does have an effect is in the neuro-muscular response of >> the pianist. I am convinced that a fine pianist can feel the difference >> between 2 and 4 grams friction in a hammershank center, in terms of what >> needs to be done to create the final velocity of the hammer, and that 4 >> grams will be found preferable in allowing more nuanced control. But >> even more important is evenness from note to note. Better all 2 gram >> than higglety pigglety with an average of 4 grams. >> All of this is more in the realm of mental picturing than >>measurable physics, because it is next to impossible to separate one >>factor from the others with any reliability. You have to assume travel, >>square hanging of hammers, evenness of felt density and elasticity, >>evenness of shank firmness/sponginess, etc., etc. But when all you do to >>a fly away action is repin it, the result is usually quite dramatic, at >>least in my experience. >> >> >>Regards, >>Fred Sturm >>University of New Mexico >>_______________________________________________ >>caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >> > > >_______________________________________________ >caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
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