[CAUT] Gradually improving voicing

[Avery Todd]

Hi Phil,

At 05:25 AM 1/8/2005, you wrote:
>Hello all.
>
>I sat in the audience last night to hear a performance on a 'D' that I 
>care for. I noticed that it's starting to sound a little strident

I know the feeling. :-) Thankfully, I'm in a situation where I can usually 
do something about
it relatively quickly.

>and am looking for some advice to make it less strident with a busy 
>concert schedule coming up.
>
>-My initial thought is to start to improve its voice from either end and 
>work my way towards the middle.

I'm not really sure that would be a good idea. If it's a relatively large 
hall, complaints, when they occur, are not usually going to be about the 
extremes. They're going to be about the middle 2/3's or so and/or soft 
pedal voicing. If you're very limited on time, do you have a chopstick 
voicer you could use while you're tuning and run across some notes that are 
particularly strident? Until you can get the time to do a more complete job.

>- Would it be wise to add any liquids to the hammers during my tunings, 
>knowing that within
>a few hrs., the piano will be played for a performance?

Since you said it was beginning to sound strident, I'm assuming you're 
talking about softening agents, not hardening. :-) Unless it's something 
that will dry quickly (or use a hair dryer or heat gun on it) so you'll 
know what you have, that also might not be a good idea. Besides, if you 
have the time to pull the action to do that, couldn't you mark the worst 
notes while you're tuning and then needle those in about the same amount of 
time?

>The reason this has to be done gradually for right now is quite simple: a 
>very busy concert schedule coming up with time available to the instrument 
>limited at best. From what I heard last night, it MIGHT take a little more 
>than just needling to get it to where _I_ want it to be.

If you're talking about string leveling/mating/filing, yes. You're going to 
need a fair amount of time to do a complete job.

>-The one thing I have thought of is this: The piano will not be used the 
>entire month of February with Phantom coming into the hall. It MIGHT be 
>possible to work on it then, but again, I don't know if the piano will be 
>available or accessible. Phantom takes up a lot of space backstage.

Unless it's in a room that isn't being used, away from the stage area, I 
probably wouldn't try that. At least until the show goes into production. 
Then you might be able to come in during the day and do some work if the 
piano is actually available. During our big operas, etc., both instruments 
go into the piano storage room after piano rehearsals are over.

>Thoughts and ideas greatly appreciated,

Just some thoughts but don't know how valuable they are. :-)

>Phil Bondi(Fl)

Avery Todd