[CAUT] harpsichord quilling

[Fred Sturm]

Hi Anne,
    A fair enough response. I agree that this is the subject for a book, but
hoped I might get lucky and at least solicit a comment or two.
    I prefer to work with black delrin, as it is considerably easier to work
with the blade, at least for me. Easier to get purchase and to control. But,
alas, my wife, the harpsichordist in the family, prefers the feel and sound
of white. I am not sensitive enough to notice that big a difference.
    About the various profiles I described, I have seen all of them on very
nice instruments (and sometimes all of them on one individual instrument,
with not so great results <G>), and I haven¹t really come to good
conclusions about the ins and outs of each. There are people out there who
passionately claim one or another is the only way. Much like duplexes and
hammers, I guess.
    My wife says that the ³taper the bottom to the tip² profile makes it
feel silkier and less abrupt, so I have been experimenting in that
direction.  But for the rest, I haven¹t seen definite reasons to prefer one
style over another.
    But, yes, it is as if someone asked a piano technician ³how do you
insert needles into a hammer to voice it?²
Regards,
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico


    
On 10/27/06 7:48 AM, "Anne Acker" <a.acker at comcast.net> wrote:

> 
> Hi Guys!
> 
>> >     Thanks for joining us, even if only temporarily.
> 
> Well, now that I'm signed up, I might as well keep an eye on you folks.
> 
> 
>> > 
>> >     I wonder if you might be willing to answer a few other questions on
>> > the subject of harpsichord voicing?
> 
> In reference to all the questions below about quilling...which is an art like
> hammer voicing, my answer is:
> 
> I use the materials and methods which will best bring out the desired voice
> for each given instrument.   Each harpsichord has different needs, each client
> and room has different needs, just like for  pianos.  Some instruments require
> more forceful energy to speak well, others don't.
> 
> In general, I prefer black delrin, but sometimes only white will do the job
> for a given instrument.
> 
> This would be the topic for a book, and instead of going into this, I have to
> prepare to greet the antiques group showing up imminently for a tour and
> presentation.
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Anne
> 
>> > 
>> > 1) Black versus white delrin material, any comments on the
>> > differences, preference?
>> > 
>> > 2) Plectrum profile side view: Do you prefer
>> > a) even taper from tongue to tip, coming to an almost point?
>> > b) a more gradual taper that stays thicker than the above up to a
>> > wedge cut at the end?
>> > c) a fairly parallel profile from close to the tongue to the wedge
>> > cut? (the wedge cut being for return passage to under the string)
>> > 
>> > 3) Plectrum top view: Do you prefer
>> > a) Triangle, coming to an almost point?
>> > b) Fairly parallel starting as close as convenient to the tongue with
>> > a quick angle inward, then parallel to the tip?
>> > c) Somewhere between those two, tapered, but not to a point?
>> > 
>> > 4) Plectrum cross section: Do you prefer
>> > a) rectangular, square sides, flat bottom?
>> > b) rhomboid, flat bottom, sides tapered inward?
>> > c) triangular, sides angled in coming to a point or nearly so?
>> > 
>> > Any comments on how these variations affect touch and tone would be
>> > most appreciated. And, obviously, any alternatives to what I
>> > presented are welcome.
>> > Regards,
>> > Fred Sturm
>> > University of New Mexico
>> > fssturm at unm.edu
>> > 
>> > 
>> > 
> 
> 
> 


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