[CAUT] Natural key width

[Delwin D Fandrich]

No, to the best of my knowledge there is no key headscale standard. There was
supposed to have been a movement toward a standard in the late 1940s (overall
width of 1220 mm, or approximately 48") but it doesn't seem to have caught on. 
 
The last keyset I was asked to lay out had a headscale width of 1223 mm. This
made the naturals 22.0 mm wide with the gap between them 1.55 mm wide.
 
For some unexplained reason key headscales seem to have become a bit wider over
the decades and/or centuries. Yet, while I have never received a request from a
pianist for a key headscale to be made wider I have had inquiries about making
them narrower--though not as narrow as the 7/8-size keyset. I have laid out a
new headscale that I intend to have built Real Soon Now that is 1194.0 mm wide
overall, 1173.0 center-to-center. This makes the naturals 21.5 mm wide with a
1.5 mm gap. The gap between C# and D# is 16.5 mm and between F# and G#/G# and A#
it is 15.8 mm. All pretty standard but reaching a tenth is just a bit easier.
 
It strikes me as odd that some of the folks possessing the smallest hands build
pianos having the widest octave spread. 
 
Del
Delwin D Fandrich
Piano Design & Manufacturing Consultant
620 South Tower Avenue
Centralia, Washington 98531  USA
Phone  360.736-7563
<mailto:fandrich at pianobuilders.com> 

 


  _____  

From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Paul T
Williams
Sent: January 25, 2008 10:06 AM
To: caut at ptg.org
Subject: [CAUT] Natural key width



List, 

Is there a standard in the industry for piano key width on the naturals.  Nearly
all the pianos here are at 23mm except for the five Mason and Hamlins from the
20's we have which measure 22mm giving them a disconcerting space between the
keys. Think of David Letterman <G>. We have no European pianos so I can't
measure them. 

One of our piano professors is doing some kind of research paper and was a big
advocate for one of our practice Steinways to have a 7/8th keyboard installed
for small handed students.  (It hardly ever gets played!) 

Thanks 

Paul 


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/caut.php/attachments/20080125/d0a3a3f9/attachment.html