I dunno. I'm having a hard time with this concept. I've found that whether walking or driving, water and dirt equals mud, and it's slippery, not tacky. That is, unless it's very deep, in which case, neither me nor my car move at all. Has anyone seen the newspaper article about ivory versus plastic keycovers? It mentions that ivories have a layered or ridged surface, and they were *not* referring to the grain pattern. In the illustration, it looked (in abstract) like a sawtooth form, or perhaps like the surface of a flat bastard file. Supposedly this surface causes, or contributes to, the desired gripping effect of ivory. Perhaps it is this same surface that actually holds the slurry that Steve mentioned -- just like files "load up" in use. And we know how efficient files are when that happens. Now we're talking about adding layers of dirt, perspiration and other contaminants, which would undermine this otherwise natural surface phenomenon. This sounds to me like spraying 'Pledge' on a satin-finished piano -- the low spots get filled in, and the satin effect is negated. I personally don't mind an "epidemic" of clean keys. With some performers, nasty keys are almost like a merit badge -- similar to rosin buildup on a fiddle. I think both are placebos. If the artist generates his or her own dirt and slurry just *prior* to a performance, that's one thing. Otherwise, I'll continue to clean keys. I wonder what would happen if: a. the ivories were just cleaned -- not buffed, leaving them grainy; b. the player dropped a nerve pill just before the event to help curb anxiety and subsequent emissions of skin lube; c. the player washed their hands *after* eating the cheeseburger and *before* playing. It seems that clean hands on clean ivories provides some sense of adhesion. If not, what about spraying something on the hands instead of on the keys; or, clean the ivories, but leave the cheeseburger grease on the hands? Chocolate What Ain't: We once had a case at LA Unified Schools where a chocolaty appearing substance was discovered, evenly spread across all the ivories. "Closer" investigation caused us to file this one under vandalism, as opposed to someone attempting to generate a better tactile surface. It turned out not to be chocolate -- in school jargon, I believe it's called #2. In the interest of quick turnaround time, the key recovering was subcontracted to Pacific Piano Supply. They preserved the outtakes, I think mainly for the story surrounding them. Shortly thereafter a non-technician with a project and a purpose happened by. He spotted the 'earth' toned keys, indicated that they were the exact shade he had been pursuing, and bought the set. Today, somewhere in Los Angeles... Jim Harvey RPT ___________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________ SB> ...It seems that the slurry of perspiration and dirt which builds on the surface of the keys helps with traction. SB>... He said, "lately it seems like there's been an epidemic of key washing in the concert halls where I've played. Please tell your colleagues, if you get a chance, to refrain from washing the keys unless the pianist *asks* you to."
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