Followup post to "Sound Clarity for Pianist"

[Avery Todd]

List,
   As a followup to my other post, I'm also sending this because I think he
makes some very good points. Especially coming from someone who is not a
technician.

>Date: Sat, 25 May 1996 17:46:35 +1200
>
>You don't say when your "B" was rebuilt or how much playing-in it has had or
>if any voicing has been done since the re-build. I may have some further
>comments of interest armed with these details. However, every piano is
>UNIQUE and every rebuilt piano is therefore DOUBLY unique.
>
>According to my experience (and in my humble opinion) the most important
>parameters determining the QUALITY of a rebuild (arguably in order of
>importance) are:-
>
>1) Down-bearing (affects the coupling of the strings vibrations to the air)
>2) Soundboard resonance (the final tone emerges through the sound board)
>3) Hammers (the harmonics introduced in the strings are primarily controlled
>   by the properties of the hammers)
>4) Strings (you can't make metal vibrate properly if it does not want to).
>5) Action (the transparency of the players musical intention will be
>   frustrated by a poorly balanced or regulated or worn action, although I've
>   heard professional pianists make MAGIC music on instruments I found almost
>   impossible to play)
>6) Room Acoustics (much under-rated and often omitted)
>7) The HUMAN ear (how well trained and experienced is the listener)
>8) Playing In (sometimes it can be very disillusioning to have a NEW
>   re-build not satisfy our expectations, however until it has been played in,
>   the finer points of tonal maturity may be missing, although the best
>   foundation work may have been done)
>9) Tuning (the quality of a tuning significantly affects finer points of TONE)
>10) Voicing (should never be undertaken till all above factors are considered)
>
>I can count to 10 but in my haste I have probably left something out. That
>will give the opportunity for others to respond !!!
>
>The details of the above parameters fill books and should be the concern of
>all Tuners, Technicians, Painists and Institutions (or owners of pianos).
>
>One of my pet concerns is that without responsible action, regarding all
>these things, we don't get such GOOD music as we deserve.
>
>Help ! - another 1/2 hour just gone !!!
>
>Alan D.
>Actrix Networks Limited                  Internet Service Providers.
>

_____________________________________
Avery Todd, RPT
Moores School of Music
University of Houston
Houston, TX 77204-4893
713-743-3226
atodd@uh.edu
_____________________________________