after-ring, language and perceptions

[Susan Kline]

At 03:01 AM 9/25/97 -0400, you wrote:
>List -
>
>Is there a practical way to eliminate a small amount of after-ring (or
>eliminate the complaint) coming from the undamped treble strings?
>
>The piano in question is a Young Chang G-175, the family in question is
>immigrant, and the student in question is a 10-year-old with very sharp ears.
> Student is in school when I arrive, the mother speaks fair English but is
>limited in understanding about music and the piano.  I try to communicate
>that the piano is doing what it is supposed to do, perhaps a bit too well.
> Mother cannot or did not communicate all-is-well to father, who calls me
>when he gets home, that the piano still has problems
>
>The after-ring is not coming from anywhere else in the piano, as I can
>illustrate by the deafening silence when I put my hand on the treble strings
>and release the c#4 that was the particular offending note.  The dampers are
>working just great.  (However, I cannot answer my own question, why some
>notes have more after-ring than others)
>
>How do I silence the after-ring, the student, or both?
>
>Bill Maxim, RPT
>
Dear Bill,

Well, I'm not sure how much good this will be, but it might help some, by
giving you _something to do in front of them_. I have a customer with a
lovely new Mason & Hamlin BB. When it first arrived in their small living
room and her son (a music major) practiced hard all day it was driving her
crazy, just because it was too loud. She focused on the upper register
after-ring as well. 

I did a little reality counselling, then I wrapped stringing braid through
all the duplexes, front and rear. Then she got a string cover as well. The
tone is still very clear and substantial, even with all this damping, but it
doesn't drive her crazy anymore. 

I didn't feel bad about doing it, since all that is needed to return it to
its full tonal glory is to remove the braid.

Hope this is some help.

Susan


Susan Kline
P.O. Box 1651
Philomath, OR 97370
skline@proaxis.com

"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing
about."
			-- Ashleigh Brilliant