On Wed, 05 Apr 2000 04:22:30 -0500 Conrad Hoffsommer <hoffsoco@luther.edu> writes: > At 22:52 04/04/2000 -0600, you wrote: > >Not only that, but encyclopedias are frequently incorrect. As an > >example, if you have Encarta 2000, try looking under piano and > check out > >what they say the functions of the pedals are on a grand piano. > (Maybe I > >have been wrong all these years about this - NOT) > > > >John R. Fortiner > > > I am (un)fortunate not to have that font of (dis)information. > Inquiring > minds want to know. Pedal functions sounds like something I should > know > sometime. **OK Conrad. Sorry to have been so late in getting this to you, but I really wanted you to know what different pedals are for. :-) The following is a direct quote from Encarta 2000: "The soft pedal either throws all the hammers nearer to the strings so that the striking distance is diminished by one-half, or shifts the hammers a little to one side so that only a sngle string instead of the two or three is struck." Not a completely accurate picture of what actually happens is it?? ( Oh for the days when we had pianos with no trichords. :-) John R. Fortiner Billings, MT. > > Here are some things I've seen reference to: > > > Functions for pedals on Pianoforte. > > Forte/Damper/Loud > Mechanism for raising dampers > -originally a hand stop > -function of first pedal used by Broadwood > -w/split pedals allowed either half or all to be lifted > > Bass Damper > Raises dampers of overstrung section only > > Piano/Pianozug/Practice/Celeste/Moderator/Mute/jeu celeste > Places strip of cloth or leather between hammer and string > > Pianissimo > Tapered strip of felt allowed diminuendi - 1800 Hawkins > > Una corda/Verscheibung/Shift > Literally "one string" > Action shifted so hammers strike 1, 2 or 3 strings > > Harp/Pizzicato > Strip of leather moved against side of string while hammer moves to > strike > only that string. > -imitative of harpsichord "buff" stop > > Buff/jeu de luth > Strip of leather moved against one string of unison > -possibly used as tuning aid in treble > -imitative of harpsichord "buff" stop > > Sordin/Mute/Sourdine > Piece of wood lined with soft leather, hair of silk shag placed on > string > close to bridge > -if leather lined: Lautenzug Lute stop > -if shag lined: Harfenzug Harp stop > > Harpsichord/Cembalo > Bone or ivory tipped leather tabs moved in between hammers and > strings to > produce a tinkling sound > -"Rinky-Tink" attachment is modern equivalent. > > Swell > "Nag's Head" - lifted entire lid with stick > "Venetian" - shutters opened progressively > > Harmonic/Harmonique > A second set of hammers or a bar which touched strings at midpoint to > produce "echo" effect - Petzold Paris) 1829 > > Harmonic Swell > Piano had a double bridge system which had a separate set of dampers > between them which could be raised o allow sympathetic vibration of > strings > between the bridges. - Patent Collard 1821 > > Dolce Compana > Weights applied pressure to soundboard at eight places, pitch was > thus > lowered and rapid pedaling could produce a sort of tremolo. Patent > 1849, > James A. Grey > Mfg. by Boardman & Grey (Albany, NY) - Picture p. 247 Gill > > Cymbals > Two or three strips of thin brass made to strike bass strings. > > Bassoon/Fagotzug > Roll of parchment or stiff paper placed against strings of bottom > octaves. > > Octave couplers > Generally only added the octave above. - one early eighteenth century > French piano could add the octave above in the treble and the octave > below > in the bass. > > Sostenudo > Selective damper pedal > -hold only the dampers of keys depressed when pedal is pressed. > > Soft/Half-blow/Hammer move/Pedale d'expression > Moves hammers closer to the strings to reduce the force of the blow. > > Piano scandé > Like above, but could move one octave at a time, several or together. > > Drum > Played small drum inside of case, or struck soundboard with padded > hammer. > -Some had a set of tuned drums which could be played from the keys. > > Bells > Played set of bells inside of case. > > Janissary/Turkish music > Combination stop played bells, drum and cymbal simultaneously. > > Janissary > Loesser describes a pyramid piano which had figures on either side > holding > bells and cymbals. This pedal combined the janissary stop with > movement or > the figures. > -Hirt identifies maker as Johann Kaspar Schlimbach of Königshofen > (Wurzburg) > > Genouillère > Any stop operated by knee. > > Transposer > Shifted action up or down as much as minor third. > -Érard (Paris) and Wooley (Nottingham) moved strings and frame. > -Edward Ryley moved keys. > -Æolian moved action. > > > Conrad Hoffsommer - Luther College, Decorah, IA > > My mind not only wanders, sometimes it leaves completely. > ________________________________________________________________ YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.
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