An education in stability/resolution

[David Renaud]

Sorry to take so long to finish this thread but been very busy.

Joe & Penny Gross suggested in a private E-mail I tap
all the strings on the bridge. This improved the tunability
and stability enormously. Did not have to retune the beast
for the final five shows.

Further investigation revealed that the piano was moved from
the  rehearsal hall, where heat is practically turned off during
winter for non-rehersal days. (This is Canada). Just enough heat
on to keep the pipes from freezing. With such very extreme, and
regular fluctuations in humidity this piano soundboard
has had plenty of exercise & lots of push ups.
The stings moved allot when tapped, they were riding
bridge pins quite high.  I've tapped stings for improved
tone/center, but never thought much as to how this might improve
stability.
Theaters are air conditioned during summers far too much today;
need a jacket to see a movie or play. All that cold air
goes directly into the pit.

PS
For those that inquired, no I wasn't playing piano in the pit.
Woodwinds, (saxes, clarinet, base clarinet, flute).
12 piece orchestra for the show.

                                                   Cheers
                                                   Dave Renaud
                                                   RPT

David Renaud wrote:

> Doing a pit show for "Chorus Line" as a musician, and was asked to
> tune the piano. The crew brought their own piano into the pit, an
> apartment sized Yamaha.
>
> I have never experienced such instability. By the end of every show
> it is way off, unisons are bad, octaves bad, top flat. Tuned it 4 times
> so far for 4 shows.By the second half it sounds horrible.
>
> The pit is low and cold, and there is constant air flow one can feel.
> They fill the place up with 700-1000 people and things change.
>
> Also as the orchestra plays, the platform shakes and shimys
> around a bit, constantly.
>
> I tune for another concert hall, choirs, many musicians, and
> have been happy with my stability at large. But this is quite
> frankly embarrassing with my fellow musicians.
> I've never done a cold pit like this before,
> with an instrument not use to the enviroment.Perhaps
> it is the shaking of the platform.
>
> Any words of wisdom from those that do tune for pit orchestra
> from time to time?
>
> I should pop the action out and check the treble bridge for cracks.
> Something is going on that in quite out of the ordinary in my
> experience.
>
>                                              Cheers
>                                              Dave Renaud
>                                              RPT