----- Original Message ----- From: "Farrell" <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com> To: <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: August 02, 2002 10:54 AM Subject: Re: Musical Soundwaves > Interesting responses. Fairly consistent. Thanks to all. I'm surprised its that simple. > > Oboe. Oboe. Oboe. OK, now I know how to spell it (never did hang around orchestras much). > > One further question before I go get a book on the topic. What part of the piano is the greatest influence on its sound? More specifically, to what degree is the soundboard responsible for the piano-like sound pianos make. Even bad pianos with even worse soundboards still sound quite a bit like a piano, maybe a bad piano, but still quite a bit like a piano (you can easily tell it is not a flute). Is it mostly the hammers and strings, or perhaps more likely, it is the hammers, strings, soundboard, rim, etc. - everything combined. ----------------------------------------------- All of the above. It's still the attack. Or at least the chaotic wave energy created by the hammer impact against the strings. Keeping in mind that most of what we hear during the first few milliseconds of the sound envelope is still coming from the soundboard. So, the interface between the strings and the soundboard, etc., still controls the energy transfer and, consequently, most of what you hear. (There is a little bit of impact sound energy coming directly from the plate, strings, rim, etc.) Del
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