Drop

[Isaac OLEG]

Dear Suzan,

While being able to really play with a nice tone (not a lot of
technique needed) could be the best way to understand quickly what the
piano is giving, what is a must if you really have some basis of
classical pianists techniques, is that you understand the way they
play while hearing /seeing them. Then if something bother's them you
can more easily understand what it is.

But frankly, if you know how to play notes for unison tuning,  you
know how to play some little pieces and make some light use of the
sustain pedal to help you if you are not in shape, my guess is that it
is really enough for the technician to check a piano and its
regulation.

I understood that the moves we are to work to obtain a precise
regulation, when mastered, are really enough to understand if the
piano will play as expected. That is really simpler that it seem, but
the good method and protocol is needed, and after that we know what we
are looking for, and the instrument gives a lot of feed back itself,
like for tuning.

It is amazing to see for example Andre saying that the good dip is
10mm, I begin to work on this precise 10 mm feeling (under 250g
pressure) and discovered it was something very different from what I
was suspecting. There is something that is that 10mm feeling, with
standard letoff and aftertouch, and I am persuaded that when these
parameters are really obtained it serves as a basis which is in fact a
treasure to us. I am having a good time (!) trying to regulate a Kaway
RX2 that is heavy (with a 46-48 g BW) . I tried many possibilities
(the piano is in the shop) and , when I obtained these "normal
parameters" ( 1.5 letoff, 10mm dip, 2m drop env.), the instrument
became so much more playable that the heaviness defects where not
noticed as before. Because the good regulation open the possibilities
for optimum tone, the feedback for the pianist is such that he will be
happy to use the piano.


But of course the feedback of the pianists (when possible) is very
important, they can tell you how they like the piano to be setup,
their words differ often from what we understand, but they can show us
if asked sometime. Many times they don't know how to explain, and they
accommodate of all kind of instruments, but they always appreciate
your feedback because you are the audience, and they know they don't
hear the same in front of the piano.

Have a look at
http://www.engineeringandmusic.de/individu/galealex/gaalproc.html

I like these tests that where made to understand how the pianist feel
the instrument.


Dear Cellist , Best Regards.

Friendly (is there a word to say "collegually" ?)



> -----Message d'origine-----
> De : pianotech-bounces@ptg.org
> [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org]De la
> part de Susan Kline
> Envoye : vendredi 1 novembre 2002 17:40
> A : Pianotech
> Objet : RE: Drop
>
>
> At 11:59 AM 11/1/2002 +0100, Isaac wrote:
> >Just my thoughts, for sure many techs don't really
> understand the way
> >pianists play, that is not helping them.
>
> Isaac, thank you for your post. It is good to have a fresh
> perspective, since our ideas (on this side of the water)
> tend to run along in much the same path year after year.
> I had not focused on the connection between a tight drop and
> letoff and the noisy edges of the sound. That's something
> which I shall explore.
>
> I found, as I began working more closely with better
> pianists, that I wasn't always predicting correctly
> what things would bother them or make them happier.
> I think to really get on their wavelength, it is
> necessary to at least try to play the piano WELL,
> with full musical and tonal expression, and speed,
> power, delicacy, and nuance of all kinds. Fancy
> half-pedalling, etc. How can we know if the pedal is
> doing what they need for it to, unless we are able
> to test it for ourselves, by attempting the same
> effects?
>
> It is like tuning -- to be a good tuner, I feel I should hear the
> pitches (musically) better than my customers. Now, I'm not
> likely to be able to have a better or more musical piano
> technique than my best customers, who have tremendous natural
> gifts and have spent many years and countless hours improving
> them -- but I feel that even trying to follow in their footsteps
> a little way will do wonders for my piano technology.
> (Besides, it's fun ...)
>
> Also, by understanding better what a good pianist is feeling and
> trying to do, I think that I can be of more use to less advanced
> pianists when working on their pianos. I can see where struggling
> with a balky piano is holding them back, and I can suggest changes
> which may improve their playing quickly, just by removing
> obstacles to their progress. I want for the piano to feel like a
> really comfortable and perfectly fitting suit of clothes,
> where nothing binds or annoys. One just feels good,
> without having to think of why.
>
> I remember Del talking about how many of the early makers designed
> their scales and plates -- copying whatever worked, with
> maybe a little
> more iron added, for safety's sake. Who knew if, generations back,
> the original had really been worked out, or if it was just
> an empirical
> guess in the first place? I wonder if we sometimes fall into the
> same trap, by talking mainly with each other, instead of going back
> to the source -- the pianists themselves.
>
> Just MHO (flamesuit within reach)
>
> Regards,
>
> Susan
>
> _______________________________________________
> pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
>