Una Corda Blues

[Farrell]

I was really proud of my detective self the other day (such insight simply does not frequently occur for me). I serviced a 1920s S&S M for a Juliard graduate. The piano had been in storage and otherwise not serviced for a number of years (all original and generally worn out). I pulled the action out for a repair and noticed that all the hammers were flat-topped - not grooved, but almost like they were sanded flat (but a little bit bumpy). The amount of dust and crud in there made it clear this action had not been removed for many decades. My first thought was very loose hammer flanges, but then I reflected on my initial observation that the piano was VERY bright (sounded like a bright Yamaha). I looked at the una corda pedal and saw that it had more wear than the sustain pedal. I asked her if she used the una corda a lot, she said "yes - all the time - but it doesn't do much". This woman used the una corda so much that its use had caused the hammers to become totally flat-topped! Asked if she would like to try and make the piano tone softer, she said "oh, can you do that?", "oh, yes, please!" Hopefully she will take me up on hammer filing and a complete regulation (if not a total rebuild!).

Terry Farrell
  
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Roger Jolly" <roger.j@sasktel.net>
To: "Alan R. Barnard" <mathstar@salemnet.com>; "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Wednesday, November 13, 2002 10:09 PM
Subject: Re: Una Corda Blues


> Hi Alan,
>                   I dislike the term una corda, but alas we are stuck with it.
> Shift pedal would better describe it. since in todays use, it is primarily 
> used to shift the colour of tone. ( move to a softer part of the hammer)
> On a well regulated grand, it should be able to play the softest of ppp, 
> with out the aid of a pedal.