Richard Moody wrote: > YES! The hammer as it strikes the string is actually slowing > down in theory. A major consideration of the design of the > piano action is that the hammer must leave the impelling device, > (jack) and continue to travel for a tiny distance free and clear, > strike the string, rebound, and then come back in contact with > the action mechanism which must now "catch" the hammer. I believe there is a letoff position (just under 1mm) that is so close that the hammer does not have a chance to start de-acceleration. I havent gotten into all this side of things very much yet, so I am not sure of myself here, but isnt there some sort of "left over" force that keeps an object in acceleration for some small period of time even tho the origional applied force is removed ? Like a bullet coming out of a rifle ?? Doesnt that meet its maximum acceleration some few milliseconds after the explosion of the shell ? > > The only aspect of the travel of the hammer the pianist can > control is its velocity. There might be an argument about this in > physics because of the difference between velocity and > acceleration. I am sure you are right here.... (about the argument part) I have read through 8 or 9 articles by those who have done the only readily available real science on the subject matter and they dont draw any hard conclusions. Most say that things seem to point in the direction you mention, but the door seems held open and there are others who have their foot through that door. The physchology of our perceptions gets into play here as well, along with what is heard and coincidently felt. Physics experiements have a hard time avoiding isolating too much in order to afford an appropriate resolution for what they are trying to look at, and in effect influence that which they are viewing. We must never discount the reported experiences of the pianists in all this either. The idea is to find the explaination as to why they experience what they do. -- Richard Brekne RPT, N.P.T.F. UiB, Bergen, Norway mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html
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