Heavy Hammers / High Ratio / Ric

[Richard Brekne]

Bill Ballard wrote:

> I'd guess Ric is being theoretical here. Imagine that the pianist's
> continuum of key velocity (how fast he can push the parts) can be
> divided into twenty increments, and if the hammer velocity is the
> product of the key velocity and the action ratio, then with a higher
> action ratio, there will be a greater spread between the slowest and
> fastest hammer velocity and presumably a greater range of whatever
> tone the hammer will produce (either quantity/volume, or
> quality/color). Hence a greater range of expression for the pianist's
> aforementioned key velocity.
>
> Keep the matter hypothetical and you don't have to worry about action
> saturation, but it still begs David's question: for a high action
> ratio built for maximum amplification of key velocity, what is it
> that a heavy hammer has to offer in this situation.
>

Yes... it would seem that finding what point action saturation thwarts a given
hammer mass at a given velocity is a major concern. Davids Question falls more
into the subjective, where that border is to be drawn is much harder to find.
Saturation aside for the moment... a heavier hammer should offer more power...
which some may like and others may not. It would also offer a different feel due
to that increased power, and due to the increase in mass being moved around by
the finger. Action saturation would seem to defeat to some degree the increase in
power, and create a new touch concern of its own.. which may have some desireable
features. Del mentioned in his reply that increasing action stiffness makes it
harder on the hands of the player. Perhaps there is some optimal range of action
compliance for a given action mass ??  Keep the action so and so stiff... but no
more, no matter what degree of hammer mass is being used ??

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

RicB



>
> Bill Ballard RPT
> NH Chapter, P.T.G.
>
> "Can you check out this middle C?. It "whangs' - (or twangs?)
>      Thanks so much, Ginger"
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--
Richard Brekne
RPT, N.P.T.F.
UiB, Bergen, Norway
mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no
http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html
http://www.hf.uib.no/grieg/personer/cv_RB.html