?? Voice ??

[Barbara Richmond]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard Brekne" <Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, May 08, 2004 3:34 AM
Subject: Re: ?? Voice ??


> I think the point here is that if you do have a good set of hammers,
> then these well established procedures will work. Once hammers are
> needled to death... or turned rock hard because of over enthusiastic
> lacquer... well they are just that... needled to death  or drowned. You
> just cant take such a set of hammers very far.

Well, I wasn't really referring to extremes of over needling or juicing,
just that surprises happen---like, when a hammer seems like it should
respond to needling and it doesn't. Since I rarely hang a set of hammers,
someone else has always had their hands on them before I get to them.


> Yes... but by definition (at least my working definition) a good hammer
> is predictable enough that you can manipulate predictably... and without
> resorting to strange and weird concoctions or tools.  Thats that
> <<ideal>> world it would seem so many seem to have difficulty relating
> to.

Umm, I don't have any problem relating or dreaming about the ideal
world, I mean, it *would* be nice.  Right now, I could go for a world of C7s
of the same vintage of the one I worked on recently.  But......I live in the
real world.  And like wow, man, Peoria is *very* real.  :-)


> You actually can insure decent enough hammers.... you actually can
> admit that when a hammer has been too abused or just made to darn poorly
> then its no good and the best you can get out of it has something to do
> with loudness/brightness... but nothing more... and that at best.

Of course there are the extremes when nothing can be done, but very
often--even in some tough situations--nice results CAN be had.  I love
it when I beat the odds.



> >Actually, I don't think it's really so hard to learn to voice.  Yes, it
> >would be better to have a wonderful tutor, but hey, I learned (and am
> >still
> >learning), so other people can, too.   I see two problems:
> >
> >
>
> I have to disagree entirely here, and I think the fact that we see
> soooooo veryyyyyy many totally unvoiced / misvoiced instruments
> testifies in that direction.

Gee, I didn't realize you had followed me on any jobs!  :-)

Seriously, yes, I know what you mean.  It's fairly easy to look good
following folks who have only tuned--oh no! maybe that's the only time my
work looks good!  :-0    I believe---no, I *know* there are a lot of
tuners who "tune and run," seeing tuning as the easy money.  It *could be*
that a lot of voicing gets neglected because of a time/business philosophy
thing and not necessarily the lack of the ability to learn.

> Its easy in a sense if you have a very
> good musical ear... but only if you get past all that confusion and fog
> of ofte times conflicting advices... and then only if one, as you point
> out below, takes the time to develop  the skill.
>
> Much of what you say here below I find very agreeable.  Especially the
> bit about developing that <<concept of tone>>.  But evidently I believe
> that that is quite a bit more elusive than you do.

Well, maybe it is elusive.  Doesn't seem like it should be, though.  If a
person can use their ears to tune a piano, it seems like those same ears
should be able to learn what to listen for as far as tone quality goes.  Aw,
just call me an optimist.

As for the Lacquer Fight! thread (I LOVE that subject heading, it makes me
laugh every time I see it pop up), do you know what I'd like?  Not that I
doubt for a second that the hammers with the Wurzen felt are wonderful, but
I'd like to know of a recording I could go out and buy, so I could hear
these hammers.  Is there anything out there yet?  When there is, let me
know.  Yes, I know it's better to hear a piano, live and in person, but CDs
cost a lot less than plane tickets. :-)


Happy voicing,

Barbara Richmond