Soft blows

[Conrad Hoffsommer]

At 15:04 10/29/2004, you wrote:
>In a message dated 10/26/2004 9:38:56 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
>davidlovepianos@comcast.net writes:
>
>>Or, you can tune with firm blows and check with soft blows.  It think
>>that works better.
>
>
>Greetings,
>
>         Yesss!!   If you use a firm blow it actually "equalizes" string 
> over it's friction points and stablizes as well as confirms where the 
> string's position actually is. I then use a softer blow to make sure 
> thats where I want that note.
>
>Julia,
>Reading, PA
>


Agreed, except that I would not say equalize.  Perhaps there has been some 
hard research on this, but I think that the segments of non-speaking length 
string are actually at a slightly higher tension than the speaking portion, 
when the string is at rest.

My theory is that there is an equilibrium.  When at rest the friction is 
higher than the differential, but when the string is struck and the 
deflection causes the speaking length to increase in tension it does not go 
above the non-sounding tension by more than the friction component.  If the 
differential (±) DOES exceed the friction, then the string will move and 
untune it.

Of course, I could be wrong, but it's the best my tired, old, ready for 
weekend, brain cell could come up with.;-}





Conrad Hoffsommer

Early to rise: early to bed;
Makes a man healthy, and socially dead.