Modern Tone II, the Return of the Question

[Alan]

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David, et al,
=20
Well said.=20
=20
I DID play the '28 D that you and Dale had in Sacramento (already posted =
a
comment to Dale). I sat down at that piano and the first thing I played =
was
an octave in the low bass. It was the most beautiful sound I've ever =
heard
from a piano, bar none, I exaggerate not.
=20
Please understand that I live in that mysterious part of the world where =
old
Lesters, Winters, Wurlys, Chicks, Gulbransens, and Starks come to die. I
tune 3 small Steinway grands, one new (Chinese) Steck grand, one (bless
them) nice M&H, a couple of older small Baldwin grands, and a boatload =
of
Hamilton studios (some nearly new, one that served on Noah's cruise =
ship, I
think, and was worn out then). Only the Mason is big enough and nice =
enough
to qualify as an RPT test piano and I've only seen it once, so far.
=20
So I can sure hear and appreciate good voicing but, as you say, it is =
hard
to communicate with words. And I only have an intellectual, theoretical =
idea
how it's produced, not the skills to do it.=20
=20
I'm going to spend time in Frank Henderson's shop doing some work in
exchange for some coaching on this. I honestly think voicing is a skill =
that
cannot be learned from a book and on one's own. I don't think one can =
one
acquire those "ears" without hearing pianos and experiencing the =
difference
with a guide at your side. At least, not I.
=20
Hope you didn't think my comment was a negative reaction to your post--I
actually liked the sound of your words. But how does that all sound in a
piano? Ahhh .... maybe like that bass octave in California.=20
=20
Hey, I liked the racing stripes, too. (Now everyone will be asking you =
what
the heck THAT means!)
=20
Alan R. Barnard
Salem, MO
=20
P.S.  Part of my pursuit of this at this time is a desire to rescue an =
area
Methodist church from the shrill, busy, ultra-bright, piercing, stident,
trident (gummed up) sound of the little Samick SG-172 grand they bought. =
I'm
pretty sure it's going to start with some serious string seating, bridge =
pin
stabilization, and regulation--followed by a session in the back room =
with
those hammers ... under a bright light ... with a rubber hose and brass
knuckles, to soften them up. I don't THINK I could make it worse, even =
with
what I know, now.  And, no, there are no other guild techs within two =
hours
of here and no local yokels I'd want to invite to help. I am alllllll
aloooooooone here in the elephant ivory graveyard.
=20

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On =
Behalf
Of David Andersen
Sent: Saturday, March 05, 2005 11:22 PM
To: Pianotech
Subject: Re: Modern Tone II, the Return of the Question



4. For those with limited experience and little opportunitity to mentor =
with
someone, terms like "large, dark, powerful, clear, and throaty, with =
roar
and snap at double or triple forte, but NEVER clangy or distorted" just
leave one guessing as to what they mean. I assume that "dark" means =
power in
the lower partials not overshadowed by the higher ones (?) but I'd be
guessing about that "roar and snap" thing. This isn't to criticize =
David's
description, merely to point out the difficulties and frustrations of
communicating sensory perceptions through verbage. I've watch Roger =
Jolly
and Ari Issac do some voicing and marveled at what they can do and how =
well
they do it. But even trying, in person, to demonstrate and teach voicing =
to
a room full of people seems very challenging: "See, the sound is now a =
broad
'Ohhhhh' instead of an "Ehhhhh and it sits higher against on the shelf."
(Made part of that up .... sorry)

I think it's like people describing wines without giving you a sip: Yes, =
and
this vintage is drier than a moselle, slightly nutty, with just a hint =
of
the vine not revealed in the bouqet unless consumed at midnight in a
graveyard while holding a dead cat.

Alan R. Barnard
Always Studyin' but Not Always Gettin' It in Salem, MO



My friend---I=92m just trying to give words to an aural phenomenon, and =
it=92s
tough, but that=92s what =93developing a tonal memory=94 means: =
developing an
internal sense of how a piano is =93supposed=94 to sound at all volume =
and
attack levels. If you played the concert grands that Dale Erwin and I
brought to the Sacramento PTG Convention, I can say that both of those
pianos are in the ballpark of what most artists, technicians, and =
serious
listeners would describe as achieving the sonority of the 40=92s and =
50=92s
pianos---powerful and clear, without distortion or a brittle quality. =
There
I go again :--)

The CDs I mentioned in an earlier post are a good indication of what =
I=92m
trying to put in words. If we=92d met in Sacramento, I would have given =
you a
CD that I had a few copies of there---an amazing young jazz player named
Tamir Hendelman, playing trio versions of Christmas songs on a 1923 long =
A
my shop rebuilt.  That piano is a touch brighter, but sounds like a Bill
Evans record, which nearly always had imeccably tuned and voiced pianos.

It=92s a lifetime of listening and learning.  I still feel like a rank =
novice
a lot of the time.
Voicing is a noble challenge. It demands that so many things about the =
piano
be right.
When you become passionate about the voice of the instrument, your
toleration of unregulated and unprepared pianos becomes slimmer and =
slimmer,
and your business changes. This coming week, 4 of the 5 days are one =
long
day, or 2 long days, with a good grand piano. It wasn=92t like that 6 or =
7
years ago; it was much more tuning 3 or 4 pianos a day. As my ears have
grown, my practice has grown and improved.=20


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