[pianotech] Understanding Aftertouch

[David Nereson]

Hello,

I am trying to grasp the production and feeling of Aftertouch in a fine 
regulation.  Can anyone explain how much a person who plays the piano 
normally can feel or tell if there is aftertouch.

    I would say that it's mainly semi-pro's and pro's who would notice 
the amount of aftertouch, or whether there's some or none.  The average 
casual player doesn't even notice when there's too much lost motion (in 
a vertical) or too-wide let-off until you point it out.

I have read all of the PACE materials on the subject and some other 
sources, and while they explain how much in thousands the key dip might 
continue and looking for wippen and hammer rise they don't say how much 
for the last two.  It seems that viewing hammer rise to gauge aftertouch 
would be the easiest to determine.

Yes, that and the damper.

So how much does or should the hammer rise be?

There's no set answer for all pianos.  It depends on the player's 
preference.  Just so there's some.  I'd say if the hammer rises more 
than about 1/8", that's getting excessive.

When the cycle of let off and drop is complete how much pressure on the 
key is needed to see or feel the aftertouch that is or is not present? 
(the pressure required to push a button on an elevator or enough to feel 
the FR punching compressing)

If there's any aftertouch at all, and (this is important) if you depress 
the key slowly enough, drop should happen before the key bottoms out, or 
just as it's starting to compress the punching.  You shouldn't have to 
exert extra compressing force into the punching to make the hammer 
finish letting off or to drop.  That would be no aftertouch.
    [I don't have experience with the conical punchings.]
     --David Nereson, RPT

 Steven Hopp
Midland, TX



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