[pianotech] David Love--Centering the bridge--was S&S something er other

[Delwin D Fandrich]

Well, there is a percussive component to piano tone generation; I don't know
about a "drum" component. We don't normally try to strike the soundboard
panel with a mallet to generate sound. I know this is an idea that seems to
be gaining traction with some modern "composers" but that is not how the
piano was originally conceived. 

 

There are two parts to the percussive component of piano sound, or tone. The
most obvious is the hammer "knocking" sound heard in roughly the upper third
of the piano's compass. This sound comes as a direct result of the hammer
impacting the strings close to the V-Bar and is primarily generated by
motions within the plate itself. The other is the chaotic impact waveform
created in the string immediately on hammer impact and before a coherent
oscillating waveform is created. Some energy from this waveform is coupled
to the soundboard assembly through the bridges. The sound we hear is still
created by the soundboard assembly just as is the continuing tone from the
oscillating string(s).

 

We don't generally design the soundboard assembly to optimize the initial
percussive/chaotic attack waveform. At least I don't.

 

ddf

 

 

Delwin D Fandrich

Piano Design & Fabrication

6939 Foothill Court SW, Olympia, Washington 98512 USA

Phone  360.515.0119 - Cell  360.388.6525

 <mailto:del at fandrichpiano.com> del at fandrichpiano.com -
<mailto:ddfandrich at gmail.com> ddfandrich at gmail.com

 

From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of David Love
Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2012 1:22 PM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] David Love--Centering the bridge--was S&S something
er other

 

Ok. But there is a drum component to piano tone generation. The initial
attack sound is, by the nature of how we describe it, percussive and sets
the board in motion from where it continues to be driven by the vibrating
string. But that attack has its own drum like quality separate from the
sound produced by the driving string. Thus the difference between plucked
and struck tone. Doesn't it make sense that the quality of the percussive
attack is influenced by the location of the bridge in proximity to the rim
not to mention the size and structure of the soundboard itself?

David Love
www.davidlovepianos.com
(sent from bb)

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