You can tuna fish, but you can't tune a piano

wolf · 07-10-2004, 01:11 AM

There are 88 keys and no quite three times as many strings (without looking it up I'll guess two and a half).

The richness of a piano's tone comes from the harmonics (overtones) generated when a particular key is struck.

Strike a key and listen.

Then find a way (having several friends over helps) to dampen ALL the strings except the ones for that particular key. Now strike it.

Very different.

There is also a difference in tone when you dampen some of the extra strings on the mid-range keys.

As far as I know you can't really reproduce these effects on an electronic keyboard.

Man, I miss having a piano.

07-10-2004, 01:11 AM	#5
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	There are 88 keys and no quite three times as many strings (without looking it up I'll guess two and a half). The richness of a piano's tone comes from the harmonics (overtones) generated when a particular key is struck. Strike a key and listen. Then find a way (having several friends over helps) to dampen ALL the strings except the ones for that particular key. Now strike it. Very different. There is also a difference in tone when you dampen some of the extra strings on the mid-range keys. As far as I know you can't really reproduce these effects on an electronic keyboard. Man, I miss having a piano. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

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