Larry Fine describes a ‘bright’ piano tone as having many loud upper partial frequencies, and a ‘mellow’ piano tone as having few loud upper partial frequencies. ‘Singing’ when a slow and lingering decay is relatively loud and long lasting, ‘dead’ or ‘short’ when the sound dies out quickly.336
Other descriptions from E. Good:
If the material [the hammer felt] is too soft the tone will be thick and fuzzy from an absence of upper partials, without the clear definition that piano tone is expected to have. If the material is too hard, upper partials will be too prominent, and the tone will be harsh and hard. 337
Up to a certain point of tension, the string’s elasticity is improved and it produces a tone rich in partials. Beyond that point, however, the increasing tension brings out stiffness, which damps out partials, and the tone goes dead.338
If the hammer should strike the string exactly in the middle, all of the even numbered partials will be damped out, because all of them have a node in the middle of the string .Such a tone would be dull and hollow. 339
The sound of the Erard piano is ‘Powerful’ and ‘Clear’ 340
Verbal Attributes used in the ‘Piano Contrasts’ Survey questions.
The glossary of verbal attributes listed below in table 5.10 are derived from the piano literature reviewed above, pp. 163-174. These terms were utilised as the descriptor attributes for the questions in the Piano Contrasts audience surveys.
Wayne Stuart’s claim of an improved tonal clarity influenced the selection of attributes for the survey questions.
……the strings vibrate in a more controlled manner improving the dynamic range, increasing sustain and significantly improving tonal clarity sympathetic to the entire piano repertoire.341
336Larry Fine, The Piano Book, 3rd Ed. (San Diego, CA: Brookside Press1994), 41-42.
337 18Good, 21.
338 19Good, 9.
339 20Good, 9.
340 2 Frederick, “ERARD SEBASTIEN”in 10 Palmieri, 126.
341 8 “Innovations,”Stuart & Sons Handcrafted Pianos, accessed 14th May, 2015.
