Subject: Re: prepared piano
From: jef chippewa (jef-lists@newmusicnotation.com)
Date: Wed Mar 24 2004 - 18:43:15 EST
>My university has decided to deny access to pianos for preparation
>becase of the "damage" it does to them.
are they going to ban those scriabin and rachmaninoff guys from the
pianos as well?
oils on the fingers do damage strings over time. you can see
blackish marks on the strings at harmonic nodes on some pianos. the
bass strings are particularily sensitive, the coils are soft metal
and are easily damaged, even by fingernails; they are also much more
sensitive to the oils on the fingers.
a few notes:
- pizzicati (or plucking using guitar picks): can be done with
dampers off the strings while muted with a finger at the agraffe to
avoid stress or disalignment to the thin metal wire holding the
damper; with dampers on, do the pizz vertically, especially with bass
strings, for the same reasons.
- using percussion mallets or other striking instruments: use soft
yarn mallets whenever possible instead of hard yarn or plastic;
striking the strings in the middle will require less force for the
prescribed dynamic than near the agraffes, although the timbre is
admittedly quite different.
- avoid using/inserting metal objects on the bass strings, use rubber
or plastic (soft if possible).
- have the performers wash their hands immediately before each
rehearsal and performance to reduce the amount of oils which the
strings will come into contact with over time; you can also use thumb
picks (available in any music store) for pizz, thereby completely
avoiding finger contact.
- to jam the pedal on, place a heavy object on the pedal instead of
wedging something over the pedal where your toes go
- instead of stickers on the dampers to indicate the pitches, use
chalk; only mark the dampers for the black keys
- to indicate where specific harmonic nodes are one a string, use
chalk on the adjacent string, this way it won't be erased by finger
contact
- don't use chainsaws inside the piano.
many things which are done to a piano off the keyboard can be done
just as effectively by other means. one example: mathias spahlinger
has the performer draw a screwdriver across the tuning pins and
finishing up with a firm whack of the handle on the wooden frame
(vier stücke). i have been assured by the piano technician at the
banff centre that even this is not harmful to the piano structure
(although if can certainly damage the finish if done properly). for
this action, i would place a piece of wood right at the spot where
you whack the frame and whack it instead of the frame; the sonic
effect and gesture remain intact.
next to certain percussion instruments, the piano is perhaps the most
robust and least fragile instrument. if you show that you are aware
of the issues, you will have a stronger argument. show that you
know more about the effects on the pianos than they do: before
speaking to the people who make the decision about allowing
preparation, take some scores requiring various types of preparation
or "alternative" playing methods to the piano technician - in h-- own
workshop - and go through the things one by one. if the technician
is a crusty bugger, speak to one outside of the institution until you
get the support and answers you need 8^)
good luck, fight the fight!
--.jef.chippewa. mailto:jef@newmusicnotation.com
.shirling.&.neueweise. http://newmusicnotation.com
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