silent piano
Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Archives
Forum Name: Closed Topics
Forum Discription: Uncategorized posts from the previous version of our discussion board. For browsing and searching.
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=758
Printed Date: 5/14/25 at 3:09pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: silent piano
Posted By: Guests
Subject: silent piano
Date Posted: 1/28/02 at 2:59pm
|
Is there a way to silence the keyboard or the action of a grand piano? It seems that I have heard this but can't recall. Please hurry, performances are soon.
|
Replies:
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 1/29/02 at 6:38am
|
I believe this can be achieved by laying a pad of felt on the strings so that the hammers hit the soft pad of felt. One would still need to be careful not to strike the keys too hard.
|
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 1/29/02 at 11:23am
|
If you can get your hands on them, or make them, there are triangular felt-covered foam blocks that actually hold the hammers off of the strings and protect the moving parts. Depending on the piano, this might actually depress the keys so they won't move, so you may need to angle the keyboard away from the audience. Which isn't a bad idea anyway if the actor won't actually be playing, since finger movements never match the music being played.
|
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 2/02/02 at 4:14am
Any time the hammers hit the strings there will be some sound.
On an audio reinforced stage, that could be cumbersome. Blocking
the hammers could pose a long term $ problem for the piano. If it is
an instrument of critical use, the overseer of the instrument will not
like any of it.
I am a piano technician that services such instruments and the
university staff gets pretty uptight about even the uncovering of the piano
by people not on the keyboard staff. If you can muster a technician, a soft baby
blanket gaffed to the rim just under the plate (strings) will allow some
travel and maybe even letoff. Designs vary but under all circumstances be
careful of the dampers. Batting stuffed between the action and the strings
might work without threatening the action but it would take some skill/experience
to get the action out of the piano to do that. . . I removed the hammers the
last time it came up. They needed to be filed anyway but I wouldn't
recommend that solution even though a well balanced action will look great
as your fake Farante runs over the keys. A friendly technician can also remove
the upper action and leave the keyboard with just a strip of elastic stretched
over the back ends of the keys. In theory that would work but I would not
do it to one of the above mentioned fine instruments. If all else fails,
cast apiano player! Good luck!
|
|