Exploring the functionning and the performances of piano actions with multibody modeling techniques
(2014) 9th Conference on Interdisciplinary Musicology — Location: Berlin (4.December.2014)
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- Abstract
- Most modern grand pianos are equipped with double escapement actions which enable musicians to repeat a note faster without having to fully release their finger from the key. Even if the characteristics of such actions are largely praised by pianists, few know how they work, because their functioning is based on highly dynamic phenomena. Moreover, even if technicians and pianists can describe the influence of some regulations on the action's general behavior, it is complex to formally quantify those performances. Using a multibody formalism based on Newton and Euler laws, we have developed a virtual demonstrator of the grand piano action, with the aim of demystifying and explaining how it works. A particular attention is paid on the functioning of the escapement mechanism. The model has allowed us to virtually degenerate the grand piano action in order to rebuild it progressively from no-escapement to single and then double escapement action. This approach will be used by the Brussels Musical Instruments Museum in their exhibition. Besides the pedagogical purpose, we analyze two specific behaviors we have discussed with piano technicians. The first one, called "aftertouch", deals with the regulation of the key dip. The interest of a fine aftertouch tuning is quantified and illustrates that a too small and a too large aftertouch lead to a non-working action. The second object of study deals with the repetition capabilities of the double escapement action compared to a simple escapement action. All other things being equal, the model has shown that the response to a prescribed periodic force input of the single escapement action is reliable up to 14Hz, while the double escapement can repeat up to 28~Hz. These results illustrate the high performances of the double escapement action but also the high requirements of its regulation.
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Citations
Bokiau, B., Fisette, P., & Ceulemans, A.-E. (2014). Exploring the functionning and the performances of piano actions with multibody modeling techniques. 9th Conference on Interdisciplinary Musicology, Berlin. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/192820