From touch to string vibrations. III: String motion and spectra

This article describes an experimental study of the wave motion on the piano string and the corresponding spectra. The string motion was detected using an electrodynamic method. The measurements include typical initial string waveforms and spectra in the bass, mid, and treble at three dynamic levels (p–mf–f ). The interaction between hammer and string is also analyzed, including multiple contacts in the bass. The influence of hammer properties is investigated by shifting hammers and adjusting stiffness (‘‘voicing’’). A comparison between the string and bridge vibrations is presented, including the influence of the resonant tail lengths of the string (‘‘duplex scale’’). A brief account of the interaction between damper and string closes the study.