| Playing The Piano - Part 1 |
|
Sunday, January 6, 2008
As every musical instrument has that part of it which is to be played upon. Constructed with reference to the shape and motions of the hand. Compare the keyboard of the piano with the different fingerboards of violin, cello, double bass, or with the key area of the several kinds of wind instruments. Of all musical instruments, the piano is probably the one which calls for, in the performer, least departure from a position already natural to him. The attitude of sitting is allied with one of the hands and arms more natural and easy than that used in playing on any other instrument. The violin demands a more constrained position of arm and wrist than is ever needed for the piano. The organ, in consequence of its requiring a great amount of work from the feet as well as from the hands, allows the performer a much less steady position and balance than does the piano. The harp, from its peculiar form, necessitates a position of some constrain both of arms and body. And all wind instruments prevent free movement of the head and arms and perfect posture. The piano, on the contrary, is unusually well suited to the natural movements of the body. Its keyboard is positioned so that it allows the arms and hands complete freedom of motion in every direction. The position of the hand most suited for playing on the keys considered as levers, is the same position into which it falls when the arm is allowed to hang naturally by the side. The angle of the elbow, when the hands are on the keys, is also that best suited to facilitate the natural movements of the muscles of the hands and arms. In applying any two mechanisms to one another, that which has the less power of adapting itself to the other will necessarily be first examined with regard to its inherent conditions of motion. In the present instance, the hand must accommodate itself to the keyboard of the piano. In order to do so, fully and constantly, it must take note of the limit of the capabilities of the instrument. These capabilities must be taken full advantage of, but must never be overtaxed as no overtaxing of the piano's mechanism can take place without involving an overtaxing of the muscles of the hand and arm. With regard to the key itself, it will be seen that its motion is of the simplest nature. When acted upon by any sufficient weight, the key moves downwards, and when freed from this weight it moves upwards to its previous position. This simple downward and upward motion is its only method of acting upon the hammer and damper with which it is connected. Regarded as a lever, this simple action is all that is necessary for the piano key. The duty of the hand, in using this lever correctly, is therefore to push it downwards. When a piano key is pressed down, it sets in motion the hammer and the damper. It will be necessary to look at each of these actions separately. The hammer at the moment of the key's descent is pushed up against the string and falls back instantaneously; its work is then finished. The period of time during which it is in contact, with the string is of the shortest duration, the act of percussion being momentary and accomplished instantaneously. The second duty of the key is its action on the damper. It has already been stated that, in fulfilling this duty, the key is being kept at work until the very moment that it rises, the work being that of preventing the damper from touching the string, thus allowing the tone to continue sounding. ------ Michael Shaw teaches students of all ages to play the organ and keyboard. You can now download his popular Lesson 1 eBook for beginners at http://www.mikesmusicroom.co.uk and http://www.keyboardsheetmusic.co.uk Custom Golf Clubs- The Way to Go If you really want to get the most out of your golf game and enjoy the sport as much as possible, custom golf clubs are your best option. The downside of having custom fitted and custom made clubs is obviously the cost. However, I have spoken to certified custom club makers who say that they can get a golfer into a high quality set for about the cost of an off-the-shelf set from the top club sellers like Calloway or Titleist, for example. These clubs will not carry the leading brand names of course, but they are produced in the same factories as those of the top brand name clubs, on the same equipment and to the same quality standards. For a set of eight irons with steel shafts, this can de done for about $800 or so, depending on the specific components chosen. Of course each custom golf club maker sets his or her own prices so these numbers can vary substantially. You should speak with a certified club maker to figure out what the exact cost would be for your set of custom golf clubs. A web site URL to locate a certified custom club fitter/maker near you will be pointed out at the end of this article. What Does a Custom Club Fitting Consist Of? Hitting a few balls with a couple of different clubs from a company trailer at a driving range is not a real custom fitting. You may get a feel for what clubs with different shafts, weights, lie angles, etc., feel like, but that’s about it. Most custom club makers will have a procedure that resembles the following: -Interview and existing equipment analysis -Measurement of swing speeds with driver and 5 iron and measurement of launch angles -Measurement of height and wrist to floor distance -Swing Analysis to determine optimum shaft weight and flex, swing weight and/or optimum MOI (there are actually several moments of inertia to be considered in the process) -Determine specific shafts and matching club heads -Determine set make-up, driver loft, loft and lie angle of irons, loft and bounce angles of wedges, proper grips -Build clubs and make final loft and lie adjustments. Some club makers might even build a prototype club for the golfer to try out before making final decisions. Clubs Just Right For You If you go out and spend a lot of money on a set of brand name off-the-shelf golf clubs, you really don’t know if those clubs will fit you properly or fit your game. They were no doubt made for some hypothetical “average” golfer of average size and ability. Is that you? Chances are about 10 to 1 it isn’t. The only way to be certain about this is to have custom golf clubs built for you, and more and more golfers are realizing this and getting better results. An excellent resource to locate a certified club maker near you is the web site of Tom Wishon, noted club maker and author. On his site at www.golfclubliteracy.com is a list of certified club makers he personally recommends, as well as a link to the web site of the PCS (Professional Clubmakers Society) which has a list of its members. The Art Of Live Worm Fishing The title of this article may sound a bit strange. You don't normally expect the terms 'live worm' and 'art' to be used in the same sentence, but I figure if the term 'art' can be related to flea flicking, why not with live worm fishing as well? You see, about 20 years ago, I had the pleasure of knowing the best live worm fisherman that I've personally ever seen, and he taught me some fishing tips and techniques that, in my opinion, made him an artist. Much of his fishing was done in the flowing waters of both rivers and streams for species such as trout, smallmouth bass, and walleye. I've been using these same tips and techniques since they were taught to me more than 20 years ago, and they work. These tips and techniques constitute, The Art of Live Worm Fishing. Light Gear And Line - My fishing mentor believed in using light gear and line when fishing with live worms. As a matter of fact, he believed in ultra light gear (which is what I prefer to use), but light is tolerable as well. As far as fishing line is concerned, my mentor used four pound test monofilament (which again is what I use to this day), but line up to six pound test is also tolerable. The theory being that fish have very sensitive senses and can detect line in the water, so the lighter the line, the less apt the fish are to detect it and become wary. I've actually been fishing with six pound test leaders and wasn't catching anything, so I changed to four pound test leaders. I immediately began catching fish, so after this experience, I know that the diameter of your fishing line makes a huge difference. Be Efficient - My fishing mentor believed in being as efficient as possible when on the water, which is why he employed a bait bag to carry his worms. He fashioned a bait bag from an old sock 20 years ago, but today there are much more functional versions available. You see a bait bag carries your worms while you fish, so you always know exactly where they are and the are literally at your fingertips, waiting to be used. Baiting up takes seconds when a bait bag is being employed, as opposed to searching for your worms every time that you need to bait up. The art of live worm fishing includes the use of some manifestation of a bait bag, in my opinion. The Use Of Gang Hooks - The art of live worm fishing entails more than just "threading" a worm onto a hook. To be an effective live worm fisherman, a set of pre-tied gang hooks must be employed. You see, pre tied gang hooks are the only way to present live worms in a natural manner, which is an integral part of becoming a truly effective live worm fisherman. Using a live worm, rigged on a set of pre tied gang hooks and allowing your offering to flow naturally with the current, while it bounces along the bottom, is the most deadly fish catching rig in the world. I've been using this exact technique for my entire fishing career, and it never fails me. Gang hooks and live worms go together like the computer and the internet. You can't have one, without the other…right? The bottom line is that when done properly, live worm fishing can be everything that any other art professes itself to be. I've always said that if flea flicking is an art, so is the way I was taught to fish. As I said, my fishing mentor, the man who taught me these tips and techniques, was an artist. He took live worm fishing to the realm of being an art form. Trevor Kugler is co-founder of JRWfishing.com and an avid angler. He has more than 20 years experience fishing for all types of fish, and 15 years of business and internet experience. He currently raises his three year old daughter in the heart of trout fishing country…..Montana! The Original Bait Bag Get Fishing Tips Twice A Month For FREE |
|
||||
