Upright Piano that Sounds Like a Grand Piano

NHK World J-Innovators

[@tuan.hoang_]

Overclock your upright piano with this small trick!

[@Oke955]

Piano manufacturers hate him!

[@ba2hln14]

Steinway hates it!

[@bertpeijmen6960]

Why would they hate it if they can improve their own uprights?

[@ba2hln14]

Bert Peijmen You clearly don’t get the joke

[@ludwigvanbeethoven8793]

wish i had this back when my ears werent shot.

[@jonidrinksonionade617]

Piano manufacturers don't want you to know this one simple trick!

[@DVZM.]

Peace Among Worlds hahaha

[@dwaynehawkins]

Piano players are shocked! You won't believe what this man did!

[@kosmosyche]

gone wrong gone sexual?

[@hithere4289]

can we copystrike yukimitsu fujii

[@yusufkuntoro3141]

so people buy a grand piano at a more expensive price than upright piano

[@ConstantThrowing]

Man what a clever guy. This is the essence of invention here. Simple solutions to seemingly complex problems.

[@Deeznutsmynamejeff21]

Ben Cooper i am here to alert you that you got a few likes on your comment

[@binorobin]

I have a Piano (Yamaha Upright JX113T) which doesn't seem to have the problem described in this video. I bought mine last year. Maybe Yamaha has addressed this issue in their upright pianos since this video is 3 years old?

[@ConstantThrowing]

@@Deeznutsmynamejeff21 thank you for the heads up haha

[@lilpogchamp4904]

@@binorobin hey manI just saw your same comment in another piano video haha what a coincidence

[@KandiKlover]

Meanwhile everyone in the west living like troglodytes

[@bengieg3152]

"don't buy an upright you can't you will never be able to learn advanced piece because of gravity and how you can't hit the notes repeatedly" Japanese guy comes solves the problem with a little metal string.

[@praestant8]

Bengie g This is actually not a new concept. The Fandrich piano with its Fandrich Vertical Action (with several patents and awards for repetition) is celebrating 25 years.

[@MrTommy4000]

Del is a fart smeller

[@SC-ty3tc]

praestant8 Definitely not new, Darrell Fandrich invented the Fandrich Vertical Action that Del Fandrich (Darrell's brother) used for a little while in his Fandrich upright piano. Darrell is still manufacturing his vertical actions today.

[@PuddintameXYZ]

S C But, are Fandrich's widely availible? I understand that the Granfeel is limited in its availiblity, but that may change. The other thing is that this only requires an addition by a licensed tuner. Does the Fandrich have the same luxery?

[@SC-ty3tc]

Puddintane pianos with Fandrich Vertical Actions are being made today and no you can't just have them installed because it's a complete action This design is not new in any shape or form do your research . I would be surprised if he was able to get a patent in the US if the comment below is true. Then the patent office missed something. As for his second spring that changes the tone, If this were ever available my guess is whoever had it installed would be quite disappointed with the results. Proper Piano preparation and voicing would get you much better results in terms of tone. When it comes to a grand piano touch fast repetition is not the only factor.

[@Hsuperj]

Wow i finally know why its so hard to do fast repeated notes on an upright

[@v.dargain1678]

HsuperJ No repetitive motion is one of several reasons why I don't like uprights . A second reason is clarity of sound . This guy is going to be rich soon .

[@thesynista]

Would one be better off to get a good digital piano in that case?

[@34672rr]

@@v.dargain1678 one of the very many reasons I hate the piano in general is because the action sucks. Even a high end grand's action is way too heavy, way too unresponsive, way too insensitive.

[@slyztercoreveanged3175]

@@34672rr but still you cant beat the natural acoustic sound of acoustic piano..be it upright or grand...maybe you can said high end digital sound almost the same..but for someone that high taste in sound, most of them will choose the acoustic sound...maybe the action is not like digital piano but the sound that produce from acoustic is just more beautiful..i starting with digital but when i heard the acoustic piano i just feel in love with acoustic right away, the sound just to beautiful to compare with digital piano

[@34672rr]

@@slyztercoreveanged3175 live yes but recorded, especially in a mix but also just piano, it's the same

[@elitefitrea]

It's cool to see continued refinement on the piano after hundreds of years!

[@MrTommy4000]

Don't be fooled. The piano industry despises change. There has been almost no evolution to the design of the modern piano. Some ground has been gained in the production of the felt hammers. And Kawai has experimented with plastic action parts. ( I like them ). However, I personally have ideas such as supporting the string downbearing from above, eliminating the need for sound suppressing ribs under the soundboard, along with many other thoughts on how to improve, not change the overall performance of this wonderful instrument.

[@globalmess33]

its for when you need to hit the same note 14 times in one second and moonlight sonata was a great example of that

[@rtyzxc]

Not only for long repetition, but even for 2 or 3 quick repeated notes. Upright pianos just tend to drop quick repeated notes.

[@Kref3]

Fast trills are also a thing. To play fast, you need to stay „in“ the keys. I regularly have skipped notes when I try to trill quickly on an upright since i do not release the keys completely. And why should I, my grand does not require me to. I‘d actually rather have a high quality digital (preferably a hybrid like the Avantgrand or Novus) than an upright.

[@binorobin]

I have a Piano (Yamaha Upright JX113T) which doesn't seem to have the problem described in this video. I bought mine last year. Maybe Yamaha has addressed this issue in their upright pianos since this video is 3 years old?

[@robertstrong8966]

Thank you for this historic, needed improvement to upright piano action! Kudos to Yukimitsu Fujii. Serious pianists who can't own a grand, can now enjoy the same grand repetition speed in uprights! Many homes have no space for a grand. Many pianists lack the financial means to afford the more expensive grand pianos. Uprights pianos equipped with these two additional springs on all 88 keys are the greatest vertical piano action improvement to date!

[@typicalminer2908]

5:24 *plays c chord* this sounds totally different wooooo :0

[@nightlysalvation5692]

TypicalMiner it sound the fucking same lol

[@littlefishbigmountain]

@@nightlysalvation5692 I think she was just trying to be polite, lol But while the difference is rather nuanced (and the comparison unfair because the first piano sounds noticeably farther away from the mic), the second piano sounds considerably brighter to me. It could be for any number of reasons though, since they're different models of piano and all. While a subtle distinction, it doesn't require expertise to discern either, just attention and an ear. That difference between slightly more mellow and slightly brighter could give any song a distinguishably different sound and therefore feel, sometimes for the better and sometimes the worse. It depends song to song, people's personal preferences, etc., but iirc bright sounding pianos (Steinway's typically are bright) are more popular in countries like the USA and Japan

[@tobyzxcd]

It sounds really different? much brighter and cutting

[@kirkwahmmet8406]

NightlySalvation perhaps to your normiefag ears

[@JoeARedHawk275]

wiremessiah Wtf is a piano harp, mind sending me the link

[@pathaze4299]

This is very interesting. As a piano technician, I believe that He can make major difference in piano manufacturing. I could imagine many piano manufacturers using his new design for an improved functionality of an upright piano, whose action design has remained mostly the same for over a century, excluding earlier birdcage actions.

[@juanblanco3325]

Hi Path! I was curious, Have you tried to make this upgrade on any piano? Do you know think the springs he uses are probably spare parts from grand piano we could easily buy ?

[@RobertsPianos]

Thank you for an excellently made video. A couple of things that I hope may help: 1 I think the video should be renamed "Repeats more like" rather than "Sounds like" 2 Bechstein put a similar idea on their upright models I to IV and 6 to 9, made mostly from about 1890 to 1920. These work well but they add a loop for the spring to connect to, which is a bit cumbersome when you want to work on them, and also usually means that the check has to be regulated so the hammer checks much closer to the string; otherwise they tend to double bounce. However the Bechsteins sound very warm and rich and restore well. Thanks again for taking the time to show us this. If you're ever in Oxford UK please do visit us. Best wishes, Marcus Roberts

[@KayvonJavid]

Roberts Pianos I got recommend this video from one of your videos

[@bennemann]

You did not watch the full video. The latter half of the video shows a second spring that actually brings the sound closer to a grand piano's.

[@-gbogbo-]

But to tell the effect of the 2nd spring, they should have taken the same models of piano to compare with and without the spring, it is obviously not the case in the video 5:19

[@ZicajosProductions]

- GBoGBo - The first spring primarily effects how _frequently_ one can play the keys. It doesn’t really effect how the note feels in terms of resonance. That’s what the second spring is for... minimizing the fraction of time the hammer hits the string to hopefully maximize the resonance (vibration) of the string (by not limiting it as much).

[@AllenBarclayAllen]

Roberts Pianos I wouldn't be a bit surprised if this somhow improved a concert grand .

[@written12]

Very interesting. It seems as if this little innovation should be used by all piano manufacturers. I do hope Mr. Takumi is getting credit for it and financially benefiting.

[@matthewrichards88]

I think this is a good idea. There have been springs added to upright actions to improve repetition, but this system in the video looks good. Innovation like this brings something new to the table

[@johnkerr99]

Interesting, thank you. Summary: 2 springs added. First spring returns lever faster to allow for more notes per second (14 with vs 7 without). Second spring pulls hammer off strings faster to make the strings sound less muted (and more like a grand piano).

[@Wayman_Simmang]

the man is a genius,, wonder why someone else hadnt already discovered this.. congrats to this man for his hard work!

[@Bob3519]

People's intelligence, ability to innovate, never ceases to amaze me. Well done.

[@jimbrent8151]

Thank you Mr. Fuji. Typical of an expert craftsman, you are very inspiring.

[@lifedoom2922]

3:23 bold of you to assume my teacher is rich

[@kacpers6975]

bold of you to assume im rich enough for a teacher

[@officialjarix]

bold of you to assume i know how to play a piano

[@jamien.5528]

My teacher has a digital 😐

[@user-hq3mk6gs8c]

What does bold mean? 😅

[@vaughanjones5933]

@@user-hq3mk6gs8c The meaning sits somewhere between 'presumptuous' and 'arrogant'. The word infers some naivety on the bold person as well as some humour on the viewer of the bold person. It is a subtle but fun word to use when the moment is right.

[@mgreene1409]

So it doesn't necessarily sound like a grand piano but rather it plays more like one.

[@dominic.h.3363]

Watch the second part of the video. It plays AND sounds more like a grand piano.

[@Berettadv]

Exactly. No upright will ever sound as rich and full as a grand or baby grand. It’s the nature of inner resonances.

[@Taevas___]

Alex Vennos The Steinway & Sons upright is probably the closest sounding to a grand and that would probably cost 50K. It’s probably better to just a buy a grand.

[@34672rr]

@@Berettadv Such a horrible instrument, I can't believe our idiot ancestors came up with a rube goldberg machine of an instrument which can't even play glissando/portamento. They were simply trying to have one person play as many notes as possible. Thus the convoluted evolution of the piano, which just sucks. Not only does it lack key functionalities of musical instruments especially the human voice, the theory that developed around piano is just utter dogshit, and has colored western music with the tinge of dogshit ever since. And I am a keyboard player

[@buffalowick8003]

@@34672rr What is your instrument of choice?

[@reidwelch8419]

As a technician, myself, I would not belittle this man or the work of others, because they are making demonstrable improvements. Priority does not matter. And what have you, if a critic, created to help others today? The action of an upright can be made to repeat very well, indeed, by catching the hammers closer to the strings. An expressive, sotto voce repetition results. Anyway, the goal of technicians is to make the mechanism of either grand or upright not a mechanism, but a natural extension of the player's fingers. That these mechanisms are organic and fallible makes them all the more interesting. Like people, pianos are high strung and responsive to TLC.

[@architgupta4433]

1:42 thanks for that insightful comment!

[@samgray49]

My Wurlitzer Spinet from 1940-1950 featured actions like this, they return at 3/4 of position and according to our original tuner (bless his soul) and our new one it's one of the best sounding spinets which are part of the upright piano, considering it was an affordable piano then, and never had its hammers reshapen until this year, so 70-80

[@joshbonner9409]

There’s an easier way! Put led weights on the tip of the hammer tails, I’ve tried this and it works very well

[@thesleeperhasawakened7833]

Over 40 years ago I was given an upright piano by a friend. It was built around 1903 in America. When I had it tuned by the local tuner, he told me it was a very special piano and was an upright concert grand. He said it was specially made and also that all three pedals functioned, which isn't the case for most uprights. He mentioned that its action was aided by some sort of springs. Unfortunately the Piano tuner passed away a few years later. It does need some work (bridal stops and hammers need reshaped) and I have never had it tuned since (no piano tuners in the area). I hope to send it off to a store in the next few years to have it tuned and fixed. The keys do respond very quickly when played, even in the shape it's in. I am not a trained pianist, so there was no rush to get it repaired. Now that I am retired, I am planning on playing again. Meanwhile I have a Packard Pump organ that belonged to my great grandmother and a Hammond T500 that belonged to my mother (and three guitars, including a twelve string) so I am not without a instrument to play.

[@mjt11860]

what brand is the 1903 upright?

[@octavius.augustus.]

This guys is a legend, I wish I can get one of those

[@ampac]

This allows for faster repetitions but would also change the action because you would need to press against the spring during the last part of the key movement. As a result, the piano would feel like a spring-based synthesizer keyboard instead of an acoustic. This experiment was tried before and this why most upright piano actions have springs to reset the jack that are not in the way of the movement of the key. If you want a high quality action with fast repetition on an upright then you need to look at the premium European uprights that use magnets instead of springs to accelerate the repetition. Check as examples the Steingräber SFM or the Seiler SMR upright actions. But these uprights cost as much as 6-7 foot Japanese concert grand piano...

[@piano-link]

5:11 Plays 4 notes on 2 different pianos. "It's totally different!" You don't say. What a revelation, not all pianos sound the same 😂

[@stylusfantasticus]

idiot girl. This system should be tested repeating in the same key at great speed while changing fingers.

[@aaronwalderslade]

Ignoring the comments by non piano players, this is a very exciting change. Because gravity is much more gentle than a spring, I would imagine that the longer the spring, the better. Just a thought. I don't really understand why gravity can't be used instead, using some kind of counterweight, or perhaps it would make the mechanism too involved and clunky

[@letmyt3156]

I'd guess making a counterweight would make the keys harder to press and therefore limiting the player's speed.

[@johnny_eth]

The keys need to be very balanced so they feel very light to play fast. A counterweight would make them heavier.

[@paulsutton5896]

Yes. Of course. I had never thought of that. The effect of gravity will be different when the hammer mechanism is vertical from when it is horizontal, broadly speaking. Well done.

[@ChristiRich]

I want this for my upright. Bring it to the United States. :-)

[@qualitysoftwar3]

And uk

[@justinvidad-menezes2364]

and Canada

[@ChristiRich]

Yamaha or Kawai should add this as an optional feature to their higher end upright range. Many aspiring pianists would be willing to pay a premium for an upright that is able to play nearly as well as a larger grand piano.

[@zhonghuang100]

And China

[@Alix777.]

Not good for the low end grand pianos sales

[@RobertsPianos]

The other spring you added, to make the hammer leave the string more rapidly, is something we've never come across. A great idea which it would be good to try! If this works, then the title "Sounds like a Grand Piano" would make sense. Perhaps "Repeats and sounds more like" is the correct title. Marcus

[@MrTommy4000]

I think we both know what makes a piano sound like a grand piano, and that is a grand piano. C Bechsteins sound great no matter what they are. A Yamaha U-1 or U-3 have great boards and therefore sound pretty damn good. The taller the piano, the longer and thinner the bass strings are. The closest upright in comparison to a 6 foot plus grand, for me was a 1899 Mason and Hamlin . That was just a unique treasure at the school I was attending, ( American Institute of Pianoforte Technology, Moulten St. Los Angeles 1991 )

[@jonarmstrong6214]

MrTommy4000 I'm currently restoring an 1898 Mason & Hamlin Model 25 upright, and even with tired old strings, it is an amazing sounding piano.

[@MrTommy4000]

they are bar none my favorite. Mason & Hamlin had the most creative genius working for them at the time your piano was built. His name is Richard Gertz. If you want, look him up. He is the reason your piano is there with the best of them.

[@jonarmstrong6214]

MrTommy4000 Thanks for the info, I will definitely be looking up the name. I got the piano for free, before a sledge hammer was taken to it. Its now finally taking shape, and I'll be starting the action rebuild over the winter.

[@MrTommy4000]

Your piano probably has brass flanges, be careful with those. One more thing to help you... If you are replacing the hammers, talk with Wally Brooks in Connecticut. He is the best in the business. So is his wife. Good luck and have fun. I'd be glad to offer my 2 cents anytime if you need another opinion.

[@fw1421]

Amazing how something so simple can make such a difference.👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻. I hope he has patented it!

[@raffaelesantabarbara1449]

I hope Mr. Takumi will get all the attention, recognition, and success in the world for his improvement to upright pianos.

[@ViolaGMidi]

I really really want to try it.

[@kwixotic]

As a piano tech, I can provide some feedback on this. In the first place, this has already been accomplished with a piano called the Fandrich which is named after the tech who devised it years ago in Olympia, Washington(or maybe it was Seattle because he had a collaborator named Trivelas also design it who was located there). I played it on a prototype at a NAMM show and later on a Czech made instrument either then or on another occasion. While no doubt it appears to be an impressive mechanism, there would be a fairly limited market for this in the States unless it was priced low enough, because if it was expensive, most people would say, "why should I buy this when I can actually acquire a grand that has a grand sound to it?" (hence the title of this video is misleading because it doesn't make the upright "sound" like a grand. Instead it "plays" like a grand. Nevertheless, I wish Mr. Fujii luck with this!

[@patrickjones8255]

Doesn't look very expensive. I think it would make perfect sense. But that would cut into the ultra expensive grand piano market. So I doubt the big manufacturers have an interest in it.

[@zackeryhardy9504]

@@patrickjones8255 Well you have to factor in tooling costs at the factory the extra time it will take to ensure the tension is right for all 88 notes on a piano. an addition like this can drive up the price way more than you would think. Especially since the lower cost pianos tend to be tooled for cost with pre-assembled actions that act as a drop in. You would have to add this onto the production line which is several more steps compounded 88 times. Not to mention this does change the feel of the action. The spring acting against the jack does add tension and a lot of people don't like a different feeling action and this will be on the floor right next to other pianos that sound just as nice but for a lower cost. You can already buy a peral river grand fro 2500-5000 usd depending on the market and the store. And They do in fact sound about as nice as most of the higher priced uprights and it has a grand action. Not to mention the asthetics of a grand are generally much nicer. That is what you are competing with. so adding an extra 400 usd manufacturers cost adds about another 1000 wholesale which adds another 1000 on top of that resulting in a piano that is 2000 usd more expensive because they added 1 spring. Not to mention opportunity costs of making less pianos due to the extra time needed to make and regulate this piano resulting in lower numbers of that piano being produced driving up the cost further.

[@ChampaRealLordChampa]

That’s cool how we are still trying to improve piano mechanics and sound after all these years

[@KarlSheen]

Amazing.....a simple spring can revolutionist the entire mechanism!! Why on earth hasn't this been thought of before!

[@kevinzhang3313]

It just has

[@mtwg9307]

Tirelessly to reinvert the traditional piano technology which looks nothing can go further for most of the people. This makes Japan as one of the top frontier on sicentific, industries and technologies for the rest of the world.

[@34672rr]

4th harmonic pedal is the best piano invention ever made

[@1anya7d]

NANI?

[@coltonrowley3598]

OMAE WA MOU SHINDIRU

[@poobIius]

XD

[@bavarianbanshee]

M-MASAKA...!

[@kirapiano]

NANI?!??! INERTIA DORIFTO?!

[@LpsBlueDiamond]

LanYarD oml i cant i just cant 😂 it should not be funny because i know Japanese but THIS IS ART

[@maximusfrank2835]

Awesome! So simple. Really great for young pianists. At the end of the day you can't get an upright to a grand for reasons other then just action work, but this is really a far leap in our world.

[@charlesbutler4646]

Amazing development. Magnificent addition to the science of piano mechanics.

[@ZicajosProductions]

Why don’t more manufacturers do this? To entice musicians to buy the more expensive instruments? I’m glad I came across this video because I’ve wondered why it is noticeably more difficult to play fast songs on my upright than on grand pianos... and uprights have a slightly “heavier” feel to the key depending on the brand. I’m glad they also mentioned the lower vs. side mount of the hammer and how it affects resonance. I hope more companies can implement this new mechanism!

[@gideondegroot3676]

Joe N. Pleyel used it and the people didn’t like it because it played way too hard

[@darrinsiberia]

It would increase the price. And most small uprights are only played by non serious players anyway.

[@dogsbody49]

I suspect that the title lost something in translation.

[@bennemann]

No. The latter half of the video shows a second spring that actually brings the sound closer to a grand piano's.

[@ornleifs]

Yes up to a point but the main difference is that a Grand Piano has bigger strings and soundboard, something a smaler piano can never imitate.

[@interproservice]

He meant the movie: Lost in Translation

[@FLVCTVAT_NEC_MERGITVR]

Awesome to see innovative developments on an ever evolving design which initially was conceived over 300 years ago.

[@yookalaylee2289]

This isn't a new idea. Several piano manufacturers have tried springs like this over the last 100 years. What this video isn't showing you is how the introduction of another spring adds to the down resistance or, weight it takes to depress the key. Adding grams of resistance across the keyboard results in an increasingly heavy action. This spring also doesn't truly make an upright play like a grand because it doesn't actually add "double escapement" like a grand has. Double escapement is basically the decoupling of the jack from the hammer knuckle so that as the key is released the jack is free to reset sooner in the key release stroke. Also, do you really believe a solution that seems this simple hadn't been thought of already? The piano has been being refined for centuries. The best and most recent invention to increase the repetition of an upright is the Super Magnetic Action by Seiler.

[@rubiksmaster301]

If all uprights had this, I would definitely buy an upright. But since they don't I had to go for a baby grand lol

[@hw7348]

I've played upright piano all my life, and I thought I was just a shit piano player and could never hope to play more complex pieces, but now I think it's just my piano.

[@kacpers6975]

It's probably not, here's Valentina Lisita playing La Campanella beautifully on an out of tune, public upright piano kzbin.info/www/bejne/m6vCiWebopeZb68

[@pianohelper8873]

Nah dude i think he meant the actions of keys on an upright piano. I played one and the keys cant be repeated very fast. That La campanella vid you showed is just a bright piano that is out of tune but has the same ability of a grand piano that can press notes repetitively. So he isn't able to play La campanella completely.

[@hw7348]

@@kacpers6975 the mechanisms of the hammers are different in an upright vs grand. You cant play keys as rapidly in an upright, thats just a fact.

[@zackeryhardy9504]

Have you ever had your piano regulated?

[@PB4U]

Wow! I finally know, why I always felt more comfortable playing the Grand...

[@nightcoreandsloweddownsong264]

I got a Steinway & Sons upright piano for my birthday, one and a half year ago.

[@namelessbrown]

Modern problems causes for modern solutions.

[@jp4431]

Who will win? A highly advanced and technical piece of music, or a little springy boy?

[@34672rr]

who will win, a highly advanced and technical piece of music, or a good piece of music, however complex or technical? Music has nowhere to "advance" to. People have tried and failed to advance music, but it doesn't make it any better.

[@GoodQuestionsLeadToGoodAnswers]

I'm always impressed at how God's given human intelligence manifest in men. Thanks to Mr. Yukimistsu and Michelle Yamamoto to sharing it with us. Congrats to Mr. Yukimistu for his will to improve piano, this is very clever.

[@jimswenson6131]

It annoys me how the makers of grand pianos certainly know that they can easily add springs to their upright pianos in order to solve these hammer-action issues. My guess is that they *deliberately* do not do it so that the consumer is forced into buying a grand piano (perhaps baby grand works like a grand?). I hope that revealing this innovation will encourage some piano makers to offer this improved hammer action on their uprights in order to make upright owners happier at a lower price point than a baby grand or grand (aside from the cost, many people don't have the space for anything other than an upright!).

[@zackeryhardy9504]

It does change the feel. Manufacturers have played around with it. del fandrich actually built pianos with a repetition spring in the states for a while. I think he actually still produces them. But by no means new. Other large manufacturers have also included them, but those pianos didn't outcompete.

[@brandonkellner2920]

My parents have an upright piano that can play notes repeatedly without having to let the dampers down. It's over a hundred years old too. There is a limit to how fast you can play it, which this video seems to be more about, but in the beginning he mentioned you can't play a note without letting the key come back all the way. That's just not true for all uprights.

[@mashtali1]

Fantastic job. I love Japan.

[@duanekeith7816]

An elegant simplification of the Fandrich action treatment.

[@steveassante6797]

The key playing mechanism is called the 'Action'. Now I'll have to watch the video to see what modifications have been applied to the Upright's Action which sits vertically behind the Piano's strings (because the Piano Soundboard is also vertical in a upright) & the Grand Piano's Soundboard & Strings sit Horizontally inside the Piano's Case. 1 Action has the help of Gravity to help the Key's action to return the parts to their starting position after each keystroke whereas the other Action is not as responsive in it's continuation of playing successive key strokes

[@mariamsangar3287]

Im just scrolling in the comments and wanted to say have a good day :)

[@JosefFoti]

It's so amazing! I would love to have one at home

[@benjimlem1284]

*"only* 7 times a second" ...meanwhile I struggle with 'twinkle twinke little star' : ^)

[@michaelbrown192]

So, is there any brand or model that uses this? Or is it one of those things that actually exist but nobody wants to implement them in order not to jeopardise revenue and such?

[@elpidiocastillo3342]

It is very helpful to upright piano to function very well as grand piano. Since upright piano rely only on jack spring and bridle strap, and it's not sufficient for the function of it to contribute a nice sound. Less gravity on it. Thanks for the contribution of it to the piano action.

[@WinrichNaujoks]

came to hear an upright piano sound like a grand piano. I did not hear an upright piano that sounds like a grand piano.

[@neponsetriver]

Ask for a refund.

[@kedapofeng8993]

Nobody: Reporter: *_THERE’S NO SOUND AT ALL!_*

[@pianotown6869]

I literally watching this video all over and over again because of it's awesomeness!!

[@samgray49]

My wurlizer spinet piano sounds as well as a grand and has the same mechanism for the keys, our late piano tuner said it hands down was the best piano he has ever tuned in terms of sound, and was one of the rarest pianos made by Wurlitzer for that reason. But, we are still waiting for Wurlitzer to get back on us because the Serial number says it was built in Germany during WWII between 1938-1944, but it says it was made in kansas, and from what we can tell the body is german, but the legs are americans, and the body is oak, leather wrapped, and strangely the sound board is cast iron giving it great sound.

[@Alwpiano]

I've found the keys on upright pianos to be stiffer than a grand piano every time.

[@Noaxe_Tegrinde]

Congratulations! Inventors are amongst the most important types in any society and the world. NoAxe

[@slofty]

Indeed. Engineers and doctors make the world go 'round!

[@factcheckerchannel1947]

Mother Necessity with your good intentions. Where would we be without your good inventions?

[@stemart1641]

Older American piano builders from the turn of the last century had this idea with a spring & loop mechanism. It's not a new idea, but a neat concept & innovation.

[@LenadTJ]

That awkward moment when you're watching this after blowing £11,000 on Grand Piano.

[@stylusfantasticus]

no upright surpases grand pianos , no matter what gadget you install.

[@tacky7series]

This VDO is very usefull. It provide technical idea to modify my piano.

[@davidbee8178]

Unless you are a VERY experienced technician don't even THINK about doing this by yourself - you may as well throw your piano away if you do!

[@thehashslingingslasher7017]

Paramut Varapreedee do you know the name of the song at 6:29?

[@tacky7series]

TheHashSlingingSlasher It was moonlight sonata 1st movement. This song consisted of 3 movement. The 3rd movement is very fantastic.

[@thehashslingingslasher7017]

Paramut Varapreedee thank you very much

[@kencarter6481]

I don't know what upright piano this guy has, but you can definitely play fast rapid one notes on most upright pianos without the key returning to its original position. I don't really disagree with what's being said in the video, but I've played on a lot of painos; old and new, grand and upright. I have never really had the problem where the key must return to the original position to play repeated notes, infact I find that if you play certain uprights really fast on one note it is better than the grand because the mechanism doesn't come back as fast. Specially useful when playing pieces like Ravel's Alborada Del Gracioso Personal opinion, just speaking from my experience with piano

[@Nickauboutte]

I just love yow the lady plays 4 slow notes and a chord and states with amazement that the two pianos sound "totally different". She has no understanding of piano mechanisms or of the demonstration she has just seen. The ability of a piano action to repeat has no impact on how a piano sounds, but on how quickly the a specific note can be repeated. And while I commend the piano shop owner for his experimentation, he seems not to understand that the reason a jack in a grand piano action reverts to its initial position under the hammer knuckle before the hammer comes down to its resting position is because the repetition lever slows down the hammer's fall just long enough for the jack to resume its initial position. What the piano shop owner did is to install a spring that pushes the jack back under the hammer knuckle, but without anything slowing down the movemebr of the hammer. While this may get the jack there faster, and while that may indeed give the semblance of a repetition mechanism, the entire setup generates additional friction and is still a far cry from the way a double repetition mechanism works in a grand piano. The closest thing to a grand piano repetition mechanism in an upright is the Fandrich upright action. Mr Fandrich also uses a spring on the jack, but the other end of it is fixed to the hammer, whose return travel is slowed down just enough for the jack (which has its own spring on all upright actions anyway) to slip back to its initial position before the hammer has resumed its own starting position - similarly the the grand piano action. Compare: www.dreams.org/staff/composer/music/piano/fandrich-action/p3.jpg

[@34672rr]

somebody didn't watch the full video

[@zackeryhardy9504]

That is why on the fandrich action they placed the spring so that it attatchs to both the jack and the hammer but to ensure the timing was right. A design that has been pattented in the us and actually works.

[@ericpurkey7502]

I can see this being a big seller in the United States there are a lot of people that like the sound of a grand piano but not the room for a grand piano in the house to small this would be a solution to the problem an upright that sound like a grand piano the man in this video that developed this piano should sell it abroad he would make a fortune doing this so I hope these are sold in the U.S because a lot of people like the sound of a grand piano but have no room for one these people would buy the upright that sounds like a grand piano.

[@JMRabil675]

Please use fucking periods and sentence structure FFS.... This is impossible to read.

[@ronb6182]

It's one sentence. It may need some commas but who cares. I can understand every word.

[@littlefishbigmountain]

@@ronb6182 "I can see this being a big seller in the United States. There are a lot of people that like the sound of a grand piano but not the room for a grand piano in the house to small. This would be a solution to the problem: an upright that sounds like a grand piano. The man in this video that developed this piano should sell it abroad. He would make a fortune doing this, so I hope these are sold in the U.S because a lot of people like the sound of a grand piano but have no room for one of these. People would buy the upright that sounds like a grand piano." I didn't change anything except the punctuation (and capitalizing the first letter of each new sentence). How is that one sentence? That's easily six. It only flows like one long run-on because of the lack of punctuation. I'm not trying to crap on this guy's ability to write (and I'm pretty sure English is not his first language anyway, so props to him for being multilingual.. probably), nor am I trying to say that all internet communication has to have perfect grammar, punctuation, must be devoid of slang, and can never use run-on sentences even though they're more conversational in nature. In fact, I understood this comment perfectly fine too, but that's you and me. Obviously there are some other people who see a chunk of raw text and have trouble reading it or just don't want to struggle through that. The comment is edited too, so to be fair I have no idea what it could've said or looked like before. But how hard would it have been to at least try to break it up a little? Even if it's wrong. Just something, ya know? I gotta admit, it flows a lot better that way, and it's easier on the eyes and brain too

[@littlefishbigmountain]

@@JMRabil675 I know this is late, and I kinda already did it to an extent in my last comment, but I may as well finish fixing this comment for you and anyone else who may find it helpful: "I can see this being a big seller in the United States. There are a lot of people that like the sound of a grand piano but don't have the room for one because their house is too small. This would be a solution to the problem: an upright that sounds like a grand piano. The man in this video that developed this piano modification should sell it abroad. He would make a fortune doing this, so I hope these are sold in the U.S. because a lot of people like the sound of a grand piano but have no room for one of them. People would buy an upright that sounds like a grand piano." I tried to keep it as similar to the original text as possible

[@zackeryhardy9504]

Not this piano, but fandrich pianos are sold in the US which have a repetition spring on their action. They are pricy though. But do sound nice and have a good scale on them.

[@ilhamalbasith2618]

7:47 "It's reary amazing" xD I'm srry

[@Jimbo386000]

Ilham Albasith I know it was so... stereotypical. Hahaha

[@jmitterii2]

two springs and he's made your upright sound and play like a grand piano... cool :)

[@overlycreative1]

I can see this addition being a boon for a Piano Disc enabled upright. The sound would be improved significantly. Having a piano with this added spring feature and Piano Disc would be a sure sell to those of us that enjoy the actual piano sound but cannot either invest in a grand or added room it takes up.

[@MARTIN201199]

4:25 Maurice Ravel entered the chat. Toccata from Le Tombeau de Couperin

[@ravell193992]

More like Scarlatti's K.141 haha

[@moxigeren50gabe23]

Congrats Japanese for your contribution

[@weatherphobia]

Why did they edit out the part where they look up point and scream GODZILLA!???

[@runner0075]

It already exist in Europe since about 20 years. A fast repetition mechanic for upright piano called R2.

[@jackaboyx3]

Dang, Im not a piano fanatic and the sound of an upright piano doesnt matter much to me but now i really want one of thesee

[@smikkelbeer6352]

This is amazing

[@DaanLam]

Haha ik zie jou overal

[@armstronglance]

Awesome! Thanks for posting this it was very interesting. Did Your modification stiffen the touch any? I’m 64, and have been playing since 5 and really never noticed this before. I play on a digital piano these days, but still have a Yamaha grand. I also had a Baldwin studio sized upright that probably needed this modification. What I don’t like the most is what I call “return oscillation”. That’s when the key keeps bouncing up and down after you let up on it. It doesn’t instantly come to complete rest. That problem prevents you from playing really fast notes or arpeggios. So I solved that problem by adding a felt stop being some of the moving parts. This was a major problem with the Fender Rhodes piano. it’s problem was a little different, the hammers continued to bounce up and down after letting up on a key. The solution was the simplest of all. I just added a long piece of felt the length of the keyboard, underneath the hammers.

[@digitalbilly]

please bring this technology and design to the rest of the world this is awesome!!!!!

[@DustyCowdog]

This cat is a genius. What a contribution to help make pianos more affordable. Cheers...

[@trafalgar1938]

The sound should have nothing to do with it. The strings, hammer felt and soundboard etc determine the sound. The spring shown, affects the touch and to give the ability to rapid play of a note.

[@bennemann]

Watch the full video before commenting! The latter half of the video shows a second spring that actually brings the sound closer to a grand piano's.

[@edwinschi]

ColinW in

[@andrewsilver7048]

bennemann It could just be that the second upright piano sounds better than the first. There isn’t any real explanation. It doesn’t automatically mean the spring makes it sound better.. Although I’d suspect action does have a bit of an impact on how a piano sounds because you’re (probably) getting more resonance with velocity, however imitating a grand piano.. that part is bs. I played on a $15k grand and several others and filmed it. Even my iPhone’s camera captured better sound quality than whatever camera they used to film this. You probably can’t replicate a grand piano without a grand piano, sadly.

[@bblozan]

The video could have explained this better. The effect in sound is caused by the fact that with the second device the hammer lingers on the string for a briefer time, reducing the dampening effect the hammer has on the string it has struck. Part of the reason grands sound so good is that gravity automatically limits this unwanted dampening. Still, even on grands technicians will play with hammer weight to avoid the hammer sitting on the string for longer than is optimal.

[@34672rr]

@@andrewsilver7048 grand piano only sounds "better" because it's louder and bigger and usually better maintained, tuned more often and usually has better rooms it's played in. The upright, like any instrument, is just an instrument, it's sound is determined by what's played on it. an 8 string bass doesn't sound any better than a 4 string bass

[@tobyranson2496]

Playing the same key more than 7 times a second will not affect the pianos preformance. This is not a 'historical discovery'.

[@patrickwhiting4831]

Clearly you've never played the second Hungarian Rhapsodie. Ah that C#

[@brent3522]

Scarlatti's k141 would like a word

[@justelynnnjoelle]

Ravel's Toccata and Moszkowski's Caprice Español would love to chat with you.

[@amezcuaist]

The bridle strap is there to make the repetition faster. In the demo the bridle strap is loose. The capstan must be adjusted to give the jack a chance to return . Learn how to adjust the bridle straps . The invention will be a bonus technically as the straps are rarely adjusted properly . So you will need 88 new springs ? Then you must adjust the new springs . Hope it works . Nothing to lose .

[@MRW515]

What a clever chap, I hope piano manufacturers use his springs to improve the sound of upright pianos.

[@RayMak]

I want one of those

[@riddydoodie2944]

man you’re everywhere

[@lilpogchamp4904]

Man finally found you having no 1k likes

[@mangsang980]

Why are we still here

[@EsotericStarWarsRubbish]

Fuck off, Ray.

[@dimitridehouck9506]

Nothing new, if I'm not mistaking even Erard used it in his piano's almost 200 years ago. And it has nooooothing to do with the sound.

[@Clodhopping]

And Fazer, the Finnish piano company, had this on their 1980s upright pianos. The Langer bPj System - essentially a spring to facilitate faster repetition.

[@bennemann]

Watch the full video before commenting! The latter half of the video shows a second spring that actually brings the sound closer to a grand piano's.

[@ornleifs]

Yes up to a point - but a Grand Piano has longer strings and a bigger soundboard which an upright can never imitate.

[@aaronwildeofficial]

You realise your baby grand has shorter strings than some uprights... So it ain't just string length... Baby grands were invented so the could be got up the stairs.

[@99Grigor]

Dimitri Dehouck Ah but you are mistaken. The sound IS indeed affected by the hammer. The faster a hammer leaves the string the better because it is actually in contact with the string for a shorter period of time. This allows the string to vibrate more fully without dampening the string. It is slight, but when you add in other notes this quickly has a good additive effect.

[@maxrey4055]

Steingraeber has accomplished this since 2007 with magnets-- called the Steingraeber-Ferro-Magnet Action... No spring to wear out or change tension over time.

[@pavendax]

every piano manufacturer should adapt this wise man technology

[@BazzaTheMan12]

What song was being played at 6:20?

[@mickkennedy1344]

'Moonlight Sonata' -- Beethoven

[@cemanell4099]

BazzaTheMan12 mvt 1

[@jeremiahramirez6458]

BazzaTheMan12 , I was just about to ask that question, I see now

[@ericchan4793]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/aoXVYaKqqs6Eq7c

[@jolettedelport8759]

Can this technology come to South-Africa?

[@weatherphobia]

If slavery can then why not pianos.

[@stefandy31]

brutal, savage, rekt

[@mottbone]

Technology? They're just strategically placed springs... probably made from nothing more than music wire itself. Not to take away anything from the guy that came up with the idea, because it IS a good idea.

[@HunterShows]

No. This technology is incompatible with South Africa. Thanks for your inquiry, though.

[@toridetherisingwind4135]

The greatest beauty of engineering and mathematics is found in the simplest of solutions.

[@Thewildterritories]

I was going to suggest putting a spring right where they placed it. Although I am sure that it takes care to make sure the spring doesn't prevent the normal range of motion for the entire mechanism.

[@beyondannonymous9955]

Bartolomeo Cristofori: **creates the piano** mr Fujii: *im about to banzai the frick out this lame one*

[@kalpeshpatil1245]

*OVERCLOCKING*

[@nobodyfaceisnothere]

All the grand sound without the clutter in your house. Pretty cool