First Broken String on a Grand Piano

[dnephi]

While practicing some Scriabin on a Steinway Grand Piano (5'), I snapped a high B (2nd highest on the piano.) 

I'm rather proud- it's almost a rite of passage. 

I was actually testing out my videocamera, and I can upload the film if anyone is interested.  It's obviously not a performance, but you still can get an idea of what the music is like.

Daniel

(Edit: Wrong forum.  Can this please be moved to Miscellaneous?)

[Kassaa]

Altogether I probably broke 15 in the past 3 years

[pies]

Post the vid

Also, you can move your own threads with the 'move thread' button at the bottom left of your topics

[rachfan]

Hi, dnephie,

Luckily I've only broken one string in my life--the lowest bass E string on the Baldwin while playing Schumann's Novellette No. 1 in F.  (Oh, come to think of it though, I did break a string on a neighbor's upright while tuning his piano as a favor.  I became distracted and put way too much tension on the wrong string while wondering why the pitch wasn't changing.  )

Anyway, what a couple of tuner/techs have told me is that generally speaking, when a string breaks, it was ready to break due to an inherent flaw in the wire.  So the last hammer blow is like the last straw on the camel's back.

Anyway, good job on that!  Carry on!   

[tds]

if you break so many strings, you'll become impotent in your old age-the way the spirits of pianos take their modest revenge, i heard. 

[dnephi]

if you break so many strings, you'll become impotent in your old age-the way the spirits of pianos take their modest revenge, i heard. 

I think that impotence is a natural consequence of aging.  You might inquire, though, of your octogenarian friends for me and let me know. 

Thanks everyone.

[tds]

dnephie,

is it just me, or you did put a feminine touch to it, rachfan? i sorta like this version too.

[quantum]

Broke my first grand piano string when practicing a Chopin Scherzo in uni.  It was I believe the second highest B.  Came as a surprise because I wasn't really playing that heavily. 

Broke many a string, key, hammer shank, etc. on my old upright. 

[richard black]

Strings often break during quite moderate playing - hammers are the ones that will only go if you really whack them.

I broke a string during a piano-accompanied performance of Verdi's Requiem, quite near the end. It wasn't the fact that it broke that was the problem, is was the fact that it caused one note (a C somewhere in the treble, I think) to rattle very badly. It was a rather important occasion for emotional reasons and there was a very large audience, and I had to be ever so careful not to wreck everything by playing the rattling note during the quiet closing pages of the work.

[kayordee]

I broke the lowest c# string on an old ronisch... ...I regretted it very badly because we couldnt replace it and it was a frequently used note, sorta like breaking middle c or somthin'. I dont own it anymore

[mikey6]

I broke a string in the Hall at uni in the middle of my exam!  Was playing op.10  no.9 and the teacher comes up and goes, oh don't worry about it!
Have broken about 5 in 3 months on my home piano which is particularly annoying - scarbo and double thirds etude.

[quantum]

Broke middle F on my upright.  Was very annoying because I was in uni trying to practice stuff.  I tried playing in keys that avoid that note. 

[mikey6]

I'll go one better and was accompanying granada which is basically an ostinato on c,g,g and was wondering why nothing was coming out when I played the g.  I looked in the lid after the concert adn the hammer was missing!