Piano Forum

I estimate a light action will have a 'push back' of about 8 ounces and a heavy action might 'push back' 12 ounces.  I have a digital piano that I practice on in my office that has an action that is a tad heavy.  A 12 ounce weight easily depresses a white key from the 'fat part' of the key.

I am having a hard time grasping the idea that a 12 ounce force that I just overcame with probably at least 2 to 3 pounds of downward pressure (playing pianissimo) is going to do anything to propel me to the next spot.  Perhaps you are meaning the natural rebound off the key bed and not the force of the weight of the key? 

I am one of those 'arm weight' guys.  My teacher in college was a student of Lee Luvisi and that probably tells you that relaxation and economy of motion are the name of the game for me. 

I play on a magnificently maintained (that would be me and my tuner-technicians) 1949 Baldwin Baby Grand.  Since its purchase by my late father in 1950, it has had one new set of key tops and one new set of hammers.

Currently, it is maintained by the only Steinway Factory trained tuner-technician in San Antonio (who is the contract tuner-technician for our Symphony).  (Lang Lang only knocked one note out of tune during performance)

Parenthetically, he hates to tune my piano because it has a mind of its own (the pins require a significant amount of force to set each time),  However, I do not get a Steinway push back from playing with normal arm weight.
 
What I get instead is a Baldwin regulated easy push back.  And, I have played extensively on both Baldwins and Steinways.  Earl Wild talked about this specifically in his Memoir (he refused to play on Steinways!)

Additionally (in terms of a big sound), I was taught by my late teacher, Robert Weaver, to project and play for the "back rows."  However, at the same time (as stated before) he taught me the concept of soft slow staccato as it relates to the concept of playing from the surface of the keys in order maintain the balance of total control combined with arm weight.

In the last month, I have applied, once again, this methodology along with the Matthay/Taubman philosophy of rotation and shaping.  And, this has been done with the Rachmaninoff methodology of rapid playing from the surface of the keys (along with alternating light and heavy arm weight).

I now play in a manner which, on a daily basis, is just plain scary.  I turn 65 in August, and I have never played this well.

Put succinctly, any seasoned tuner-techinician can tell you the following:  1)  The instrument/piano (how it was built and then maintained), is directly related to: 2) the OP's original question of how this or any other particular passage is to be played.

Does any one actually believe that Signore Pollini just shows up for a performance and then just sits down and plays whatever instrument is presented to him?  I don't think so!