Piano note decay

[johnvw]

Hi to All,
Struggling beginner here, trying to learn ‘ Air on a G String ‘ ( modified version ) on a very good Yamaha CLP digital piano.
The first two G clef bars have a semibrieve, tied in each bar, the Base clef has four separate notes in each of the first two bars.
The semibrieve is B3, just before C4. As the piece is a andante, the B3 decays about three notes into the first  Base clef bar.
Is this just a disadvantage of the Digital Pianos or is there a way to lengthen the decay time.
I notice B1 decay is lengthy, B2 a little less, B3 , B4, B5 and B6, all decaying respectively quicker.

The sustain pedal does not help, due to the Base clef notes and increasing the volume does not assist.

Your replies would be most welcomed.
Regards
John

[lostinidlewonder]

It's a problem with your digital and why acoustic in cases such as these are almost always better. If your tempo is too slow then the decay becomes more obvious too for long held notes. Air on G is ultimately a stringed instrument piece so the piano is challenged to imitate long sounding notes that seemingly don't vanish but do, so a piano setting on a digital is pretty much always going to be at a disadvantage over a real string vibrating.

Nothing wrong with playing the piece with a different instrument setting that avoids the decay, I often play Bach on organ, voice or string settings because it's nice and his music fits well with many different instruments.

[johnvw]

Dear lostinidlewonder,
Thank you for the reply. I had taken on a piece well in advance of my education ( even that it was modified).
It was not until playing my teacher’s Piano that this became apparent.
I wrestled between Digital and Upright, but the prospect of Price, Resale potential and a desire to play ‘ Phantom of the Opera’ pieces ( with Organ ), moved me to Digital ( perhaps a tiny regret now ).
Research suggested Reverb as an option to decrease the note decay, but that may inhibit other more general musical pieces.
Thank you for the suggestion, in time ( if allowed ) I may become far more familiar with the various setting options.

Best Regards
John

[anacrusis]

The issue of the note decaying too quickly might be an issue with a digital, yes, but even on a grand piano, the decay of long notes is an issue we have to deal with. Playing the piano is a lot like being a good illusionist. One way to trick the ear into thinking that note is longer, is to play it slightly louder (this will lengthen the duration it sounds too, but it still decays as we all know) and possibly play the quicker notes a bit softer. Layering or "orchestrating" the music this way is what we often have to do. The ear is guided towards hearing the long notes as being connected to each other when you accent them. Experiment and find a way to do it subtly so it doesn't draw attention to itself but still creates the feeling that those long notes last longer and are connected.

[johnvw]

Thank you anacrusis ( surprised I spelt that correctly ), a good tip.
Lostinwonder provided a great solution. As the Digital appears to have a number of ‘ platforms ‘, adding Stings or Slow Strings significantly delayed the decay and added a pleasant dimension to my ears.
So much to learn, so long the journey.

Regards
John

[lostinidlewonder]

Dear lostinidlewonder,
Thank you for the reply. I had taken on a piece well in advance of my education ( even that it was modified).
It was not until playing my teacher’s Piano that this became apparent.
I wrestled between Digital and Upright, but the prospect of Price, Resale potential and a desire to play ‘ Phantom of the Opera’ pieces ( with Organ ), moved me to Digital ( perhaps a tiny regret now ).
Research suggested Reverb as an option to decrease the note decay, but that may inhibit other more general musical pieces.
Thank you for the suggestion, in time ( if allowed ) I may become far more familiar with the various setting options.

Best Regards
John

Have fun exploring all the different sounds and effects digital pianos provide. Even playing with transpose button helps when repeating the same pieces many times. I get a much deeper feeling for Bach with pipe organ settings sometimes than the piano ever gives me, so why not use the tech we have today!