I know there is no comparison to playing on a full grand, so I have been seeking out practice locations. I finally found a Yamaha full grand that is available on a free schedule, but my first few sessions were not quite what I had expected, especially when playing softly. (my last few years have been on a yamaha upright). I am having some difficulty balancing the volume of the upper register (it always seems overbearing, and I dont seem to have this problem in the mid-range)
In my previous experience with baby grands, each note had a very noticeable stop when depressed very slowly, and I was able to use the stop to make the piano nearly whisper on command. On this current grand, the stops are much less noticeable, and even when depressed very firmly from the stopped position (less than half a stroke), the hammer is not striking the strings at all. (note: failing to strike the strings, when depressing gently yet firmly, seems to happen more than I remember, from previous concerts/practice sessions from years ago)
Is this a feature that varies on some grand pianos? How about effects of tuning or maintenance?
I am just curious if this is feature I had been taking advantage of, that doesnt normally exist (I have been cheating effectively) or if this piano is somehow different for whatever reason.
This piano has actually had minimal usage and often sits in storage. From appearance, it looks well kept, and from playing, all the keys seem mostly uniform and consistent.
I am trying to address a very literal physical observation about the instrument with this question.
I know I have some bad mental habits that could also be to blame, that come from years on upright, so I know I lack healthy technique. For example, on my upright, I often play full una-corde because it gives the keys a better feel, especially when striving for volume balance.