Influence of the vibrational properties of the resonance board on the acoustical quality of a piano

Abstract

The vibrational properties of eight resonance boards made from Picea glehnii, Picea jezoensis, Picea spinulosa, and Picea sitchensis were analyzed. The modulus of elasticity and the vibration transmission velocity of the resonance board, the modulus of elasticity of the beam samples cut from the edge of the resonance board, and the vibration response time of the soundboard (TL, TR: times for the longitudinal and radial directions, respectively) were calculated. After the resonance boards were incorporated into the pianos, the sound intensity of loud (LL) and soft playing (LS), sound length (S), and the dynamic range of volume (Vd) were measured. Then the Influence of the vibrational properties of the resonance board on the acoustical quality of a piano was investigated preliminarily, and the results showed that the acoustical quality would improve notably with improvements in the vibrational properties in the y-direction of the resonance board, and that the TR affected acoustical quality more obviously than did TL.