I've been playing/gigging on a Yamaha p120s for several years now. Though, I love the feel of the action and the incredible sound of the piano which I believe is better than the Motif piano, I've had to constantly replace keys. The repair shop tells me that the way Yamaha designed the keys, if any sideways pressure is put on the key (like doing glissandos), then the key will eventually break.

I can't be the only piano player in the world that does the occasional glissando am I? I'm not a hard player either.

Anyone else experience this problem with Yamaha hammer action, or do I just own a lemon?

Why hasn't Yamaha changed the design so that their pianos can be played like pianos?

do you mean like pulling from one side to the other? (Like rock'n'roll piano players, Little Richard, Jerry Lee etc..) or like playing blues bluenotes?

doc-Z

In order to physically break a key, especially from doing glissandos, it would take an enormous amount of pressure, or you would have to do thousands upon thousands of them. You say you are not a hard (Jerry Lee Lewis style) player, therefore, there must be something else that is causing the damage. I would be somewhat suspect of the repair shops assessment of how why the damage is occuring.

DocZ, here is the best description of glissando that I was able to come up with.

"A rapid ascending or descending of the scale. If a glissando is performed on a piano or harp, not every semitone is played, because the finger is drawn across only the white keys in the case of the piano, or the scale available in the case of the harp. If, however, a glissando is performed on a stringed instrument such as a violin, each semitone would be sounded as the finger is either slid up or down the length of a string, or fingering each note separately. A glissando is also possible on wind instruments, however, each note must be fingered separately with the notable exception of the trombone."

Cheers,

Gary

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Travlin' Easy

I don't play hard. I usually play jazz gigs. When I do rock gigs, I still don't pound the keys, but it is the Jerry Lee Lewis glissandos that I suspect are causing the damage because I'm told it puts pressure on one side of the key as you're going up or down. Because of the way the keys are designed, sideways "torque" can cause them to break.

I was just wondering if anyone has problems doing glisses on other brand 88 weighted action keys that are designed differently than Yammy's? I'm interested in the Roland RD 700sx or 300sx

[This message has been edited by seanbaker (edited 09-23-2005).]

Hi,

My P-120 has been rock solid, and though I don't usually play hard either, I often loosen up by playing a fairly raucous barrelhouse style, including lots of glissandos.

Also, I never take it anywhere. I think of it as a strictly "stay at home" furniture piece.

hmmmm.....either I got a lemon or this keyboard is not meant for travel.