Yamaha CP4 key guide cap problems

[Coker]

Its a little known Viennese technique, developed in the 1700s. It faded into obscurity during the First World War. Not only is it the rare teacher who can teach this skill, but the rarer student who can grasp its finer elements.

[Pete the bean]

What the heck are you guys doing? I am ROUGH on gear but have never issues that weren't abuse-related. My CP4 travels in a Gator GK-88-Slim.

 

Nice of you to share your opinions that this must be abuse related or smashing keys. Sounds like the same advice I received on forums like this when I was told that I don't wash my hands enough and that is why the Roland ivory style keys tops kept wearing out on my RD800.

 

On the Yamaha action, the guide caps on the black keys do not click into place like they do on the white keys. You can push down as hard as you want and they do not click. The caps problem only occurs on the black notes. Not sure if it is the silicon grease that lifts them on the upstroke or maybe during transport they get moved. Unlikely during transport since the keyboard is only transported lying flat and I tip it up on its side only so I can get it on the hand truck.

The problem goes away when the caps get glued down. But , gluing the caps is hard to do when there is silicon grease on the guide. My tech was surmising that maybe there is too much grease getting packed in the key at the factory which could cause the cap to lift on the upstroke.

It would be nice if Yamaha would design the caps on the black keys to click in place like they do on the white keys.

[Bobadohshe]

I've reviewed keyboard technique books and could find no reference to this "smash keys" approach. Is this inborn talent or does it require painstaking and systematic practice?

 

It has taken me years to approach mastery of the smash technique