One of the limitations of the Rhodes is when the pedal is down and when a key is repeatedly played the note can often deaden or ‘choke’. this is because when the tine is struck by the hammer the tine vibrates in a up and down motion, and when the hammer strikes the tine at a certain point in its cycle it can break the vibration of the tine and ‘kill’ or ‘choke’ the sound.
It usually only noticed when the pedal is down because in non-sustained playing the damper will deaden the note before it is struck again. Whilst this limitation is inherent in the Rhodes design, it can be lessened somewhat by lowering the escapement so there is less distance between the time and the string. This is only up to a point though, and if escapement is too low the hammer will get stuck to the damper. Sometimes the choking can also happen when the pedal mechanism when set up incorrectly; which, as anyone who plays a rhodes knows, happens all the time!
These points aside, fundamentally it’s just byproduct of the Rhodes design, which has a much simpler action than acoustic piano or even a Wurlitzer. The Rhodes has its limitations: it was an instrument that was designed to be affordable and (believe it or not) lightweight and portable, so compromises were made to the action, amongst other places.
Ultimately this limitation is partly what makes the incredible rhodes sound. I’ve learned from personal experience that playing a rhodes like a piano (i.e. over-relying on the sustain pedal) doesn’t really work on a real Rhodes. Having a rhodes-like sound on a Nord or Yamaha keyboard can create expectations of what a Rhodes should feel like, only to lead to disappointment.
Rhodes are not acoustic pianos, nor are they keyboards. They have a unique design which frankly is not great for repeated notes that are sustaiked with the pedal down. In turn these and other limitations made the players on all the classic records we know and love adapt and play differently. This is true for the Rhodes action as a whole, where certain batches (1971/72 Fender Rhodes for example) can be extremely spongy or heavy.
Ultimately only by playing a real Rhodes will a musician adapt to this limitation, and therefore play more authentically on the real thing. A Rhodes isn’t perfect, no doubt, but we love it anyway. Happy playing!
