Unique Pianos

 

True, each piano is unique because each part has its own features, and when put together with alal the rest of the parts, the sum makes for a unique playing experience and sound. However, pianos overall seem pretty much standard with grand, upright (e.g., spinet), portable and electric types. Nevertheless, pianos have been made that are visibly unique.

Pianos have been made of crystal; Liberace’s piano was covered in rhinestones. Upright pianos have been known to include aquarium tanks. You can even make a piano from legos.

Speaking of toys, a Swede created a piano tutorial using Minecraft.

More professionally, Sony created the world’s smallest grand piano that actually works. Each key is only four millimeters wide, and the whole piano is less than a food wide.

You may have seen giant floor pianos where the players step on the keys. (It’s more common to see very limited keyboards, known as step piano mats, as children’s toys.)

One piano is in the shape of an open circle (think of a very large skinny doughnut), and the pianist plays inside it.

The Schindler yacht piano is upright with foldable keyboards.

Bed-ridden? Back in 1935 a piano was made specifically for such individuals? Basically, the piano keyboard folded out of a cabinet, tipped at an angle so one could play it while lying down.

When is a piano like an organ? When it has multiple pedals: a pedal board. That feature goes back as far as to Mozart, who had his own piano with a pedal board. He would even travel with it for his performances, operating the pedals as easily was with his hands because he was also expert on the organ. Hundreds of years late, in 2000, a double-decker concert grant piano was design with an additional 37 pedals.

You may be familiar with pianos in cocktail bars. What about a pianocktail that mixes drinks, based on the combination of notes played? Each note has a corresponding drink, such as a wine, a spirit, a liquor, or a fruit juice. A soda is created from a cadenza in F-sharp. Even pedals are part of the mixology; the load pedal puts in egg flip, and the soft pedal adds ice.

And if you are interested in all-in-one musical instruments, watch this video of a marble machine: a musical instrument using 2000 marbles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvUU8joBb1Q

Going Electric or Electronic?

 

Nothing equals the sound and touch of an acoustic piano, but it is good to know about alternative types of pianos.

Both an acoustic and an electric piano amplify the sound generated by hammers hitting wire strings. An acoustic piano uses a soundboard to do this work, and an electric piano typically uses electromagnetic pickups, circuitry and a speaker system. There is a variety of electric pianos. Some have a traditional soundboard that has a electric-based pickups attached. Other electric pianos use flat steel reeds that are hit or plucked. The struck element can also resemble a tuning fork with two vibrating parts.

Technically, an electric piano is actually an electro-mechanical instrument, unlike a synthesizer. The latter converts electric audio signals from an oscillator into sound waves, and does not try to replicate a piano sound. The quality ones are costly and are designed for professional musicians and composers.

The first electric pianos were produced in the late 1920s, and became popular by the 1950s. Now electronic pianos, which emulate the sound of an electric piano, have largely replaced electric pianos because of their portability and their ability to sound like a variety of musical instruments. Electronic pianos use analog synthesis to generate sound while digital pianos use digital data sample-based synthesis. Portable digital pianos also exist, sometimes called slab pianos. They contain the full 88 hammer-action keys.

If you are thinking of buying a digital piano, consider the following factors:

• ·       Acoustic pianos need tuning, but their sound and touch feel more “authentic” than a digital piano.
• ·       A digital piano does not have the same resonance and layered reverberation as an acoustic piano.
• ·       Digital pianos can be adjusted for different sound levels, but they require a power source to play, so are less ecological.
• ·         Acoustic pianos cost more initially but they depreciate more slowly than a digital piano.
• ·         Digital pianos may have several built-in sounds, and may include recording features.

In choosing a digital piano, consider:

• ·         Its keyboard action and touch response
• ·         Its sound quality – and the number/kinds of sounds and tones
• ·         The number of individual notes that can be produced at once (polyphony); at least 32-note polyphony, but 64-note polyphony can create complex sounds
• ·         Learning tools
• ·         Its amplification and speakers
• ·         Its accessories: cables, stand, cover, case, bench

If at all possible, try a variety of pianos and see which one “resonates” for you and other users of that instrument. If it is uncomfortable, you won’t enjoy it and not matter the cost, it will probably be a waste.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Piano Care

 

You may have seen pianos in museums that look like new, and you may have seen home or public pianos that were much “younger” but very won out. When she visited her friend in Florence, Tomoko went to a Medici house museum. There she spied an antique harpsichord. The owners let her play: Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in C sharp major. It felt as if the centuries melt away.

As a piano owner, performer, and teacher, Tomoko knows the value of taking care of pianos. Pianists can only be as good as the instrument they use.  Here are some tips to keep your piano in good shape so the music sounds as good as possible.

Prevention is a good start. If your piano has a keyboard lid, keep those keys clean longer by closing that lid when the piano is not being playing. Pianists should also wash their hands before playing to cut down on the possible dirt and oil.

Even the physical location of the piano can affect its condition. Piano parts, especially the soundboard, are sensitive to temperature and humidity. Ideally, the humidity near the piano should be a consistent 40%-50% to minimize swelling and shrinking. The area around the piano should be well ventilated, and the piano should not be placed next to a window or exterior wall. Nor should you put extraneous items on the piano such as heavy objects, which can effect the piano’s tone, or water containers (for obvious reasons).  

Keys should be cleaned regularly. If the keys are ivory, clan them with a mixture of warm water and a little dish soap. If the keys are plastic, clean them with a mixture of filtered water and white vinegar. In both cases, wipe the keys vertically with a lint-free cloth; avoid paper towels.

To avoid damaging the piano, have it professionally tuned every six months. That’s because piano strings need correct, consistent tension. Other parts of the piano, such as the pins and hammers, also need to be examined and serviced to slow down damage. A professional turn can even adjust the piano’s tonal quality by altering the hammers’ rigidity.  Regular tuning actually saves money in the long run because the strings and other parts will stay in better shape longer.

You want the performance and music to be the best quality, and maintaining the piano in good condition optimizes both the composition and the performer.