Fluid piano

Description

The fluid piano is a modern tangent piano invented by Geoffrey Smith that replaces the near bridge with sliding clips to enable varying the pitches of the strings. The range of adjustment of each note in the current version is a whole tone (it is not clear from the demonstration/introduction video below whether this is 2\12 or a just intonation 9/8, although the difference is only 3.91¢). In its current incarnation, this requires the performer to reach the clips to move them individually, so overall this is best suited for adjustment of temperament in between performances, although in practice it can be (and has usually been) used to perform a glissando or pitch bend on an individual note. As with tangent pianos more generally, the timbre is a hybrid between that of the harpsichord and that of the piano, which enables it to blend well with traditional instruments of India, although it also seems well-suited to Iberian music (as in one of the music examples linked below).

The fluid piano is described in more detail at Geoffrey Smith's page about the fluid piano, and (according to a Google (Gemini) search performed on 2026-09-24) is currently in the possession of performer Utsav Lal (https://www.utsavlal.com/projects/the-fluid-piano page linked by this search).

A fluid dulcimer, played with small light hammers and having a similar pitch adjustment mechanism, has also been produced. This instrument is also demonstrated in two of the music examples below.

Possible future evolution

If a future incarnation of this instrument added a foot pedal connection of adjustment of the clip positions for each pitch class in proper proportion to the string lengths, it could evolve into a fully on-the-fly adjustable pitch keyboard instrument.

The instrument design has two strings per note, with extra space between pairs of strings. This appears to leave room for construction of a future version having a modestly higher number of notes per octave (mostly likely 17 or 19, although with considerable additional engineering, even 22 or more notes per octave would be possible).

Music

Presumably the multiple references to "World's first performance on the Fluid Piano" are multiple videos from one concert in 2010, although one has a release date of 2011.

Introduction (The Guardian)

• Introducing the 'fluid piano' (2010) (includes interview with Geoff Smith and Pam Chowhan)
• Introducing the 'fluid piano' (2010) (alternate link) (includes interview with Geoff Smith and Pam Chowhan)

Pam Chowhan

• World's first performance on the Fluid Piano - Infinite Reflections (2010)
• World's first performance on the Fluid Piano - Post Mode-ernity (2010)
• World's first performance on the Fluid Piano - Within Space Within Time (2010)

Chano Dominguez

• Chano Dominguez: World's first performance on the Fluid Piano (Improvisation 1) (2011)

Geoffrey Smith (site)

• World's first performance on the Fluid Piano - Fluid C (2010)
• World's first performance on the Fluid Piano & Fluid Dulcimer - 'May 29th' (Part 1) (2010) (with Matthew Bourne on fluid dulcimer)
• World's first performance on the Fluid Piano & Fluid Dulcimer - 'May 29th' (Part 2) (2010) (with Matthew Bourne on fluid dulcimer)

Utsav Lal (site)

• Utsav Lal performs Raga Bhairav Alap-Jod-Jhala on the Fluid Piano (2010) (also has links to other videos of fluid piano performances)