Piano: Difference between revisions
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== Retuned standard piano == | == Retuned standard piano == | ||
[[Ben Johnston]] used pianos with just tunings for his [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8ugV5e1n4Q Sonata for Microtonal Piano] (1964) | |||
[[Ben Johnston]] used pianos with just tunings for his | |||
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8ugV5e1n4Q Sonata for Microtonal Piano] (1964) | |||
and [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nx27dfey6iM Suite for Microtonal Piano] (1978). | and [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nx27dfey6iM Suite for Microtonal Piano] (1978). | ||
The table below shows the tunings used in | The table below shows the tunings used in [[Terry Riley]]'s [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmgWeioQoTU&list=OLAK5uy_lI5rJKDFOeqWn2Yr82DVik6DhsENUTWgY&index=1 The Harp of New Albion] (1986), [[La Monte Young]]'s [https://lamonteyoung.bandcamp.com/album/the-well-tuned-piano-in-the-magenta-lights-87-v-10-6-43-00-pm-87-v-11-1-07-45-am-nyc The Well-Tuned Piano] (1964-present), and [[Michael Harrison]]'s [https://michaelharrison.bandcamp.com/album/revelation Revelation] (2007). | ||
[[Terry Riley]]'s [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmgWeioQoTU&list=OLAK5uy_lI5rJKDFOeqWn2Yr82DVik6DhsENUTWgY&index=1 The Harp of New Albion] (1986), | <ref name="grady-riley"/> | ||
[[La Monte Young]]'s [https://lamonteyoung.bandcamp.com/album/the-well-tuned-piano-in-the-magenta-lights-87-v-10-6-43-00-pm-87-v-11-1-07-45-am-nyc The Well-Tuned Piano] (1964-present), | <ref name="gann-young"/> | ||
and [[Michael Harrison]]'s [https://michaelharrison.bandcamp.com/album/revelation Revelation] (2007). | <ref name="harrison-revelation"/> | ||
<ref name="grady-riley" /> | |||
<ref name="gann-young" /> | |||
<ref name="harrison-revelation" /> | |||
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[[Kyle Gann]]'s [https://othermindsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/hyperchromatica Hyperchromatica] (2018) | [[Kyle Gann]]'s [https://othermindsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/hyperchromatica Hyperchromatica] (2018) uses three pianos with the just tunings shown in the table below.<ref name="gann-hyperchromatica"/> | ||
uses three pianos with the just tunings shown in the table below.<ref name="gann-hyperchromatica" /> | |||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
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== Two standard pianos a quarter-tone apart == | == Two standard pianos a quarter-tone apart == | ||
Two standard pianos tuned a quarter-tone apart can be used to play music in [[24edo]]. Examples include [[Charles Ives]]' [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXJPnUZhETg&list=PLB6BCC23A3D7CA817&index=1 Three Quarter-Tone Pieces] (1924) and [[Ivan Wyschnegradsky]]'s [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eS6U0I43OF4 24 Préludes] (1934). | |||
Two standard pianos tuned a quarter-tone apart can be used to play music in [[24edo]]. | |||
Examples include | |||
[[Charles Ives]]' [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXJPnUZhETg&list=PLB6BCC23A3D7CA817&index=1 Three Quarter-Tone Pieces] (1924) and | |||
[[Ivan Wyschnegradsky]]'s [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eS6U0I43OF4 24 Préludes] (1934). | |||
== Custom-built pianos == | == Custom-built pianos == | ||
Some pianos with multiple manuals have been made for playing quarter-tone music.<ref name="jarvi-performing" /> The table below, adapted from the Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments, shows some of them.<ref name="grove-microtonal" /> | |||
Some pianos with multiple manuals have been made for playing quarter-tone music.<ref name="jarvi-performing" /> | |||
The table below, adapted from the Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments, shows some of them.<ref name="grove-microtonal" /> | |||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
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There are some videos of Steve Cohn playing a Förster three-manual quarter-tone piano | There are some videos of Steve Cohn playing a Förster three-manual quarter-tone piano [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7AqXnHjxd0 available] on [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdP4epQIUrU YouTube]. | ||
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7AqXnHjxd0 available] on | |||
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdP4epQIUrU YouTube]. | |||
[[Julián Carrillo]] had pianos constructed in a range of tunings from 1/3-tones to 1/16-tones.<ref name="grove-microtonal" /> | [[Julián Carrillo]] had pianos constructed in a range of tunings from 1/3-tones to 1/16-tones.<ref name="grove-microtonal"/> These used conventional piano keyboards, so the range decreases as the divisions of the tuning get smaller.<ref name="huygens-carrillo"/> | ||
These used conventional piano keyboards, so the range decreases as the divisions of the tuning get smaller.<ref name="huygens-carrillo" /> | |||
[[Michael Harrison]]'s harmonic piano plays a 24-note just scale and can be heard on [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yG69xptl1Bc From Ancient Worlds] (1992). | [[Michael Harrison]]'s harmonic piano plays a 24-note just scale and can be heard on [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yG69xptl1Bc From Ancient Worlds] (1992). | ||
== Exciters for strings == | == Exciters for strings == | ||
By using some device to excite harmonics of the piano strings, it can be used to play notes higher up the harmonic series. For example, the [https://instrumentslab.org/project/magnetic-resonator-piano-2 magnetic resonator piano] uses electromagnets to excite the strings. This can be heard on Xenia Pestova Bennett's [https://diatriberecords.bandcamp.com/album/atomic-legacies Atomic Legacies] (2020). | |||
By using some device to excite harmonics of the piano strings, it can be used to play notes higher up the harmonic series. | |||
For example, the [https://instrumentslab.org/project/magnetic-resonator-piano-2 magnetic resonator piano] uses electromagnets to excite the strings. | |||
This can be heard on Xenia Pestova Bennett's [https://diatriberecords.bandcamp.com/album/atomic-legacies Atomic Legacies] (2020). | |||
== Further reading == | == Further reading == | ||
[[Hermann von Helmholtz|Helmholtz]] discusses the acoustics of pianos in ''On the Sensations of Tone''.<ref name="helmholtz1895sensations"/> | |||
Owen H. Jorgensen's ''Tuning'' discusses historical temperaments used on the piano.<ref name="jorgensen1991tuning"/> | |||
Owen H. Jorgensen's ''Tuning'' discusses historical temperaments used on the piano.<ref name="jorgensen1991tuning" /> | |||
== References == | == References == | ||
| Line 173: | Line 154: | ||
== See also == | == See also == | ||
* [[Keyboard]] | |||
* [[Fluid piano]] | * [[Fluid piano]] | ||
[[Category:Instruments]] | [[Category:Instruments]] | ||
Latest revision as of 06:20, 2 September 2026
The piano can be used to play microtonal music in a variety of ways.
Retuned standard piano
Ben Johnston used pianos with just tunings for his Sonata for Microtonal Piano (1964) and Suite for Microtonal Piano (1978).
The table below shows the tunings used in Terry Riley's The Harp of New Albion (1986), La Monte Young's The Well-Tuned Piano (1964-present), and Michael Harrison's Revelation (2007). [1] [2] [3]
| Harp of New Albion | The Well-Tuned Piano | Revelation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ratio | Cents | Ratio | Cents | Ratio | Cents |
| 1/1 | 0 | 1/1 | 0 | 1/1 | 0 |
| 16/15 | 112 | 567/512 | 177 | 567/512 | 177 |
| 9/8 | 204 | 9/8 | 204 | 9/8 | 204 |
| 6/5 | 316 | 147/128 | 240 | 81/64 | 408 |
| 5/4 | 386 | 21/16 | 471 | 21/16 | 471 |
| 4/3 | 498 | 1323/1024 | 444 | 729/512 | 612 |
| 64/45 | 610 | 189/128 | 675 | 189/128 | 675 |
| 3/2 | 702 | 3/2 | 702 | 3/2 | 702 |
| 8/5 | 814 | 49/32 | 738 | 27/16 | 906 |
| 5/3 | 884 | 7/4 | 969 | 7/4 | 969 |
| 16/9 | 996 | 441/256 | 942 | 243/128 | 1110 |
| 15/8 | 1088 | 63/32 | 1173 | 63/32 | 1173 |
Kyle Gann's Hyperchromatica (2018) uses three pianos with the just tunings shown in the table below.[4]
| Piano 1 | Piano 2 | Piano 3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ratio | Cents | Ratio | Cents | Ratio | Cents |
| 1/1 | 0 | 121/64 | 1103 | 63/32 | 1173 |
| 135/128 | 92 | 33/32 | 53 | 65/64 | 27 |
| 35/32 | 155 | 143/128 | 192 | 143/128 | 192 |
| 9/8 | 204 | 75/64 | 275 | 75/64 | 275 |
| 5/4 | 386 | 77/64 | 320 | 39/32 | 342 |
| 21/16 | 471 | 165/128 | 440 | 81/64 | 408 |
| 11/8 | 551 | 11/8 | 551 | 169/128 | 481 |
| 3/2 | 702 | 45/32 | 590 | 91/64 | 609 |
| 49/32 | 738 | 99/64 | 755 | 195/128 | 729 |
| 105/64 | 857 | 25/16 | 773 | 13/8 | 841 |
| 7/4 | 969 | 55/32 | 938 | 27/16 | 906 |
| 15/8 | 1088 | 225/128 | 977 | 117/64 | 1044 |
Philip Golub's Loop 7 (2025) uses two pianos retuned to play in 22edo.
Two standard pianos a quarter-tone apart
Two standard pianos tuned a quarter-tone apart can be used to play music in 24edo. Examples include Charles Ives' Three Quarter-Tone Pieces (1924) and Ivan Wyschnegradsky's 24 Préludes (1934).
Custom-built pianos
Some pianos with multiple manuals have been made for playing quarter-tone music.[5] The table below, adapted from the Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments, shows some of them.[6]
| Inventor/builder | Date | Manuals |
|---|---|---|
| G.A. Behrens-Senegalden (Berlin) | 1892 | 2 |
| Ivan Wyschnegradsky (Paris), built by Pleyel | 1922 | 2 |
| Alois Hába (Berlin), Ivan Wyschnegradsky, built by Grotrian Steinweg | 1923-4 | 3 |
| Moritz Stoehr (New York) | 1924 | 2 |
| Alois Hába (Prague), built by Förster | 1924 | 2 |
| Ivan Wyschnegradsky, built by Otto Pappe | 1924 | 3? |
| Alois Hába, built by Förster | 1925-9 | 3 |
| Hans Barth (New York), built by George L. Weitz of Baldwin | 1928 | 2 |
| Ivan Wyschnegradsky, built by Förster | 1928-9 | 3 |
There are some videos of Steve Cohn playing a Förster three-manual quarter-tone piano available on YouTube.
Julián Carrillo had pianos constructed in a range of tunings from 1/3-tones to 1/16-tones.[6] These used conventional piano keyboards, so the range decreases as the divisions of the tuning get smaller.[7]
Michael Harrison's harmonic piano plays a 24-note just scale and can be heard on From Ancient Worlds (1992).
Exciters for strings
By using some device to excite harmonics of the piano strings, it can be used to play notes higher up the harmonic series. For example, the magnetic resonator piano uses electromagnets to excite the strings. This can be heard on Xenia Pestova Bennett's Atomic Legacies (2020).
Further reading
Helmholtz discusses the acoustics of pianos in On the Sensations of Tone.[8]
Owen H. Jorgensen's Tuning discusses historical temperaments used on the piano.[9]
References
- ↑ Kraig Grady, Riley's 5 limit tuning for "Harp of New Albion"
- ↑ Kyle Gann, La Monte Young's The Well-Tuned Piano
- ↑ Michael Harrison, Revelation Tuning
- ↑ Kyle Gann, Hyperchromatica
- ↑ Elisa Järvi, Performing on the new quarter-tone piano – re-discovering repertoire
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Hugh Davies/Alexander Bonus, Microtonal instruments. The Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments, Second Edition, 2014, p.461.
- ↑ Carrillo piano, Huygens-Fokker Foundation
- ↑ Helmholtz and Ellis, On the Sensations of Tone. Longmans, Green, and Co, 1895.
- ↑ Owen H. Jorgensen, Tuning. Michigan State University Press, 1991.