Re: [Harp-L] History of harp tuning; Chrom Tuning

[Adam Sampson <ats@xxxxxxxxx>]

"Brendan Power" <bren@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:

> The piano is a visual instrument, so you could colour code one set of
> notes (the 'white' or 'black').

There are loads of designs for "isomorphic" keyboard instruments like
this, where musical intervals have the same spacing anywhere on the
keyboard. Brendan's probably thinking of something like the JankÃ
layout:
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janko_keyboard

Here's a nice demo of a Jankà grand:
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK4REjqGc9w

Arranging the keys in a hexagonal pattern gives an arrangement that's
both visually attractive and ergonomically sensible. This kind of thing
shows up in chromatic button accordions:
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayan_%28accordion%29

And several companies make MIDI controllers, e.g. C-Thru's Axis series:
  http://www.c-thru-music.com/cgi/?page=home

An isomorphic pattern isn't necessarily much more mechanically complex
to build than a piano keyboard -- one of our local session players has
built his own chromatic button instrument ("accordina") by attaching
buttons to a piano-keyed melodica.

-- 
Adam Sampson <ats@xxxxxxxxx>                         <http://offog.org/>