AW.: re: xen keyboards, Graham Breed, etc.

In einer Nachricht vom 1/22/00 8:09:12 AM (MEZ) Mitteleurop�ische Zeit
schreibt clumma@nni.com:

<< The honeycomb design does make things a bit more compact, but actually
seems to make most chords harder, by restricting liberty along on the
perpendicular axis -- you have to hit notes on the dot. Rectangular keys
spread the note out more. Try a 1st-inversion minor triad on Erv's
keyboard v. something like the Wendy Carlos design. >>

Interestingly, European "classical" accordion players (i.e. Teodoro Anzelotti
and everyone in eastern Europe) prefer triangulated arrays of buttons to
piano keyboards. Apparently, the small size of the buttons is less of an
obstacle than are the greater distances on the piano keyboard. Also, the
button arrays may have some pitch redundancies to increase facility.

The Starr generalized keyboard represents a number of compromises on Erv
Wilson's part. But I think he was willing to accept them just to finally have
an instrument of some sort in place after forty-some years of planning. The
Hackleman-Wilson clavichord keyboard really benefits from the tactile
qualities of the mixed hardwood keys and the clavichord ranks are more
steeply elevated than are those on the Starr keyboard. I find the greater
elevation useful for orientation, but the very presence of additional ranks
make the differences in fingering between the hands much less intuitive than
on a 2-d (or nearly 2-d) keyboard. However, we just don't know what the
learning curve on such a keyboard will look like -- certainly the differences
between fingering major scales in B natural (i.e. l: 4324321 r:12312341) and
Bb (l:32143212 r:21231234) on the conventional keyboard are quite
disorienting (and almost impossible if your technique excludes thumbs).

Daniel Wolf

>Interestingly, European "classical" accordion players (i.e. Teodoro
>Anzelotti and everyone in eastern Europe) prefer triangulated arrays of
>buttons to piano keyboards. Apparently, the small size of the buttons is
>less of an obstacle than are the greater distances on the piano keyboard.
>Also, the button arrays may have some pitch redundancies to increase
>facility.

There are a lot of different types of fingering systems for accordions and
their kin. The important thing to remember is the playing is primarily
melodic. Even in the left hand, chords can be played with only one button.
Reaching chords and weaving lines fugue-like is less of an issue as it is
with keyboards. Although I have a recording of my grandfather playing some
wild stuff on his Bandoneon (which, depending on who you ask, is either a
type of concertina or a type of 'button box'). . . The only comparison of
some of the different systems I'm aware of is at Hans Palm's Accordion page...

http://accordion.simplenet.com/index.html

...and I find it telling that he picks the Janko as best.

>The Starr generalized keyboard represents a number of compromises on Erv
>Wilson's part. But I think he was willing to accept them just to finally
>have an instrument of some sort in place after forty-some years of
>planning.

Oh yeah- I don't mean to knock it. It will be one of the most powerful
keyboard instruments in the World! And as I said, the honeycomb thing does
make things more compact, and may actually be conducive to some types of
scale-based playing, which Erv seems to have great interest in (I asked him
about some unreachable chords, and he said he didn't want to play them!).

>The Hackleman-Wilson clavichord keyboard really benefits from the tactile
>qualities of the mixed hardwood keys and the clavichord ranks are more
>steeply elevated than are those on the Starr keyboard. I find the greater
>elevation useful for orientation, but the very presence of additional ranks
>make the differences in fingering between the hands much less intuitive
>than on a 2-d (or nearly 2-d) keyboard.

I haven't played the clavichord, but I spent a few hours with Michael
Zarkey's 19-tone harpsichord, which I understand has exactly the same
keyboard, scaled up (ahem!) a bit.

I agree that elevation helps orientation, and that 2-D makes the fingering
across ranks easier. But cross-rank fingering is only a problem on the
elevated version because of the hexagonal keys. The Janko/Bosanquet setup
has the best of both worlds in this respect.

Two other things I don't like about the MicroZone are...

1. The keys are too small!
2. The action travel is 0.008". To short!

>However, we just don't know what the learning curve on such a keyboard will
>look like -- certainly the differences between fingering major scales in B
>natural (i.e. l: 4324321 r:12312341) and Bb (l:32143212 r:21231234) on the
>conventional keyboard are quite disorienting (and almost impossible if your
>technique excludes thumbs).

Like JdL says, It's WIDE OPEN!

-Carl

>>Reaching chords and weaving lines fugue-like is less of an issue as it is
>>with keyboards.
>
>Bach fugues are standard accordion repertoire over here. You should really
>hear some of the Russian accordion players playing for change on the _Zeil_
>(main pedestrian shopping area) in Frankfurt.

I'd love to!

-C.