Easy Microtonal keyboard instrument for tuning?

Hey everyone,

A long time ago I bought an antique Square Piano that I found at a
pawn shop for $100. I thought it would be a good instrument to screw
around with microtonal tunings and such... Not so much. Apparently
most squares that don't have an iron soundboard end up experiencing
severe frame warping, and this one's no exception. It's pretty much
worthless to me.

Are there any suggestions as to what type of acoustic keyboard
instrument would be easiest to tune and retune on the fly to mess
around with different tunings? I've heard that harpsichords are pretty
easy to tune, although I'm not really looking to spend too much money.
Something acoustic, reasonably cheap, and easy to tune would be best.

Thanks,
Mike

Try Hohner clavinet...

Daniel Forro

On 23 Sep 2009, at 10:21 AM, Mike Battaglia wrote:

>
> Hey everyone,
>
> A long time ago I bought an antique Square Piano that I found at a
> pawn shop for $100. I thought it would be a good instrument to screw
> around with microtonal tunings and such... Not so much. Apparently
> most squares that don't have an iron soundboard end up experiencing
> severe frame warping, and this one's no exception. It's pretty much
> worthless to me.
>
> Are there any suggestions as to what type of acoustic keyboard
> instrument would be easiest to tune and retune on the fly to mess
> around with different tunings? I've heard that harpsichords are pretty
> easy to tune, although I'm not really looking to spend too much money.
> Something acoustic, reasonably cheap, and easy to tune would be best.
>
> Thanks,
> Mike

What about a qanun with sliders?

Oz.

✩ ✩ ✩
www.ozanyarman.com

On Sep 23, 2009, at 4:56 AM, Daniel Forro wrote:

> Try Hohner clavinet...
>
> Daniel Forro
>
> On 23 Sep 2009, at 10:21 AM, Mike Battaglia wrote:
>
>>
>> Hey everyone,
>>
>> A long time ago I bought an antique Square Piano that I found at a
>> pawn shop for $100. I thought it would be a good instrument to screw
>> around with microtonal tunings and such... Not so much. Apparently
>> most squares that don't have an iron soundboard end up experiencing
>> severe frame warping, and this one's no exception. It's pretty much
>> worthless to me.
>>
>> Are there any suggestions as to what type of acoustic keyboard
>> instrument would be easiest to tune and retune on the fly to mess
>> around with different tunings? I've heard that harpsichords are
>> pretty
>> easy to tune, although I'm not really looking to spend too much
>> money.
>> Something acoustic, reasonably cheap, and easy to tune would be best.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Mike
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
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>
>
>

I didn't know qanun is a keyboard instrument :-)

Daniel Forro

On 23 Sep 2009, at 11:47 AM, Ozan Yarman wrote:

>
> What about a qanun with sliders?
>
> Oz.
>
> ✩ ✩ ✩
> www.ozanyarman.com
>

Harpsichords are a blast to tune, but cheap and acoustic
keyboard instrument don't go together. Generally the place
though is

http://www.harpsichord.com

If you're willing to go electroacoustic, maybe one of
these

http://www.cathedralstone.net/Pages/YamahaCP70B.htm

or these (this one's even for sale):

http://maindragmadness.wordpress.com/2009/07/10/the-yamaha-cp-60m-we-got-one-shouldnt-you/

Wow, $400 is a good price for one of these:

http://tinyurl.com/m2umkv

Maybe I'm sorry I told you about this one...

-Carl

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, Mike Battaglia <battaglia01@...> wrote:
>
> Hey everyone,
>
> A long time ago I bought an antique Square Piano that I found at a
> pawn shop for $100. I thought it would be a good instrument to screw
> around with microtonal tunings and such... Not so much. Apparently
> most squares that don't have an iron soundboard end up experiencing
> severe frame warping, and this one's no exception. It's pretty much
> worthless to me.
>
> Are there any suggestions as to what type of acoustic keyboard
> instrument would be easiest to tune and retune on the fly to mess
> around with different tunings? I've heard that harpsichords are
> pretty easy to tune, although I'm not really looking to spend
> too much money. Something acoustic, reasonably cheap, and easy
> to tune would be best.
>
> Thanks,
> Mike
>

I wrote:

> Wow, $400 is a good price for one of these:
>
> http://tinyurl.com/m2umkv
>
> Maybe I'm sorry I told you about this one...
>

Nevermind; impossible to tune:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FKmsIGP3mg

-Carl

Sorry, I wasn't careful in my reading.

Oz.

✩ ✩ ✩
www.ozanyarman.com

On Sep 23, 2009, at 6:09 AM, Daniel Forró wrote:

> I didn't know qanun is a keyboard instrument :-)
>
> Daniel Forro
>
>
> On 23 Sep 2009, at 11:47 AM, Ozan Yarman wrote:
>
>>
>> What about a qanun with sliders?
>>
>> Oz.
>>
>> ✩ ✩ ✩
>> www.ozanyarman.com
>>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> You can configure your subscription by sending an empty email to one
> of these addresses (from the address at which you receive the list):
> tuning-subscribe@yahoogroups.com - join the tuning group.
> tuning-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com - leave the group.
> tuning-nomail@yahoogroups.com - turn off mail from the group.
> tuning-digest@yahoogroups.com - set group to send daily digests.
> tuning-normal@yahoogroups.com - set group to send individual emails.
> tuning-help@yahoogroups.com - receive general help information.
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>

I've got CP80, it's not so easy to tune, and there's special lock to keep tuning during transports...

Reed instruments like Wurlitzer piano, Hohner Pianet, Weltmeister Klaviset, Czech Klaviphon etc. are very difficult to tune, by soldering or removing certain amount of tin at the free end of the reed...

Tines instruments like Rhodes piano is difficult to tune by shifting a spring located at the free end of tine.

Therefore I say: the best possibility is Hohner clavinet. You need only small coin opr screwdriver, tuning screws are directly under the keys when you remove cover.

Daniel Forro

On 23 Sep 2009, at 12:09 PM, Carl Lumma wrote:

>
> Harpsichords are a blast to tune, but cheap and acoustic
> keyboard instrument don't go together. Generally the place
> though is
>
> http://www.harpsichord.com
>
> If you're willing to go electroacoustic, maybe one of
> these
>
> http://www.cathedralstone.net/Pages/YamahaCP70B.htm
>
> or these (this one's even for sale):
>
> http://maindragmadness.wordpress.com/2009/07/10/the-yamaha-cp-60m-> we-got-one-shouldnt-you/
>
> Wow, $400 is a good price for one of these:
>
> http://tinyurl.com/m2umkv
>
> Maybe I'm sorry I told you about this one...
>
> -Carl
>

You might try experimenting with a Fender Rhodes. You can't exactly retune them "on the fly", nevertheless it is fairly quick and easy to move the tines to various positions and produce tuning changes rapidly. I discovered many of the harmonic benefits of LucyTuning when after having refretted guitars, I applied the same tuning changes to a second hand Fender Rhodes.
Take care when lifting the Rhodes though, they are surprisingly heavy.

Nowadays I find the easiest way to retune is to use a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation)

see this page for LucyTuning codes:

http://www.lucytune.com/midi_and_keyboard/pitch_bend.html

and here to help you select which tuning to use for each and every possible scale.

http://www.lucytune.com/scales/

On 23 Sep 2009, at 02:21, Mike Battaglia wrote:

> Hey everyone,
>
> A long time ago I bought an antique Square Piano that I found at a
> pawn shop for $100. I thought it would be a good instrument to screw
> around with microtonal tunings and such... Not so much. Apparently
> most squares that don't have an iron soundboard end up experiencing
> severe frame warping, and this one's no exception. It's pretty much
> worthless to me.
>
> Are there any suggestions as to what type of acoustic keyboard
> instrument would be easiest to tune and retune on the fly to mess
> around with different tunings? I've heard that harpsichords are pretty
> easy to tune, although I'm not really looking to spend too much money.
> Something acoustic, reasonably cheap, and easy to tune would be best.
>
> Thanks,
> Mike
>
>
Charles Lucy
lucy@...

- Promoting global harmony through LucyTuning -

for information on LucyTuning go to:
http://www.lucytune.com

For LucyTuned Lullabies go to:
http://www.lullabies.co.uk

I once got clavichord for about EUR 100. It was so cheap because I got
it from a deceased musicians wife, and it is no copy of any historic
instrument either. I am not using it, it is sitting in my brothers
place in Berlin..

Best
Torsten

--
Torsten Anders
Interdisciplinary Centre for Computer Music Research
University of Plymouth
Office: +44-1752-586219
Private: +44-1752-558917
http://strasheela.sourceforge.net
http://www.torsten-anders.de

On 23.09.2009, at 02:21, Mike Battaglia wrote:

> Hey everyone,
>
> A long time ago I bought an antique Square Piano that I found at a
> pawn shop for $100. I thought it would be a good instrument to screw
> around with microtonal tunings and such... Not so much. Apparently
> most squares that don't have an iron soundboard end up experiencing
> severe frame warping, and this one's no exception. It's pretty much
> worthless to me.
>
> Are there any suggestions as to what type of acoustic keyboard
> instrument would be easiest to tune and retune on the fly to mess
> around with different tunings? I've heard that harpsichords are pretty
> easy to tune, although I'm not really looking to spend too much money.
> Something acoustic, reasonably cheap, and easy to tune would be best.
>
> Thanks,
> Mike
>
>

Had your clavichord string (or two tuned in unison) for each key (unfretted type)? As the fretted clavichord using one (two) string for more keys wouldn't be so good for microtonal experiments... Also tuning of two strings (for one frequency) would be more difficult in comparison to Hohner clavinet (which is in fact electroacoustic clavichord) with one string only.

Daniel Forro

On 23 Sep 2009, at 8:35 PM, Torsten Anders wrote:

> I once got clavichord for about EUR 100. It was so cheap because I got
> it from a deceased musicians wife, and it is no copy of any historic
> instrument either. I am not using it, it is sitting in my brothers
> place in Berlin..
>
> Best
> Torsten

On 24.09.2009, at 18:27, Daniel Forro wrote:
> Had your clavichord string (or two tuned in unison) for each key
> (unfretted type)? As the fretted clavichord using one (two) string
> for more keys wouldn't be so good for microtonal experiments... Also
> tuning of two strings (for one frequency) would be more difficult in
> comparison to Hohner clavinet (which is in fact electroacoustic
> clavichord) with one string only.
>

Single chord, but unfretted. So you can tune it as you please. It
actually holds the tuning pretty well, even if you do things like
"Bebung".

The downside for me is, that the tangents tend to "bounce back" and
that way quickly dampen the tone. I assume that coming from the piano
my clavichord technique was/is not quite appropriate...

Best
Torsten

>
> Daniel Forro
>
> On 23 Sep 2009, at 8:35 PM, Torsten Anders wrote:
>
> > I once got clavichord for about EUR 100. It was so cheap because I
> got
> > it from a deceased musicians wife, and it is no copy of any historic
> > instrument either. I am not using it, it is sitting in my brothers
> > place in Berlin..
> >
> > Best
> > Torsten
>
>
>