Musical keyboard
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| + | A '''musical keyboard''' is the set of adjacent depressible levers or keys on a [[musical instrument]], particularly the [[piano]]. Keyboards typically contain keys for playing the twelve notes of the Western [[musical scale]], with a combination of larger, longer keys and smaller, shorter keys that repeats at the interval of an [[octave]]. Depressing a key on the keyboard causes the instrument to produce sounds, either by mechanically striking a string or tine ([[piano]], [[electric piano]], [[clavichord]]); plucking a string ([[harpsichord]]); causing air to flow through a pipe ([[organ (music)|organ]]); or strike a bell ([[carillon]]). On electric and electronic keyboards, depressing a key connects a circuit ([[Hammond organ]], [[digital piano]], [[synthesizer]]). Since the most commonly encountered keyboard instrument is the piano, the keyboard layout is often referred to as the "piano keyboard". | ||
| - | The '''Casio [[Casiotone]] MT-40''' is a [[musical keyboard]], formerly produced by [[Casio]] and originally developed for the consumer market. It is 9 voice polyphonic, with 37 main keys and 14 smaller bass keys. Eight notes may be played on the main keys, and one note on the bass. The bass section has one timbre, and the main section has 22, assignable to one of four presets. Like most small Casio keyboards, it also has a drum section with 6 different beats, a tempo knob, and a "fill" button. The fill button plays sixteenth note pulses of either the "snare" or "kick" as long as it is held down. Production started in the early 1980s and ceased shortly thereafter. The successor of the MT-40 came with a gray case, and was sold as the MT-41. | + | ==Description== |
| + | [[File:Clavecin flamand.png|thumb|Harpsichord with black keys for the [[C major]] [[Musical scale|scale]]]] | ||
| + | The twelve notes of the Western [[musical scale]] are laid out with the lowest note on the left;<ref>An exception is the [[hurdy gurdy]], whose crank is turned with the left hand.</ref> the longer keys (for the seven "natural" notes of the [[C major]] [[Musical scale|scale]]: C, D, E, F, G, A, B) [[wikt:jut|jut]] forward. Because these keys were traditionally covered in [[ivory]] they are often called the ''white notes'' or ''white keys''. The keys for the remaining five notes which are not part of the C major scale (namely C{{Music|#}}/D{{Music|b}}, D{{Music|#}}/E{{Music|b}}, F{{Music|#}}/G{{Music|b}}, G{{Music|#}}/A{{Music|b}}, A{{Music|#}}/B{{Music|b}}) (see [[Sharp (music)|Sharp]] and [[Flat (music)|Flat]]) are raised and set back<!-- Note: "back", not "black" -->. Because these keys receive less wear, they are often made of black colored wood and called the ''black notes'' or ''black keys''. The pattern repeats at the interval of an [[octave]]. | ||
| - | The keyboard is a prime candidate for modification through circuit bending, owing to simple circuits and a series of smaller potentiometers inside for factory adjustments, there are two examples of circuit bent units on Youtube, which have been built by S-CAT. The relative scarcity of these makes bending relatively risky, and most are left as stock. | + | The arrangement of longer keys for C major with intervening, shorter keys for the intermediate semitones dates to the 15th century. Many keyboard instruments dating from before the nineteenth century, such as harpsichords and pipe organs, have a keyboard with the colours of the keys reversed: the ''white notes'' are made of ebony and the ''black notes'' are covered with softer white bone. A few electric and electronic instruments from the 1960s and subsequent decades have also done this; Vox's electronic organs of the 1960s, Farfisa's FAST portable organs, Hohner's [[Clavinet]] L, one version of Korg's Poly-800 synthesizer and Roland's digital harpsichords. |
| - | The MT-40 had a built-in pattern based on the [[Eddie Cochran]] song "[[Somethin' Else (Eddie Cochran song)|Somethin' Else]]". Because of this, a synthesizer version of the song's bassline ended up as the basis of one of the most popular [[dancehall]] music [[riddim]]s of Jamaican music - the [[Sleng Teng]] riddim which started the "Digital Reggae" revolution in 1985. | + | Some 1960s electronic organs used reverse colors or gray sharps or naturals to indicate the lower part(s) of a split or 'broken' keyboard: one which is divided into two parts, each of which produces a different [[Registration (organ)|Registration]] or sound. Such keyboards allow melody and contrasting accompaniment to be played without the expense of a second [[Manual (music)|manual]] and were a regular feature in Spanish and some English organs of the renaissance and baroque. The break was between [[middle C]] and [[C♯ (musical note)|C-sharp]], or outside of Iberia between B and C. Broken keyboards reappeared in 1842 with the [[harmonium]], the split occurring at [[Scientific pitch notation|e4]]/f4. |
| + | |||
| + | The reverse-colored keys on [[Hammond organ]]s such as the B3, C3 and A100 are latch-style [[radio button]]s for selecting pre-set sounds. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==See also== | ||
| + | *[[Keytar]] | ||
| + | *[[Piano key frequencies]] | ||
| - | It has also secured a niche in indie music. It occurs occasionally in songs by [[The Magnetic Fields]], and is featured prominently on most of [[Emperor X]]'s album Tectonic Membrane/Thin Strip on an Edgeless Platform. Its thin fuzz can be heard on lesser known Australian indie band [[Turnstyle (band)|Turnstyle]]'s top 20 single [[Spray Water On The Stereo]]. It was also the keyboard of choice for street performer Suzy Soundz, aka The Space Lady, of Boston and San Francisco fame. | ||
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Revision as of 15:28, 15 September 2010
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A musical keyboard is the set of adjacent depressible levers or keys on a musical instrument, particularly the piano. Keyboards typically contain keys for playing the twelve notes of the Western musical scale, with a combination of larger, longer keys and smaller, shorter keys that repeats at the interval of an octave. Depressing a key on the keyboard causes the instrument to produce sounds, either by mechanically striking a string or tine (piano, electric piano, clavichord); plucking a string (harpsichord); causing air to flow through a pipe (organ); or strike a bell (carillon). On electric and electronic keyboards, depressing a key connects a circuit (Hammond organ, digital piano, synthesizer). Since the most commonly encountered keyboard instrument is the piano, the keyboard layout is often referred to as the "piano keyboard".
Description
[[File:Clavecin flamand.png|thumb|Harpsichord with black keys for the C major scale]] The twelve notes of the Western musical scale are laid out with the lowest note on the left;<ref>An exception is the hurdy gurdy, whose crank is turned with the left hand.</ref> the longer keys (for the seven "natural" notes of the C major scale: C, D, E, F, G, A, B) jut forward. Because these keys were traditionally covered in ivory they are often called the white notes or white keys. The keys for the remaining five notes which are not part of the C major scale (namely CTemplate:Music/DTemplate:Music, DTemplate:Music/ETemplate:Music, FTemplate:Music/GTemplate:Music, GTemplate:Music/ATemplate:Music, ATemplate:Music/BTemplate:Music) (see Sharp and Flat) are raised and set back. Because these keys receive less wear, they are often made of black colored wood and called the black notes or black keys. The pattern repeats at the interval of an octave.
The arrangement of longer keys for C major with intervening, shorter keys for the intermediate semitones dates to the 15th century. Many keyboard instruments dating from before the nineteenth century, such as harpsichords and pipe organs, have a keyboard with the colours of the keys reversed: the white notes are made of ebony and the black notes are covered with softer white bone. A few electric and electronic instruments from the 1960s and subsequent decades have also done this; Vox's electronic organs of the 1960s, Farfisa's FAST portable organs, Hohner's Clavinet L, one version of Korg's Poly-800 synthesizer and Roland's digital harpsichords.
Some 1960s electronic organs used reverse colors or gray sharps or naturals to indicate the lower part(s) of a split or 'broken' keyboard: one which is divided into two parts, each of which produces a different Registration or sound. Such keyboards allow melody and contrasting accompaniment to be played without the expense of a second manual and were a regular feature in Spanish and some English organs of the renaissance and baroque. The break was between middle C and C-sharp, or outside of Iberia between B and C. Broken keyboards reappeared in 1842 with the harmonium, the split occurring at e4/f4.
The reverse-colored keys on Hammond organs such as the B3, C3 and A100 are latch-style radio buttons for selecting pre-set sounds.
See also
