As if our friends on the keys didn’t have enough on their plates…

Composer Geoff Smith, has just completed what is being described as the “world’s first multicultural acoustic piano”, and it is called the Fluid Piano. At first sight, it looks similar to a western fortepiano, but a closer inspection reveals a complex system of tuning slides which allow performers to access a wide variety of scales. Did I mention that they can do this adjusting on the fly?

The importance of this invention goes beyond the concert stage. Middle Eastern, Iranian, Indian, and other tuning styles can now be more easily accessible for composers to play with without worrying about the difficulty of assembling a consort of instruments or racking up large fees from the piano-tuner.

Smith has also included a horizontal harp as a bonus.

The premiere performance on the instrument will take place at the Purcell Room, in London, in March.

Composer reinvents the piano, Guardian UK

Posted on November 25th, 2009 at 2:51 am | Filed under General |