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Topic: The fluid piano. Opinions?  (Read 1730 times)

Offline bustthewave

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The fluid piano. Opinions?
on: March 12, 2011, 07:57:44 PM
Hey, so I saw on this website an advertisement for the "fluid piano." I went onto youtube to check it out, here's a link -


here is a link of the explanation of it's purpose -



I'm wondering what your opinions are? The claim is that it's this brand new instrument, allowing a piano that can be tuned to fit other cultures' tunings and such easily, with just the push of a knob.

So I'm watching this and it certainly seems interesting, but it also sounds like very specific mid-eastern or oriental instruments, which to me begs the question "why?"

I don't see why a piano needs to do this, when other instruments fill that gap?

I'm all for modern innovation and new techniques, and changing the way we think of music, but this just seems like a lot of work for not much bang. Maybe if it sounded more like a piano... or at least a different instrument all together that hasn't really existed before, this would be a different story.

It seems like the purpose is for this to have a wider variety of uses, but it's tuning and method seems to limit it much much more than enhances.

Offline Bob

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Re: The fluid piano. Opinions?
Reply #1 on: March 12, 2011, 08:14:19 PM
Why?  Because it's another option.  


&feature=related
This guy kind of annoys me at the beginning.  So much facial expression and movement while he's playing one note at a time.  That guy's painful to watch.  If someone were pounding a nail into his foot while he played it wouldn't surprise me.
Favorite new teacher quote -- "You found the only possible wrong answer."

Offline bustthewave

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Re: The fluid piano. Opinions?
Reply #2 on: March 12, 2011, 08:33:34 PM
Why?  Because it's another option.  


&feature=related
This guy kind of annoys me at the beginning.  So much facial expression and movement while he's playing one note at a time.  That guy's painful to watch.  If someone were pounding a nail into his foot while he played it wouldn't surprise me.

I think I figured out what it is about this thing that people like now... apparently it's orgasmic.

Or it's like being on shrooms -- or both.

Offline Bob

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Re: The fluid piano. Opinions?
Reply #3 on: March 12, 2011, 10:43:43 PM
All instruments were developed and were new at one time.  I wonder why this wasn't made before.

Is it just me or does it kind of sound low quality?  Maybe it's that it's "out of tune" with the adjustments made but it doesn't sound like a piano tone.  It sounds more like a harpsichord to me sometimes.  Or an old upright but that might just be that it's out of tune.  I'm wondering if it's a decent quality instrument to begin with.
Favorite new teacher quote -- "You found the only possible wrong answer."

Offline bustthewave

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Re: The fluid piano. Opinions?
Reply #4 on: March 12, 2011, 10:59:38 PM
All instruments were developed and were new at one time.  I wonder why this wasn't made before.

Is it just me or does it kind of sound low quality?  Maybe it's that it's "out of tune" with the adjustments made but it doesn't sound like a piano tone.  It sounds more like a harpsichord to me sometimes.  Or an old upright but that might just be that it's out of tune.  I'm wondering if it's a decent quality instrument to begin with.

It sounds to my untrained ears just like a sitar, maaaybe a plucked mandolin, either way there is a perfect pocket already filled for that instrument I would imagine. I mean, there is a clear difference between a cello and a violin, and an obvious need for both. But why a "fluid piano," when you have the sitar? I'm still fully willing to admit I could be completely wrong about the value of this instrument.

Offline Bob

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Re: The fluid piano. Opinions?
Reply #5 on: March 12, 2011, 11:08:28 PM
So they can use a keyboard?  And have a hammered sound instead of plucked? 
Favorite new teacher quote -- "You found the only possible wrong answer."

Offline retrouvailles

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Re: The fluid piano. Opinions?
Reply #6 on: March 14, 2011, 02:04:21 AM
I personally really like the idea of a fluid piano. Of course it has its flaws, but so does any prototype. It is great to have a piano that can conform to many different tunings, with so many more composers these days writing for instruments with just intonation, different temperaments, pianos tuned a quarter tone lower, period tunings, ethnic tunings, etc. Also, it gives the piano the ability to bend pitch. I would like to see a version of the fluid piano that includes all 88 keys and perhaps a setting to put the piano back at its regular, standard tuning (A 440). I would also like to see a fluid piano with a sound more like an actual grand piano. I guess the quality does suffer,with all of the new possibilities of this piano, but, again, it is a prototype.

Offline Bob

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Re: The fluid piano. Opinions?
Reply #7 on: March 15, 2011, 03:08:56 AM
Maybe they could add something so it goes into different tunings quickly, so the performer doesn't have to mess with adjusting all the tuning.  Just flip a switch and it's a different system, different key.
Favorite new teacher quote -- "You found the only possible wrong answer."

Offline coldmiser

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Re: The fluid piano. Opinions?
Reply #8 on: March 15, 2011, 01:19:22 PM
Maybe they could add something so it goes into different tunings quickly, so the performer doesn't have to mess with adjusting all the tuning.  Just flip a switch and it's a different system, different key.

With my luck, I would get each key tuned exactly how I want it and then my 3 year old niece would come and "FIX" it for me!

 ;D

Offline eleanorrigby

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Re: The fluid piano. Opinions?
Reply #9 on: May 08, 2011, 10:01:07 AM
&feature=related
This guy kind of annoys me at the beginning.  So much facial expression and movement while he's playing one note at a time.  That guy's painful to watch.  If someone were pounding a nail into his foot while he played it wouldn't surprise me.

His movements are reminiscent of a fish.

Offline birba

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Re: The fluid piano. Opinions?
Reply #10 on: May 08, 2011, 11:50:39 AM
BOOOOOOOOR-ING.  And what "guy" are you talking about?!  I only saw a woman who I would have sworn was Marthe Argerich.

Offline eleanorrigby

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Re: The fluid piano. Opinions?
Reply #11 on: May 08, 2011, 01:02:33 PM
BOOOOOOOOR-ING.  And what "guy" are you talking about?!  I only saw a woman who I would have sworn was Marthe Argerich.

This one;
&feature=related

Offline birba

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Re: The fluid piano. Opinions?
Reply #12 on: May 08, 2011, 03:52:12 PM
Talk about much ado about nothing!  Still BOOOOOR-ING.
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