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Growing up, we had a Wurlitzer spinet piano with narrower-than-standard keys. I don't recommend getting one. Our narrower-key piano was what I would do all my
by bjt 6y ago
Growing up, we had a Wurlitzer spinet piano with narrower-than-standard keys. I don't recommend getting one.
Our narrower-key piano was what I would do all my practicing on. I didn't really know the difference at the time though. It was just a piano to me. While practicing, I'm sure I benefitted from being able to reach farther than I would on a standard size keyboard.
But only while practicing. When it came time for performance, whether at church or at recitals in the music hall in the city library, the number of mistakes would shoot up. At the time I attributed it all just to nerves, but years later I realized I wasn't performing on an instrument of the same dimensions as the one I had practiced on. Having to switch your muscle memory like that is a tall order.
So we've got these options:
1. Everywhere that there's one piano today, have three instead (as the article suggests), so people can pick the size they want to play.
2. Get a smaller one for yourself, and assume the risk of increased mistakes when performing on someone else's full size.
3. Choose consistency over greater reach, and practice on a full size.
Some places could support option 1 (universities and symphony orchestras, perhaps), but it seems unrealistic for most homes, churches, and piano teachers. And I doubt that many concert halls with Faziolis ($100k and up) would be very excited about needing to buy 3 of them.
With electronic instruments it becomes a lot more feasible. MIDI controllers already come in a variety of key widths. This market is competitive enough that if I were part of PASK, I'd start here and try to convince a manufacturer to claim this niche.
- mlyle 6y agoMaybe there's an argument to be made that instruction of children should happen on smaller keys, so that they have greater reach and can grow into performing on larger keys. Just like evidence shows that kids develop better shooting form and develop better playing on an 8' basketball hoop than larger hoops... I'd suspect that smaller keyboards would be better for children. > 2. Get a smaller one for yourself, and assume the risk of increased mistakes when performing on someone else's full size. Given that the current size is too big for most people, maybe we'd converge to the medium size suggested eventually in a perfect world.
- xuhu 6y agoSwappable keyboards maybe, even for acoustic pianos ?