[Dixielandjazz] Transposing piano

[jazzfact]

Hi All,
Here's a picture of the piano, They were evidently quite common!

http://www.musical-museum.org/pianotransposing.htm

regards,
Richard Stevens
www.thejazzfactory.net

-----Original Message-----
From: dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com
[mailto:dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com] On Behalf Of Edgerton, =
Paul
A
Sent: Friday, 5 December 2003 9:28 AM
To: DJML
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Irving Berlin's piano

I read somewhere that Irving Berlin preferred playing on the black keys, =
but
that doesn't mean he could only play in one key. Could it be significant
that the black keys, by themselves, comprise a pentatonic scale?

The mechanism to shift the piano keyboard already exists on grand =
pianos:
the so-called "soft" pedal, which shifts the entire action to one side =
so
that the hammers strike only one or two of the strings in each unison. =
It
wouldn't be too difficult provide a pedal that shifts the action all the =
way
over to the next unison, thus transposing the keyboard by a half step.

Whatever Irving Berlin lacked in keyboard proficiency, he certainly made =
up
for it in melodic sense.

Paul Edgerton,
who wonders if that could be regarded as a prepared piano?

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