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I enjoy music and have acquired a certain level of relative pitch. That is, I attempt to be able to identify musical intervals and chords such that I can play along with the music that I'm listening to.
The guitar is a good instrument for me because of its simple layout . However, piano has always been difficult because of its 'key-of-Cmajor' layout. Wind instruments are right out!
The major scale in music is a big deal because, for a simple song, the notes contained in that song will be the seven notes of that major scale.
In terms of half-step changes in music, the major scale is this:
o221222
where 'o' is the starting note or tonic of the major scale and the numbers that follow indicate the number of half-step changes upward from the previous note in the scale.
On a standard piano keyboard, in terms of white and black keys, the major scale for the twelve different keys can be written as this:
WWWWWWW (the key of 'C' major)
BBWBBBW (C#/Db)
WWBWWWB (etc...)
BWWBBWW
WBBWWBB
WWWBWWW
BBBWBBW
WWWWWWB
BBWBBWW
WWBWWBB
BWWBWWW
WBBWBBB
There is a group in Switzerland called Dodeka that has come up with one solution that addresses this issue of complex scale patterns on a standard piano keyboard - their "Isomorphic" keyboard. I would love to try one but they're not available now.
Here's a picture of one of the Dodeka designs. All of the keys are the same except for color. The ease of recognizing and playing a major scale in any key is pretty trivial on this type of keyboard.
However, since the Isomorphic keyboard from Dodeka is not obtainable right now, I sought to find another solution. This, so far - to me - is a very acceptable compromise, and it's relatively easy and inexpensive to obtain and try.
This other approach is what has been called a 'balanced' or '6-6' keyboard. The design was first documented in the 1800s, but its advantages were not universally adopted.
Here's what I started with for my 'balanced' keyboard. This was all under $200 (minus the iPad):
- Alesis V49 midi controller (this is a current product as of April 2020).
- Apple iPad
- Apple camera adapter (or similar) - this allows the iPad to act as a USB host
- Sampletank app for IOS - this is the midi host and sound module
- screwdriver (phillips and a small slotted)
- needle-nose pliers
The idea is to remove all of the keys and rearrange them in a BWBWBWBWBW... pattern. For mine, I chose the note 'A' to be a white key.
There are only two shapes to be learned in order to play all twelve major scales on a 'balanced' keyboard:
WWWBBBB
BBBWWWW
Having one of these keyboards has truly changed me. I can sit down now and play much more freely and musically. I don't have to spend so much time and brainpower identifying physical note position vs interval or chord type.
Here are some pictures of the 'balanced' keyboard. They should be enough to allow an interested tinkerer to create one. If it is desired to fill up the whole keyboard then you'll have to buy two in order to get more black keys.
An unmodified Alesis V49
After opening the keyboard, the springs at the top of each key need to be lifted out using the needle-nose pliers.
To remove the keys, the small slotted screwdriver head should be inserted in the small rectangular hole (below the spring). There is a latch that needs to be released. Ya just got to look at it to see how to release them. It's no big dial if the clips break because the spring still will hold the key in properly.
.
.
Here's the completed 'balanced' keyboard.
The guitar is a good instrument for me because of its simple layout . However, piano has always been difficult because of its 'key-of-Cmajor' layout. Wind instruments are right out!
The major scale in music is a big deal because, for a simple song, the notes contained in that song will be the seven notes of that major scale.
In terms of half-step changes in music, the major scale is this:
o221222
where 'o' is the starting note or tonic of the major scale and the numbers that follow indicate the number of half-step changes upward from the previous note in the scale.
On a standard piano keyboard, in terms of white and black keys, the major scale for the twelve different keys can be written as this:
WWWWWWW (the key of 'C' major)
BBWBBBW (C#/Db)
WWBWWWB (etc...)
BWWBBWW
WBBWWBB
WWWBWWW
BBBWBBW
WWWWWWB
BBWBBWW
WWBWWBB
BWWBWWW
WBBWBBB
There is a group in Switzerland called Dodeka that has come up with one solution that addresses this issue of complex scale patterns on a standard piano keyboard - their "Isomorphic" keyboard. I would love to try one but they're not available now.
Here's a picture of one of the Dodeka designs. All of the keys are the same except for color. The ease of recognizing and playing a major scale in any key is pretty trivial on this type of keyboard.
However, since the Isomorphic keyboard from Dodeka is not obtainable right now, I sought to find another solution. This, so far - to me - is a very acceptable compromise, and it's relatively easy and inexpensive to obtain and try.
This other approach is what has been called a 'balanced' or '6-6' keyboard. The design was first documented in the 1800s, but its advantages were not universally adopted.
Here's what I started with for my 'balanced' keyboard. This was all under $200 (minus the iPad):
- Alesis V49 midi controller (this is a current product as of April 2020).
- Apple iPad
- Apple camera adapter (or similar) - this allows the iPad to act as a USB host
- Sampletank app for IOS - this is the midi host and sound module
- screwdriver (phillips and a small slotted)
- needle-nose pliers
The idea is to remove all of the keys and rearrange them in a BWBWBWBWBW... pattern. For mine, I chose the note 'A' to be a white key.
There are only two shapes to be learned in order to play all twelve major scales on a 'balanced' keyboard:
WWWBBBB
BBBWWWW
Having one of these keyboards has truly changed me. I can sit down now and play much more freely and musically. I don't have to spend so much time and brainpower identifying physical note position vs interval or chord type.
Here are some pictures of the 'balanced' keyboard. They should be enough to allow an interested tinkerer to create one. If it is desired to fill up the whole keyboard then you'll have to buy two in order to get more black keys.
An unmodified Alesis V49
After opening the keyboard, the springs at the top of each key need to be lifted out using the needle-nose pliers.
To remove the keys, the small slotted screwdriver head should be inserted in the small rectangular hole (below the spring). There is a latch that needs to be released. Ya just got to look at it to see how to release them. It's no big dial if the clips break because the spring still will hold the key in properly.
.
.
Here's the completed 'balanced' keyboard.
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