reduced size keyboards. updated

[mopinko]

Last edited Sat May 11, 2024, 08:26 AM - Edit history (1)

so, i’ve posted a fair amount about my singing lessons, and my progress.
what i havent posted about is playing piano, cuz i have failed hard there. i’m a small person, and have a small deformity in my rt arm that makes a lot of chords downright painful. i’m not even trying.

i was beside myself when i heard about ds 5.5 7/8 keyboards. they’re not that mich smaller, but my hand wd span an octave. like u need to to play worth shit. i went in search of 1, only to find out they r barely available. rn, i cd spend $15k + shipping on an upright. there is an electric in the works in europe now that is expected to start shipping in about 6 mos. it’s a gorgeous thing, w a price tag to match- $5k. i cant even get on the waiting list. expected wait time- at least a year.
for comparison, i have a 4yo yamaha digital that i paid $800 for.

i had a lovely chat w the guy who runs the ds org. his company makes keyboards, and sells pianos. my thought was that i can have my pick of free/cheap pianos, and i cd retrofit it. (yes, i want a pretty piece of furniture.)
that too costs about $5k for the keys, he figures $2k for install. and likewise, there is a 1 yr waitlist.

i actually have my eye on an insanely beautiful antique piano. i dont have much room, and it’s a tad smaller than a modern piano, so that’s good. i already know it needs work. it’s been sitting in my friends antique shop for yrs. i’m sure it needs all new strings and pads. but pretty sure the soundboard is ok.
i feel like the rarity and desirability of these keyboards will make the finished product worth more than i put into it.

this is rly a matter of equality. piano competitions r still overwhelmingly won by men. only women w nice large hands can even compete. and how many kids get discouraged learning to play, when it cd b so much easier? they make so many reduced scale instruments now.
y not the most basic/important instrument in history?

at this point i think none of the major makers r even thinking about this. and honestly, how hard can it b? hell, by rights, they shd b a few bucks cheaper. a few new jigs, slightly altered blueprints, boom, a HUGE new market.
pls take a minute to sign this petition to get manufacturers to get off their dead butts.
tia

https://www.gopetition.com/petitions/need-piano-keyboards-that-fit-our-hands.html

eta a link to a recent article about women in classical piano.
https://www.gramophone.co.uk/international-piano/features/article/leading-ladies-gender-bias-in-piano-competitions?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1rYgcqKCDtJN4kYikVML2H2L_GzJlQYlnisSWB56q53vgEoqs6W4tPyAU_aem_AW4RLCiPtf530YwkTL-zp_BbfppInnH7vDbcVUxk4tpCXV8hMLYmHrrdWJlVq5TirgHrFXZmyHesDz0n3ZExibzV

[Hekate]

1. Signed. Best of luck

[mopinko]

2. ty.

most piano student r female. most professional players r men.

[3catwoman3]

3. How interesting. I signed the petition.

Slightly off topic but related. It's always seemed odd to me that the bottom/left hand keys don't end with a C. The top octave ends in a C, why the extra notes in the lower range?

It feels asymmetrical to end on an A.

[niyad]

4. Signed! May it help!

In reading the article, I was a bit surprised to learn that only about 13% of women have the necessary handspan to really play a standard keyboard. I knew I was odd, but not know I was THAT odd!

[mopinko]

5. the few pro women i see have big paddles for hands.

[ProfessorGAC]

10. 80% Of Kids, Too

That's why a piano teacher would have to be a sadist to make an 8 year old learn ragtime or stride piano.
The span of my hand is why I couldn't learn this song until I was 13 or 14. There was no way to play that left hand part until I was bigger.

?si=NIs3_XHSqRrO11fa

[electric_blue68]

6. Fascinating! and signed! ....

I had no idea there were any reduced size instruments!
It makes sense!

Even though I have I guess fairly big hands, and long fingers; when they become common; I'd try an electric kb out for comparison. I think I did have a bit+ of a problem w my electric kb.

In fact bc I was one of the tall girls in fifth grade they stuck me with the viola, when I wanted the violin! Giving the violin to the way shorter girls.

[mopinko]

7. they have half and 3/4 strings 4 suzuki. which is y this is ridiculous.

[electric_blue68]

8. suzuki?

[mopinko]

9. music lessons for kids.

ever hear of rachel barton? she was a suzuki kid. i’m sure there r many more in the 1st chair of orchestras now. i think they may do piano now, too. but they started w violin.
they were around when my kids were small. think they were pretty new. they’re in their 30’s.

[ProfessorGAC]

11. Yep!

The Suzuki method folks has been encouraging/encouraging instrument companies to make violins for kids for a long time. But, I don't think it's the sane Suzuki as the motorcycles.
The guy who developed the Suzuki method did so around the time I was born. So, the approach has been around for a long time.
There is a Suzuki musical instrument company, and they make a broad array of instruments. They made half, 2/3rds & three-quarter sized violins.
Oddly enough, their website doesn't reference anything but full size instruments. Chinese companies might have driven the away from that market.
Suzuki is the second most common surname in Japan (behind only Sato). So, I suppose we shouldn't be surprised more than one company has that name.