Round Keys and Bi-piano

Bi-piano with rounded keys for children.

Round Keys

Round Piano Keys.

When you mount round or rounded keys (in the picture 3 different forms) in a piano keyboard, you can make the keyboard 30 to 40% (even more) shorter, while the space for a (thick) finger even becomes bigger. And difficult chords (for small hands) then become easier to play.

To start with, we could produce keyboards for children this way. It also is nice, these round keys. Also give the keys colors. The rainbow colors can contain an octave!

And then dad or mom, with their thick fingers, also can play this toy.

This actually mainly is an idea of my old friend Louis Gerrits in Voorschoten, Holland, who once made all keys of his organ keyboard a bit thinner to create more space for his thick fingers. I make it round Louis. But it is your idea.

Every keyboard, a laptop keyboard for example or a phone keyboard, can be made smaller this way.

5-8-2006

Bi-piano

biano.

The picture shows a 40-keys keyboard divided into two halves, one for the left, one for the right hand, each with an own 'octave up' and 'octave down' button.
One then can play the lowest tones with the left hand and simultaneously the highest tones with the right hand, so the full range of 88-keys on a 40-keys keyboard.

A possible place to situate these 'octave up and down' buttons is between the groups of black keys, like in the picture above.

biano2.

Buttons like in de second picture also are possible, or footpedals. Or long swing buttons like in the rainbow picture on top.

In order to play every possible chord, one needs at least one and a half octave for each hand.

Every half keyboard can have its own sounds (the small buttons on top).

If one gives both halves the full range of an 88-keys keyboard (in both directions), the instrument also can be used as a left-handed piano.

The instrument is very useful as extra portable piano or as desktop keyboard. Size 60 x 20 x 10 cm is possible with all electronics and speakers built in. Even smaller when you mount round keys.

The ideas are not protected. That applies to the whole website by the way. So, if you want, make it!

Jan Helderman
10-09-2001 | 05-08-2006
Fabiker.