Post ATtBtSFRPLRBb8Lqa0 by DrGecko@mastodon.social
(DIR) More posts by DrGecko@mastodon.social
(DIR) Post #ATt5DgBsa1Qkx7NlMO by lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org
2023-03-22T22:20:58Z
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Early keyboard musical instruments, such as harpsichords, had natural notes as black keys and sharps as white keys -- the opposite of common pianos that came later. Why were the key colors reversed on those more modern instruments?The reason is incredibly simple. It's more difficult to see where each key ends when the natural keys are black, since they're all next to each other. By reversing the color scheme, the natural -- now white -- keys became much more clearly delineated.So now you know.
(DIR) Post #ATt5SSMWHADGPNPC7M by stooovie@mas.to
2023-03-22T22:23:35Z
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@lauren UX reasons, yeah
(DIR) Post #ATt6LbgxI34NGqGI9A by TruthSandwich@toad.social
2023-03-22T22:33:35Z
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@lauren Old-school UX.
(DIR) Post #ATtBtSFRPLRBb8Lqa0 by DrGecko@mastodon.social
2023-03-22T23:35:42Z
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@lauren PhD in musicology and harpsichordist here. Nope. Earliest instruments had two colors of wood, typically lighter for the naturals (pear, chestnut) darker for the sharps (walnut, rosewood). They continued that way in southern Europe. "Modern" colors appear first in Flanders (bone naturals, ebony or dyed-dark sharps). "Reverse" keyboards appear only in France and sometimes Germany in the 17th cent. English insts usually had "modern" colors. In my experience, none has a UX advantage
(DIR) Post #ATtD2EwOLx4Ct2C6jY by lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org
2023-03-22T23:48:30Z
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@DrGecko Some years ago I made something of a study of the history of the keyboard (not entirely geographically comprehensive, but pretty good). Including isomorphic keyboards, for the hell of it. Though there are certainly variations from place to place and time to time, and a variety of interpretations, it's not unusual to find references from pianists saying they preferred the white natural layout as being less cumbersome to play, especially when it was an unfamiliar piano that they were playing for the first time.
(DIR) Post #ATtDJ0Mtmocqc7aRnc by DrGecko@mastodon.social
2023-03-22T23:51:33Z
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@lauren Of course, people prefer what they're used to. I remember sitting down at a piano after playing only historical instruments (h'chord and clavichord) for a few years and my immediate gut reaction was, "What an inexpressive instrument!" The action was, for me, sluggish and unresponsive, and it was impossible to phrase because the notes didn't cut off cleanly. My gut reaction surprised my brain very much.
(DIR) Post #ATtDcuiWVV90sXC8pM by lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org
2023-03-22T23:55:06Z
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@DrGecko Well of course plucking vs. striking does make a difference. I tend to put the clavichord between the harpsichord and pianoforte in this respect.
(DIR) Post #ATtEW9gqXVsVF9kfDs by DrGecko@mastodon.social
2023-03-23T00:05:06Z
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@lauren Oh, if you want to stick to pianos, it's easy. Reverse keyboard < German 'Viennese' action, starting mid-18th-century; keyboard in imitation of contemporary French keyboards. 'Modern' keyboard < "English" action, beginning, I dunno, maybe 20 years later. Keyboards in imitation of earlier English and 17th-cent Flemish insts. These eventually dominated. Industrialization caused standardization. Organ keyboard were (and, in historically inclined insts still are) all over the place.
(DIR) Post #ATtFDtJYmifrCHiMRk by lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org
2023-03-23T00:13:02Z
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@DrGecko I purposely avoided looking at organ keyboards in any detail ...
(DIR) Post #ATtFMLmOpt5vnTEn9E by DrGecko@mastodon.social
2023-03-23T00:14:33Z
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@lauren I don't blame you,especially if it meant dealing with organists 😁
(DIR) Post #ATtWBEWn9ir9LEDpEu by garylerude@mindly.social
2023-03-23T03:23:02Z
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@lauren Human factors engineering. 🤔
(DIR) Post #ATteHpE6QKEAWy8Oq8 by stevegayner@mastodon.world
2023-03-23T04:53:48Z
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@lauren Why were the key colors reversed on those more modern instruments?I don't know enough to ever have asked that question, but I find the answer fascinating. Thank you.