When first built, the tone of this custom Jaymar® Upright Toy Piano from the 1930s came from metal rods (tines) that were struck with Bakelite® hammers, triggered by a simple keyboard action. It has been modified to use saucer bells as the tone source, giving the instrument a unique and haunting sound. We recorded with stereo close mics and room mics.
When first built, the tone of this custom Jaymar® Upright Toy Piano from the 1930s came from metal rods (tines) that were struck with Bakelite® hammers, triggered by a simple keyboard action. It has been modified to use saucer bells as the tone source, giving the instrument a unique and haunting sound. We recorded with stereo close mics and room mics. Toy pianos were originally made in Germany in the 1800s and have made regular appearances in popular music. American composers John Cage and George Crumb furthered its "serious" reputation by embracing the toy piano as a viable instrument in the concert hall. There is even an annual Toy Piano Festival at the University of California, San Diego.
Resources: Keyscape Reference Guide
All musical instrument manufacturer and product names used in Keyscape are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Spectrasonics. The trademarks of other manufacturers are used solely to identify the products of those manufacturers whose tones and sounds were studied during Spectrasonics sound development. All names of musical artists and instrument inventors have been included for illustrative and educational purposes only and do not suggest any affiliation or endorsement of Keyscape by any artist or instrument inventor.
