Before modifying the instrument, we studied various performing methods and approaches of compositional and performing schools, as well as performing styles of different epochs; Especially, musical effects used to express particular musical ideas in piano music. We also got familiarized with the variability of the structure / mechanism of the piano in the historical perspective.
The idea of modification was based on approaches characteristic of modern musical thinking. During modification, we focused on timbre and tuning system, as both are crucially important for expressing musical thought in contemporary professional music, helping composers to expand influence on musical time and space.
The piano has been modified on the basis of accumulated knowledge and experience in the field of the extended piano techniques of the 20th cenruty. We would like to offer to the 21st century composers and listeners a version of the piano that is oriented towards innovative performance methods developed by various authors over the last century, thus bringing the instrument closer to the musical thinking of our epoch.
Left Pedal for Overtones
The left pedal of ModEkAl has two positions.
1 – when the pedal is pressed down, ordinary sounds are produced, as a new mechanism invented by us does not touch the strings.
2 – when the pedal is not pressed down and is in an open position, the innovative mechanisms mentioned above touches the strings, thus producing overtones. However, this mechanism functions only in case of “electrons” (white keys) of “atoms” located in the first and second octaves.
ModEkAl’s tuning system is based on the atomic-nuclear music system invented by Eka Chabashvili. The aim of this system is to organise pitches in such a way that they associatively resemble the structure of an atom, with electrons flying around above the nucleus and moving through acoustic points in different trajectories. (However, in case of piano, the sound remains rather constant and static).
The fundament of this system is the so-called enriched tone representing several microtones (electrons ) surrounding the central pitch (nucleus) tuned within approximatlely semmitone interval. In the upper registers of the piano the atom contains microtones surrounding the nucleus, while in the lower registers the microtones can be replaced by the overtones produced via employing pedals. The atom does not follow the principle of the horizontal ascending-descending linear arrangement of the sound order, it surrounds the nucleus spatially, on a circular basis.
When retuning the piano, we retained frequences of several keys; For example, the frequency of the pitch A4 (440 Hz.), which is tuned as a central pitch of the enriched tone, as the nucleus of the atom. In the sector consisting of three-string keys, only the middle strings are tuned based on the equally tempered tuning system, other two strings are tuned higher and lower to various frequences (see Tuning Table). The nuclei are marked with red keys, surrounded by white keys representing electrons. They are tuned to different pitches (see Tuning Table).
Each of the seven octaves of the modified piano contains one atom. Here is the list of musical atoms that contain the central enriched tones surounded by the sound-electrones (the pitches correspond to traditional piano keys layout):
Right Sustain Pedal
We transformed the right (sustain) pedal into two independent pedals.
The left one effects only the lower registers (up to the fourth octave), the right one – only upper registers (starting with the fourth octave).
Our aims were:
- to develop new means of sound-production of the piano;
- to expand the range of the piano timbre;
- to interpret the tuning system of piano (traditionally tuned in equal tempered system) in a free way;
- to create a more comfortable environment for the production of the piano sonorities of the 21st century while playing the instrument, taking into consideration the advanced piano performance techniques developed by composers of the 20th and 21st centuries.
I Octava II Octava III Octava IV Octava V Octava VI Octava VII Octava
Center Center Center Center Center Center Center
D [c-e] F [d-as] As [f-h] A [g-h] G [f-a] E [d-fis] Cis [h-dis]
The musical atoms of the modified piano are called Acoustic Islands;
The various coloured keys between them, freely tuned in a microtonal tuning system, are defined as Timbre Spaces.
Keys colours indicate the material, used to cover hammers, that determines the character of the timbre.
ModEkAl - Modified Piano is a new type of piano constructed for the artistic research "Has Piano Music Come to an End?". The piano was modified according to Eka Chabashvili's scheme that was enriched with the ideas of piano master Alexander Zirakashvili. The name of the instrument represents a combination of the names of its authors - Piano “Modified by Eka and Alexander".
The musical instrument always echoes the epoch it was created in. In this regard, when modifying any instrument, in our case the piano, it is necessary to take into account the cultural memory stored in it and brought to us. We have numerous vivid examples of instrumental modifications. In manycases, instruments retain their core essence.
The main goals we took into consideration during the piano modification process were formed on the basis of the modification principle - to combine the cultural memory archived in the instrument with the principles of the 21st century musical thinking.
These goals were:
1. To maintain the basic principle of operation of the instrument mechanism - to produce the sound by hitting hammer on the string and employing the pedals.
2. To maintain the traditional form of the instrument’s sound production - to play the keys.
Hammers and
key colours:
1. Leather
(Brown)
2. Metal
(Blue)
3. Rubber
(Black)
4. Cardboard
(Beige)
5. Wooden
(Yellow)
The following changes were made while modifying the instrument:
1) We replaced the hammer heads with various materials (some were left with felt, and others were replaced with wood, metal, leather, rubber and cardboard);
2) We added a new mechanism for the production of overtones in the lower register, produced via an added pedal;
3) We added a new pedal function for partial opening of the pedals; (Herewith, we restored the idea of the John Broadwood and Sons’ piano pedals of XVIII-XIX centuries).
4) A harp string was added in front of the keyboard, to be used for a different way of producing a sound. The string sounds longer than a key played on a piano and has the effect of gradually amplifying it. Performer touches the string with fingers on different places with the left hand, and uses a bow or plucks pizzocatto with the right hand. It can be played simultaneously with the keyboard part, if a pianist uses the thumb for produsing the pitch with the left hand and plays the harp string with the right hand. The string is connected to the resonator board to sound at the appropriate volume.
5) The instrument’s body was also changed. For the convenience of playing on the strings, the wood-covered part of the modified piano body was cut out.
6) The strings were tuned according to the atomic-nuclear music system. About this system we will talk a bit later.
7) The keyboard was significantly influenced by changing the tuning. The keys were painted in different colours for orientation while playing, which also affected the notation. We could use traditional notation system, but in this case pitches would not correspond to indicated notes.
