Steinway piano/"pinemom"/Terminal City

oscillator · Post by **oscillator** » Fri Feb 12, 2010 5:27 pm

Bay Bridge Sue wrote:And the sound? Might be pretty amazing.
(And if it was mic'd and amplified? What a concerto of Doom!!!)

Way back in the day, someone - might be Annea Lockwood - did a conceptual piece of burning a piano that had several strategically-placed contact mics attached.

Image that FM broadcast out to some sound MVs for amplification.

\\osc

Elorrum · Post by **Elorrum** » Fri Feb 12, 2010 5:27 pm

Radar says, "choppers."

Elliot · Post by **Elliot** » Fri Feb 12, 2010 6:01 pm

ygmir wrote:maybe we could mount them horizontal, and, offer them as trampoline/cheese slicers?............

Egg slicer, yes?

[Vision of Wile E. Coyote going thru a set of power lines.]

Yes, Lockwood.

Elliot · Post by **Elliot** » Fri Feb 12, 2010 6:19 pm

apparently, Annea Lockwood is STILL burning pianos!

http://www.worldnewmusicdays.com.au/?page_id=751

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Fri Feb 12, 2010 7:08 pm

Elliot wrote: Well then we know that the strings are probably not all that terribly fragile. That's good.

Considering all the people piano wire has garroted over the years, this is a surprise?

Elorrum · Post by **Elorrum** » Fri Feb 12, 2010 7:16 pm

the bass strings are very thick and resonate for a while after being hit or plucked. It would be easy to stick a few piezo elements on the thing. wowow, I'd love to play something like that with some rubber mallets. really it would be a big metal hammered dulcimer.

Elliot · Post by **Elliot** » Fri Feb 12, 2010 8:53 pm

Elorrum wrote:the bass strings are very thick and resonate for a while after being hit or plucked. It would be easy to stick a few piezo elements on the thing. wowow, I'd love to play something like that with some rubber mallets. really it would be a big metal hammered dulcimer.

Be sure to look me up on the Playa, in Terminal city. Odds are, I'll have such an improvised dulcimer for you.

Here is an other trick that might create interesting sounds: A friend of mine has an act where he plays the guitar with an egg beater. He tapes picks of plastic or cardboard onto the egg beater, and holds it against the strings. No human could strum that fast -- at least not for very long. Duane plays a whole Flamenco tune with it. He has been on both Letterman and Leno with this act. Ought to work on a piano "harp"!

oscillator · Post by **oscillator** » Fri Feb 12, 2010 9:18 pm

Elorrum wrote:wowow, I'd love to play something like that with some rubber mallets.

Dude, you'd make John Cage proud! Superball mallets work the best.

Here is Stephen Scott's "Entrada"...

[youtube][/youtube]

\\osc

EspressoDude · Post by **EspressoDude** » Sat Feb 13, 2010 7:14 am

another possibility could be connecting the strings either mechanically, or electronically to a modulating valve on a propane burner.

sort of a cross between Satan's Calliope and a resonant ruben's tube

Elliot · Post by **Elliot** » Tue May 11, 2010 10:12 pm

Bump.

Is the Steinway still on?

I can provide an upright as a backup if needed.

Does anyone have access to an abandoned piano? I'm looking for more, so I can pick the best ones for playing -- and the worst ones for wrecking.

Elliot · Post by **Elliot** » Sat Jul 10, 2010 12:50 pm

Bump again.

This may duplicate an other thread or two, but an update seems called for here.

Yesterday, I stripped a piano of everything in front of the strings. So we will definitely have something to pluck and hammer on.

One change: I'll be in Kinetic Cab Company camp, on Esplanade at 9.

Now.... Is the Concert Grand still on??? Hello? Crossroader?

Elorrum · Post by **Elorrum** » Sat Jul 10, 2010 9:44 pm

[youtube][/youtube]

FIGJAM · Post by **FIGJAM** » Sat Jul 10, 2010 10:04 pm

[youtube][/youtube]

FIGJAM · Post by **FIGJAM** » Sat Jul 10, 2010 10:13 pm

[youtube][/youtube]

Elliot · Post by **Elliot** » Sun Jul 11, 2010 7:12 am

Hmmm.... Regrettably, my pooter has no sound card.

Elorrum · Post by **Elorrum** » Sun Jul 11, 2010 9:27 am

I hear that old piano from down the Avenue
I smell the pine trees, I look around for you
Oh, my sweet, sweet, sweet old someone coming through the door
It's Saturday and the band is playing
Honey, could we ask for more

talito · Post by **talito** » Mon Jul 19, 2010 11:39 pm

would you really destroy a steinway concert grand? say it ain't so. that makes me weep. where would one play it before destruction time?

Elliot · Post by **Elliot** » Wed Jul 21, 2010 12:23 am

Talito, as I understood it, this is a Steinway Concert Grand that is so damaged that it is not really restorable.

But.... We don't seem to be hearing any more from the guy, so it may not happen at all. In which case... I will provide one of my uprights instead.

The place is the Booby Bar, on A near 3:15.