tack piano
Illustration — Thumbtacks such as these are sometimes pushed in the hammers of a piano to give the instrument a more percussive sound. • Illustration — Piano hammers to which metal strips have been glued to give the special sound A tack piano (also known as a harpsipiano, jangle piano, and junk piano) is a modified ordinary piano, in which objects such as thumbtacks or nails are placed on the felt-padded hammers of the instrument at the point where the hammers hit the strings, giving the instrument a tinny, more percussive sound. It is used to evoke the feeling of a honky-tonk piano. Tack pianos are commonly associated with ragtime pieces, often appearing in Hollywood Western saloon scenes featuring old upright pianos.
Also recorded as Honky Tonk Piano
tack piano
Julo · Public domain
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- musical instrument
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Illustration — Thumbtacks such as these are sometimes pushed in the hammers of a piano to give the instrument a more percussive sound. • Illustration — Piano hammers to which metal strips have been glued to give the special sound A tack piano (also known as a harpsipiano, jangle piano, and junk piano) is a modified ordinary piano, in which objects such as thumbtacks or nails are placed on the felt-padded hammers of the instrument at the point where the hammers hit the strings, giving the instrument a tinny, more percussive sound. It is used to evoke the feeling of a honky-tonk piano. Tack pianos are commonly associated with ragtime pieces, often appearing in Hollywood Western saloon scenes featuring old upright pianos.
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In this article
Honky-tonk piano
The instrument was originally used for classical music performances as a substitute for a harpsichord.
A honky-tonk piano has a similar tone to a tack piano; however, the method of obtaining its sound is different, and simply involves one or more strings of each key being slightly detuned, without the use of tacks. The resultant sound produces acoustic beats in a manner similar to undulating organ stops.
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- Wikidata, structured authority record Q7673920: tack piano
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- “Tack piano”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
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These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Everett, Walter. The Foundation of Rock: From "Blue Suede Shoes" to "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes". Oxford University Press. 70. 2009. 978-0-19-531023-8.
- 2.Malvinni, David. Experiencing the Rolling Stones: A Listener's Companion. Rowman & Littlefield. 89. 2016. 978-0-8108-8920-0.
- 3.Miller, Leta. Selected Keyboard and Chamber Music: 1937–1994. A-R Editions. 41. 1998. 978-0-89579-414-7.
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