Virtual Piano

The 19th century saw a large number of free reed harmoniums blossom in churches and then in schools and other establishments. Practicality prevailed over the acoustic and sound qualities of the small positive organs of yesteryear. Harmoniums and other free-reed instruments were sturdy and relatively accurate, without the need for frequent tuning.

The handheld free reed organs of that time were manufactured according to the same principle of bellows. Unlike the church harmonium, on which the air is compressed by a pedalboard, the bellows of the tiny instrument is moved by one of the musician's hands. Only one hand can therefore play on the keyboard, unless of course a third person is delegated to this task alone .
While these handheld harmoniums have been replaced by other systems in the West, they are still very present in Indian music, with a switching mechanism that allows the 22 notes (shrutis) of Indian music to be played on only 12 keys per octave.

Electric keyboards were dominant in the 20th century until the 1970s. These large cases contained an electric engine that produced the necessary air overpressure. They often weighed several kilos or tens of kilos, were almost indestructible but offered musicians only a rather ridiculous pitch range... sometimes barely more than an octave!

Then, the miniaturization of electronics turned (as in many fields) the weight/capacity ratio of keyboards upside down. The era of synthesizers saw the development of instruments at a very low price (and of very uneven quality) and replaced the harmonium of the past by entertaining instruments with multiple sounds. The old French name "guide-chant", which used to designate pocket keyboards has disappeared. Now, we just talk about "keyboard" or "synthesizer"...

Computers, tablets and smartphones are taking us to the final stage in the evolution of these keyboards. Virtualization of the concept participates now in the very wide dissemination of this universal instrument. So, virtual piano doesn't replace the hardware instruments but can be a great alternative to it in some cases. Through an application or a simple web page like the one you are reading right now, everyone can easily pianoze their favourite melody on their computer or smartphone. Awesome !

This virtual piano, which papiermusique.fr offers, allows all singers to rehearse effectively, even in minimalist conditions. Don't forget, however, that its primary vocation remains playful, so that everyone can "play" music !