What goes into building the world’s finest – and most expensive – pianos? I was recently invited to record an album with international flute superstar Jasmine Choi at the famed Bösendorfer piano factory. We recorded in the factory showroom for three days on a magnificent 9′ Bösendorfer Model 280 VC! After the recording sessions were done, I had an opportunity to tour the actual factory itself to see how these amazing pianos are crafted.
Read MoreMany folks think that playing the piano is like using a typewriter: press a key, you get a note. But on a typewriter, there are two main limitations: 1. You can't change what each "note" looks like, and 2. You can't repeat that "note" very quickly. What makes the piano action truly remarkable is its ability to provide a nearly infinite range of volume and texture for each note, as well as its ability to enable incredibly fast repetitions, all with a minimum of physical effort. Despite less than half an inch of motion from the top of the key to the bottom of its stroke, the piano action can provide an incredible amount of power from the finger to the hammer that strikes the piano string. I like to call this, "bio-mechanical amplification"! In this video, we explore the inner workings of how the piano action works, and how that translates to provide the piano player with true 3D control of the piano sound.
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