Here’s a recording of someone playing a piano by bowing, plucking, striking, etc. To my ear, it’s a stunning sound.
http://www.npr.org/programs/asc/#scott
Best wishes,
Jerry
That’s really an intresting sound. I’ve been inside my piano recently doing some work on the thing. I may have to try this next time I’m in there.
I’d love to SEE this done.
I remember a percussion ensemble back about 1980 doing the bowing thing on the strings. James Dutton percussion ensemble maybe? They used lengths of string or horsehair with loops on the end and produced the tones by drawwing the string across (actually under) the piano. I think they may have used bows on marimbas too maybe.
Stephen Scott was born in Corvallis, Oregon, in 1944 to scientifically trained parents who were also talented amateur musicians. Early study of music included tutoring in recorder in Bristol, England, clarinet and saxophone in elementary and secondary school bands, and private study and transcription of recordings by Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Gil Evans, Oliver Nelson and John Coltrane in high school.
Formal training in composition was at the University of Oregon and Brown University, with field studies in African music undertaken in Ghana, Tanzania and Zimbabwe in 1970.
Scott is professor of music at Colorado College. He has served on the faculty of The Evergreen State College and as visiting composer at the Aspen Music School, New England Conservatory, Princeton University, University of Southern California, and at several universities and conservatoria in Australia.
Awards have included the New England Conservatory/Rockefeller Foundation Chamber Music Prize (1980) and a National Endowment for the Arts Composers’ Fellowship (1985-86). Scott is listed in New Grove’s Dictionary of American Music and Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, and his work is discussed in several books on twentieth-century music. His bowed piano composition “The Tears of Niobe” represented the United States at the 1991 Internatioinal Rostrum of Composers in Paris.
Discography:
Minerva’s Web; The Tears of Niobe: works scored for grand piano bowed and plucked by ten musicians; 1990 (New Albion, NA026)
New Music for Bowed Piano: The Colorado College New Music Ensemble; 1984 (New Albion, NA004 LP)
Vikings of the Sunrise: Bowed Piano Ensemble of Colorado College; 1996 (New Albion, NA084)
Collections:
“Rainbows, Part I”: for piano with ten players, appears on Portraits collection including works by Ingram Marshall, Somei Satoh, Paul Dresher, Daniel Lentz, and John Adams; 1986 (New Albion, NA009)
Bowed piano unique
By Jessica Del Curto
Published: Monday, January 12, 2004
Article Tools: Page 1 of 1
Media Credit: Courtesy of Stephen Scott
The Colorado College Bowed Piano Ensemble will perform Jan. 17 at Keller Hall.
http://www.dailylobo.com/news/2004/01/12/Culture/Bowed.Piano.Unique-579790.shtml
When one thinks of the traditional piano performance, a bench, a grand piano and a single musician might come to mind.
On Jan. 17, the Bowed Piano Ensemble will defy the limits of traditional piano music at UNM’s Keller Hall by throwing all of these conceptions out the door.
The student ensemble, which has been performing since the 1970s under the direction of Stephen Scott, a professor of music at Colorado College, has literally stripped the piano of all its conventions. Taking the top off the instrument, the 10-member ensemble gathers around the piano in a circle and, using homemade bows, strikes the strings to create sound.
“Really, it is kind of like an orchestra, only with one instrument,” Scott said. “Each person has their own music that they can play, creating a layered sound.”
To keep the music from sounding stale, Scott and his group are constantly figuring out innovative ways to play the strings.
“Through experimentation we have come up with guitar picks and piano hammers that have been taken out of older pianos,” he said. “We also use a nylon fish line, which creates a soft bow. Also a piece of wood with horse hair is rubbed up and down against the string of the piano.”
Scott said that 10 people is the largest number of musicians he can get around the piano and still have space to move.
“Even 10 gets complicated, so we have to choreograph our movements so that we don’t cause an injury or ruin the piece,” he said. “We end up spending a lot of time in rehearsal.”
Their fourth CD, Paisajes Audibles, which will be released soon on Albany Records, includes vocals for the first time. Soprano soloist, Victoria Hansen will be singing, as well as a chorus of the ensemble members themselves. The CD is a recording of the performance they will be touring with.
Scott, who is the composer, also plays in the ensemble.
“I like playing it too much to not play myself,” he said.
This also gives Scott a chance to conduct from inside the piano.
“You can’t really conduct this group since everyone is facing each other in a circle. In this way, we are sort of like a string quartet or chamber music. We all watch each other and respond.”
Scott said it is very difficult to describe the music of his ensemble, and it is a completely different experience to see a performance in that it is almost like a choreographed dance around a piano.
“I will tell you one thing it doesn’t sound like,” he said. “It doesn’t sound like a piano.”
Hey Jerry, this is totally OT (even with your thread), but since I just traveled through upstate NY (in the sticks no less) I was wondering how far upstate you are. Are you anywhere near Ogdensburg or Plattsburgh?
200 miles from Plattsburgh. I’m about 40 miles north of Syracuse.
Best wishes,
Jerry
97 miles from Ogdensburgh. Pretty much due south.
Best wishes,
Jerry
Ok, I know exactly where you mean. My husband’s family is primarily in Ogdensburg, but he also has a sister in Watertown. It seems that I drove past you when we were on I-81. 
Yup.
I tried this with my Yamaha keyboard and got a terrible shock. 
Actually, I think the basic idea here is quite old although Stephen Scott seems to have taken it to new heights. I’ll try to name some people who (I think) dabbled in inside playing. I don’t have reference books handy to check. There was a brief vogue for it in the late 60s/early 70s.
In the Western concert tradition, John Cage and Henry Cowell come to mind.
In the jazz tradition, I seem to remember Keith Jarrett doing this stuff in his Charles Lloyd/hippy days. I also recall the great Jackie Byard trying it.
In the rock world, Keith Emerson certainly mucked around with the insides of both pianos and organs both in the Nice and Emerson, Lake and Palmer. He pioneered the drone on Hammond organ by holding down notes with a dagger—very Celtic, eh? I’m pretty sure that both Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard would have made noises with the inside of a piano but in their case it was probably an accidental offshoot of an overenthusiastic dance on the top.
I think it’s called “the prepared piano”, when you prime the strings with the insertion of various items .
A well-known prepared piano performer is Margaret Leng Tan, who was Singapore-born, but who now makes her home in the USA. She’s also known for her performances on toy piano.
Wow…must not live far from me…I live in the subburbs of Syracuse…
~Crysania
Yes it’s called “prepared piano”…it was begun by John Cage.
Henry Cowell’s “The Banshee” is perhaps the greatest piece ever written that is played entirely on the inside of the piano. I saw it performed once and it’s an amazing piece. And it just SOUNDS like a banshee. If you ever get a chance to, listen to it!
He also wrote a neat piece called “Aeolian Harp,” which is played on the inside of the piano.
~Crysania
I guess this is a “what goes around comes around” thing. The original idea for the piano came from the hammered dulcimer. Played with hand-held sticks, the piano is basically a hammered dulcimer. With bows, it’s basically a (very poorly designed) bowed psaltery.
Charlie - was going to suggest the same thing, hammered dulcimer.
There is also someone making little hand held bows (they kinda wrap around your fingers) for the hammered dulcimer - I’ve not heard them in use, however.
And, plucking the strings is how certain harpsichords work.
Missy
I think that’s how ALL harpsichords work, if I remember right…
~Crysania
My daughter played a piece by John Cage for her masters degree recital at UNCG where she played the strings inside the piano. It was really neat. Especially so because, well, she’s my daughter! 
Oh yeah, I play the hammered dulcimer but don’t play the piano. I wish I played the dulcimer as well as my daughter plays the piano. :roll:
Cheers,
Kathy
OT - but:
HI KATHY!!!
Missy