Here’s another example of using a mallet to get sounds out of my piano. In this case, instead of striking the main part of the string, I let the mallet bounce on the small piece of string after the bridge. This part of the piano is traditionally not used to create sound and the pitches are quite high and not tuned, similar to the area between the tuning pegs and the nut of a guitar.

The result is a microtonal collection of tones that just slightly vary in pitch as I drag the mallet across the strings. There is also a warm low frequency ambiance to the recording created by the natural resonance of the piano.

Piano Bridge Taps

This dissonant phrase of piano was created by using a metal mallet to gently taps the stings on the piano in the upper register. I’ve been experimenting with getting some unique sounds out of my piano by not using the keyboard.

Not all of these recordings are dissonant or unsettling, but these kind of techniques lend themselves to creating nice suspenseful or disturbing passages. Eventually I’ll post some excerpts of some pieces I have created using these sounds.

Metal Piano Mallet