Original Message 1/18                 Date: 31-Dec-01  @  12:31 PM   -   is there a reason for this

monkeyboy

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this could be the stupidest question asked in this forum, but i was wondering why there is a black key missing on the keyboard? what i mean is that there is no E sharp/F flat, why is this? ive got the jist of the layout- 8 notes...12 semitones, but i dont understand WHY these semitones are not there. does any one know or is it just a case of 'because it is'?

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Message 2/18                 Date: 31-Dec-01  @  01:14 PM   -   RE: is there a reason for this

bedwyr

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e sharp is f & f flat is e

the major scale of c goes tone tone tone semitone tone tone tone cdefgab and so a keyboard is layed out like that.

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Message 3/18                 Date: 01-Jan-02  @  12:11 PM   -   RE: is there a reason for this

monkeyboy

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Message 4/18                 Date: 01-Jan-02  @  04:06 PM   -   RE: is there a reason for this

bedwyr

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stupid me, there's a tone too many at the start.

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Message 5/18                 Date: 11-Jan-02  @  10:43 AM   -   RE: is there a reason for this

Boxwell

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If you want to know about the theory behind it look up information on the temperate scale.(I think I've spelt it correctly) It's a bit of a compromise really and also slightly confusing. Dates back a long time ago.

Hope this is of help

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Message 6/18                 Date: 11-Jan-02  @  05:10 PM   -   RE: is there a reason for this

knowa

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realize that "e sharp" and "f" are just names and and your perception that there is a missing note is due to the arbitrary layout of a standard keyboard. if there were nothing but white keys to trigger all the same tones would it still seem like there's a missing note?

I think that the keyboard is layed out as it is due to a combination of ergonomics and tradition.
and it's not a dumb question at all--I'd be quite interested to find out why the keyboard is layed out as it is.

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Message 7/18                 Date: 12-Jan-02  @  11:15 AM   -   RE: is there a reason for this

xoxos

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bedwyr mentioned it already   it's cos of the c major scale, dude.

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Message 8/18                 Date: 12-Jan-02  @  11:44 AM   -   RE: is there a reason for this

bedwyr

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innit. it's not really ergonomics, if you give the notes of the c scale the same size (width) bit of fake ivory coated mdf then there is only 5 places where you need semitones (black keys).  

it doesn't really matter that it's a c scale either. how about a microtonal piano?

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Message 9/18                 Date: 12-Jan-02  @  09:03 PM   -   RE: is there a reason for this

xoxos

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heh heh.. thaat's riight.. thaat's the reason.. now no one will suspect as those black keys sit there ubiquitously, silently seeping their poison code of twos and threes onto the populace through their unwitting musicians..

old sow got caught in the fence last spring..

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Message 10/18                 Date: 16-Jan-02  @  06:02 PM   -   RE: is there a reason for this

sitar

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The missing black keys are usually stuck with double face tape underneath or behind the soundboard. Take the piano apart and if you find them you can squeaze them into place.

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