Plucked and Hammered String Action

Showing development in music with a change in technology

At the Schubert Club in Saint Paul, the music of Franz Schubert is kept alive, along with the culture that surrounds it. In showing some of the differences between then and now it was important to display the differences between plucked and hammered strings. The development of hammered strings gave birth to the piano and an extra dimension of musical expression on the keyboard. The visitor can play two keys to produce a sound from the same string, one plucked and one hammered. The sound resonates through a custom fiberglass soundboard.

Date:       Autumn 2009

Skills:     Mechanics, prototyping, fabrication