• Question: what in your opinion is the best engineered musical instrument?

    Asked by wiki.wiki.chlo to Andrew, Eleanor, Emma, Withdrawn on 17 Mar 2016.
    • Photo: Andrew Pidgeon

      Andrew Pidgeon answered on 17 Mar 2016:

      Great question. I think it would have to be the electronic keyboard. Loads of fancy electronics in there that have more power than the rocket that went to the moon (in electronic processing terms)

      you?

    • Photo: Eleanor Sherwen

      Eleanor Sherwen answered on 17 Mar 2016:

      I play the piano and I genuinely think the upright piano is an excellent piece of engineering. The mechanism is precise yet durable and performs brilliantly to make beautiful sounds. The way the strings are routed round inside an upright piano allows it to get a good warm tone without taking up as much space as a grand piano, meaning it’s easy to fit into the home. The pedals allow you to create all sorts of effects, one of my favourites is hitting the una corda which switches you onto one string per note instead of three. The way the hammers rest on the strings when you’re not pressing the key allows you to create an interesting effect by holding a cord down silently and letting notes you play with your other hand harmonise with it – I like the demonstration of the engineering principle of resonance. And the piano is a very functional instrument with a wide range of notes, so that it can be used for lots of different playing styles, I admire the practical focus.

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