Pianists for Alternatively Sized Keyboards (PASK)
‘‘…the most challenging obstacle for embedding this idea into the piano world is the culture. Since the current keyboard size became the ‘standard’, anything outside ‘normal’ may be discriminated against.’
Dr Eri Yoshimura & Dr Kris Chesky, Texas Center for Music & Medicine, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, USA. ‘The application of an ergonomically modified keyboard tor educe piano-related pain’. ‘ MTNA e-Journal, November 2009.
A recent doctoral dissertation at the University of North Texas surveyed piano students and faculty members from universities across the USA. Many of the responses illustrate widespread ignorance and misinformation about the topic of hand size in relation to the conventional piano keyboard. A copy can be downloaded here: https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1248515/?fbclid=IwAR14ad2V9zvuZZZS5x9ZaN8ossosasT95Ts0UVZi3GK8kP8jh1C0nUiJ1nQ
From the Editor of Clavier Companion magazine, Sept/Oct 2015, Pete Jutras: ‘I’m excited about the opportunities that smaller-sized keyboards present for our profession and for the musical world. I’m excited about the opportunities these keyboards create to help pianists play comfortably and avoid injury. I’m excited about the practice applications and the fact that these keyboards can help pianists direct more focus to tone and artistry’.
A global action network: Pianists for Alternatively Sized Keyboards (PASK) was launched in August 2013. Visit the website: www.paskpiano.org
Please email: pianos@cicadabay.com if you’d like to be directly involved or receive email updates from time to time.
If you are on Facebook, this is the PASK site:
https://www.facebook.com/pask.piano
There is also a closed group on Facebook for those interested in discussions with others: https://www.facebook.com/groups/PASK.Action/
PETITION TO MANUFACTURERS
PASK has launched a petition to piano manufacturers in December 2015: NEED PIANO KEYBOARDS THAT FIT OUR HANDS. Please sign this petition (CLICK ON LINK AT BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE) and forward to as many of your friends and contacts as possible via email and social media. Include groups or organisations of piano teachers and piano technicians, as well as pianists and their parents. Even if you are not a pianist yourself, you will be helping many others around the world who love the piano and want this revolution to come soon. We need to tell the manufacturers that there is a huge potential market for these keyboards!’
PASK YouTube channel
PASK has its own YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiQ0iwCWFsGjZ1QI41KSBg
For three videos that summarise the key issues, show performances and share the experiences of pianists, and present facts on hand size, go to the ‘PASK Videos’ playlist:- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHBn-VaaOCGe0Q5RFTjH05s5ASxVy-_la . These are well suited to use in presentations. Japanese versions are also available on the same playlist.
For videos of performances on alternatively sized keyboards, go to the ‘Alternatively Sized Keyboards in Action!’ playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHBn-VaaOCGcJDCJ8f-BZx5VZS-IXcxDi
For recent media stories, see this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHBn-VaaOCGcfrUsklI1GztxTaaGj5sPh
For personal stories and see pianists try these keyboards for the first time, visit this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHBn-VaaOCGcAanKWSo7pCA0GFfQa7N1b
For videos by the piano industry, see this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHBn-VaaOCGcLBjxHVt-UNzsqz-xaOl0s
Contributions to this channel are welcome – they can be excerpts (comparisons of a pianist playing the same excerpt using the conventional and a smaller keyboard are particularly useful where the difference is apparent) or complete performances by professional or amateur pianists of any age on a keyboard with narrower keys. If you have a movie to contribute, please be in contact via: pianos@cicadabay.com
PASK Handouts
The following PASK summary documents are available for download here:
- Summary for Pianists and Teachers. http://smallpianokeyboards.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/PASK-Pianist-Teacher-Hand-out-_August-2017.pdf
- An Opportunity for the Piano Industry (English). http://smallpianokeyboards.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/PASK-Piano-industry-hand-out-_Oct-2016.pdf
- An opportunity for the Piano Industry (Japanese). http://smallpianokeyboards.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Japanese-version-PASK-Piano-industry-hand-out-_Oct-2015-hs.pdf
- One-page summary for industry. http://smallpianokeyboards.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/PASK-Industry-one-pager_Jan-2019.pdf
- Summary for the Media. http://smallpianokeyboards.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/PASK-Media-summary-_August-2017.pdf
- Quotes and Personal Stories. http://smallpianokeyboards.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/PASK-Quotes-and-stories_March-2018.pdf
- Common objections or questions and suggested responses. http://smallpianokeyboards.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/PASK-Common-objections-and-responses_July-2018.pdf
- FAQs. http://smallpianokeyboards.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/PASK-FAQs_March-2018.pdf
- Relevant websites and QR codes. http://smallpianokeyboards.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Relevant-websites-and-QR-codes.pdf
