The Slide Piano: Exploring the creative application of electric slide guitar techniques to the strings of anacoustic piano through hybridised musical instrument design approaches

This research explores the question of how the techniques of electric slide guitar playing can be applied to an acoustic piano to arrive at new performative and compositional outcomes. Situated within the field of hybridised musical instrument design, this practice-based project centres on the creation of a new instrument, the Slide Piano, where the cast iron frame and strings of a piano are adapted to allow for the exploration of electric slide guitar approaches, such as open tunings and continuous pitch control, whilst maintaining timbres and textures traditionally associated with the piano.

Through a practice-based methodology, the adaptation of the instrument involved a process of trial and error, contextualised by research into alternative piano designs and informed by the Slide Piano’s response to the application of electric slide guitar conventions. The process involved experiments in improvised performance using techniques such as portamento, vibrato and string damping. It also led to the development of new approaches that include alternative striking methods and the augmentation of the piano’s natural acoustic response with electronic guitar-oriented sound production. Advancements in the Slide Piano’s design crystallised these performative improvisations into complete compositions which reflect the hybridised nature of the instrument.

Three new creative works are presented as live audiovisual recordings. The first work Sculptures in the Garden explores the conversion of electric slide guitar techniques to the Slide Piano through the use of live looping and phrase sampling. The second work In Cage/In Flight interrogates the percussive and timbral potential of the Slide Piano, while the final composition Lux Nocturna is the culmination of the Slide Piano’s idiosyncratic development, presented in the context of a sound/light art installation. The application of electric slide guitar techniques to the Slide Piano has enabled new possibilities for composition and performance within the field of hybrid instrument design.