Taped Upright Piano

One night not so long ago, I was playing piano. I’ll admit, it was rather late or early – depending on your perspective. Anyway, I figured my neighbours (let along my lovely lady) wouldn’t be super pleased to be awoken by my self-indulgent Piano-plunking. The softening pedal not really doing enough, I though ‘aha! what about some brown paper parcel tape!’.

And so that’s exactly what I did. I stuck a good amount of tape down and voila! The Taped Upright Piano was conceived and I haven’t been ejected from the house or street!

Admittedly it wasn’t for another few weeks until I could borrow some SM57’s and a couple of mic stands, that I managed to record.

I think the Taped Upright Piano has most of it’s beauty in the mid-registers and played softly, but there are two dynamic layers, two round robins and mechanical release sounds. It’s not perfect but to be honest I think it sounds more authentic like this! I’ve tried it in a few different genres and it works well layered up, great in quiet dance music styles & quiet sections for EDM genres. It’s also worked wonders for trailer music and as an intimate accompaniment for voice.