Take the C Train

In this piece, no normal piano sound is being played. Instead, the low piano plate is struck with a clave, producing rich resonances which are sustained by sustain pedal. In the sostenuto pedal (3.P.), a overtone chord is held all over the piece which becomes only audible after the sustain pedal has been released.

Additionally, an E-Bow placed over the strings of the middle C excites this pitch which is an overtone of all the chordal components held in the sostenuto pedal.

This short piece is unfolding itself by the subtle interplay between the two pedals, the E-Bow and the silently depressed (and gradually released) key of middle C. By this, the piano is turned into a sort of filter bank that is excited by noise bursts (produced by the claves struck onto the piano plate) and a sine wave (produced by the E-Bow resonance of the middle C).

Listen

Score

The score of Take the C-Train can be downloaded for free. Please note that the music is protected by copyright.

Updated: 23 Aug 2011