Evolution of the Keyboard Interface: The Bosendorfer 290 SE Recording Piano and the Moog Multiply-Touch-Sensitive Keyboards

In Alfred Dolge's classic book Pianos and Their Makers, we learn that archetypes of the keyboard date to antiquity and that clavis (keys) came into use on church organs almost a thousand years ago (Dolge 1911). As a musical interface, the keyboard has enjoyed remarkable longevity. Judging by its popularity on electronic musical instruments, the keyboard shows every sign of thriving for another millennium. The keyboard offers the musician rapid, sensitive articulation of multiple sounds and/or events and provides an arguably effective stand-in for ensemble players, particularly in more informal situations.