Transposing piano

Transposing piano (Fr.: piano transpositeur; Ger.: Transpositionsklavier), piano that saves the performer the need of transposing, generally by means of a shifting keyboard that causes the hammers to strike the neighboring strings. The first patent for such an action was granted 1801 to Edward Ryley. Roller of Paris made a model with a keyboard that could be shifted either up or down, from 1 to 3 semitones each way. See also: crescendo, piano-orphéon, royal Albert transposing piano…