Playing the QWERTY Keyboard
(In colaboration with Paulo Cezar Carvalho.)
Abstract: Computer hardware and music softwares have evolved to such a level that, in our days, it is possible to compose high quality music using only a simple laptop equipped with the proper applications. However, the interface for entering musical notes in softwares running on laptops has not evolved. If music writers and performers want a reasonable way to interact with musical applications, they usually have to make use of an external MIDI Keyboard, i.e., a piano-like interface, what can be a problem when mobility is a concern. This work has two purposes. First, to introduce a simple mapping between the keys of the QWERTY keyboard and the notes of pentatonic and heptatonic musical scales, thus presenting an alternative to the external musical interfaces. Second, to urge computer manufacturers to implement the necessary properties for the QWERTY keyboard to be fully used as a musical input device, especially regarding polyphony and key-down velocity.
Video