Piano

Japan's Hakuhodo i-studio has teamed up with the Yamaha Corporation to allow professionals and beginners alike to take part in live piano duets with an AI-powered partner at South by Southwest (SXSW) this week at the Austin Convention Center in Texas.

​The One Piano learning system is claimed to teach tunes in minutes, but if students already had a piano at home, they'd have to stump up for another. That's now been solved with the launch of the Piano Hi-Lite, an LED light strip that can sit at the back of any 88-key piano keyboard.​

It may be best known for the iconic hand-wired amplifiers and shapely guitars, but Vox Amps started out as a keyboard manufacturer. In the early 1960s, an instantly-recognizable combo organ affectionately known as the Connie was released. Now, a new and improved Vox Continental has been unleashed.

​Following lights on a guitar or piano can help students learn to play at their own pace, at times that suit them and in the comfort of their own home. Yamaha has merged app-based learning with a game-like follow-me lighting system that allows users to quickly learn and play favorite songs.​

Many musicians are also dedicated gearheads and tinkerers. And a good number of garage hackers are musicians. When both creative passions merge, wondrous things happen. We've selected a few of our favorite one-off instrument creations to whet your appetite for homebrew sonic experimentation.

Roland has arrived at CES in Las Vegas with two new keyboards, one aimed squarely at beginners and another for those who want to learn how to play. In both cases, Roland says that the onboard sounds all come from its pro-level synths and pianos.

The TR-909 drum machine was launched 33 years ago. Roland marked the 909's birthday with a 24-hour product release party that included a DJ controller, a new plug-out synth, some BOSS guitar amps and a digital saxophone.

​Last year, Yamaha added over 20 new products to its multi-room streaming platform. That momentum has slowed down a little this year, but the company threw a curve ball at the weekend by announcing that its Disklavier Enspire reproducing piano had been welcomed into the MusicCast family.

The 88-key MPiano digital controller was developed in partnership with the Porsche Design Studio and features adjustable keyboard action so that musicians can choose precisely how the device feels to play, from the solid, weighty keys of a concert grand to a light and springy tabletop synth.

Software developer and freelance maker Liam Lacey has transformed a vintage acoustic toy piano into a two-voice polyphonic digital synthesizer. What would Charlie Brown's Beethoven-obsessed friend Schroeder make of it?

Yamaha has revealed its new reface series mini keyboards, which give a respectful nod in the direction of classic Yamaha electronic keyboards, and boast tactile sound controls, onboard effects and built-in speakers.

Students using the One piano learn to play on a real piano with the help of synced LED lights and a smartphone app. Its creators are now bringing the learning system to the United States.