prepared piano explained
A piano whose sound is altered by placing objects on or between the strings
In Depth
John Cage invented the prepared [piano](/term/prepared%20piano) in 1940 when he needed percussion-like sounds for a dance piece but had only a piano available. By inserting bolts, screws, rubber, and felt between the strings, he transformed the piano into a one-person percussion orchestra. Each preparation alters the pitch, timbre, and decay of the affected notes. Cage's Sonatas and Interludes (1946–48) is the masterwork of the prepared piano repertoire, creating an extraordinarily varied sound world from a single instrument.
Cage's preparation instructions are so specific that each performance requires a setup time of two to three hours to place every object precisely according to his diagrams.