TEXT-MUSIC for Piano

Take a text consisting of a number of words, phrases, or sentences. Prepare the keys of the piano in the following way: A key somewhere in the middle of the keyboard is marked with the first letter of the chosen text. The next keys of the same colour, alternating to left and right (or vice versa) are treated with the succeeding letters in the text; if a certain letter occurs a second time, it should be dropped, and instead the next letter which has not yet occurred taken, until every letter of the text is represented on the keyboard.

This procedure is then repeated with the keys of the other colour, and then yet a third time, without taking the colour of the keys into consideration.

The text can now be 'played' according to the three key-colour-systems - and one can

1. play the letters singly, or together as syllables, words, phrases (in their order of appearance in the text) or even an entire sentence - in all cases, the sound should be repeated as often as the number of syllables it contains,

2. change the position of the right-hand pedal (between depressed and released), the loudness (between loud and soft), and the length of the sound (between short and long) at best only at change of syllable, and the key-colour at best only at change of word.

Clarence Barlow Cologne, 4th April 1971