Rhodes piano

The Rhodes piano (also known as the Fender Rhodes piano) is an electric piano invented by Harold Rhodes. It became very popular in the 1970s. Unlike a regular piano, the Rhodes piano uses thin metal tines that vibrate next to an electromagnetic pickup. The sound travels through a cable to an external keyboard amplifier and speaker.

Harold Rhodes created the piano while teaching soldiers after World War II. After the war, he kept improving the instrument. In 1959, Fender began selling a smaller version called the Piano Bass. The full-size Rhodes piano came out after Fender was sold to CBS in 1965. During the 1970s, many jazz, pop, soul, and rock musicians played the Rhodes piano.

By the 1980s, the Rhodes piano was used less because of new polyphonic and digital synthesizers like the Yamaha DX7. In 1987, the company was sold to Roland, which made digital versions of the piano. Harold Rhodes did not agree with these changes. In the 1990s, people became interested in the Rhodes piano again, and Harold Rhodes got control of the rights in 1997. Even though he passed away in 2000, the Rhodes piano is still made today, and his teaching methods are still used.

Features

The Rhodes piano makes sound when you press its keys, just like a regular piano. But instead of strings, it has thin metal bars called tines. When you press a key, a small hammer hits a tine, making it vibrate. This vibration creates electricity that can be sent to an amplifier to make the sound louder.

Some Rhodes pianos, like the Suitcase model, have their own built-in amplifier. They also have a feature called tremolo, which makes the sound wobble a little. The Rhodes piano’s sound is softer and smoother than a regular piano, and it can make a nice “bell-like” tone when played.

History

Harold Rhodes started teaching piano when he was 19 years old. He stopped studying at the University of Southern California in 1929 to teach people to play piano during the Great Depression. He taught a mix of classical and jazz music, and many people liked his way of teaching.

During World War II, Rhodes made small pianos from airplane parts to help soldiers feel better in hospitals. After the war, he made an electric piano that did not have strings. People called it the “Pre-Piano” or “Bantam Piano.” In 1958, he worked with Leo Fender to make more instruments. Fender started making the Rhodes piano in 1965. These pianos became very popular in the 1970s.

Notable users

The Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek began using the Rhodes piano when his band started in 1965. He played special basslines and used the Rhodes in the studio.

The Rhodes piano grew popular in jazz in the late 1960s. Famous musicians like Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea used it, especially when playing with Miles Davis. It was also used by Vince Guaraldi for music in A Charlie Brown Christmas, and by Billy Preston during the Beatles' rooftop concert. Many other well-known artists, including Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles, used the Rhodes in their music too.