Keyboards for the Bohlen-Pierce Scale
Bohlen-Pierce Scale music can be performed on the AXIS keyboard by C-Thru Music by simply rearranging the key colors. The note names are referencing Bohlen-Pierce Scale notes (hence, the H’s and J’s). These diagrams are life-sized, so you can print it out and practice your technique until you can buy one of these amazing keyboards! :)
Lambda Mode on the harmonic table
This layout is based on Lambda mode in the Bohlen-Pierce Scale, with the dark blue keys representing the base notes at the start of each tritave, and the black keys corresponding to where the black keys fall on the “traditional” Lambda BP keyboard (below). I tried this out on an AXIS and it works well for playing chords and modes, but is confusing visually with the black keys all connected.
C6
C4
C4
C5
C5
C5
C6
C6
C3
C3
C3
C2
C2
C2
C4
C#6
A5
B5
A#5
J6
E6
F6
G6
H6
D6
H#6
F#6
C#6
E6
F6
D6
F#6
J5
G5
H5
H#5
E5
F5
F#5
A5
A#5
J5
G5
H5
H#5
F#6
G5
H5
H#5
E5
F5
F#5
C#6
D6
E5
F5
B6
A5
A#5
J5
B6
F#6
H#6
H#6
G6
H6
A6
J6
A6
J6
E6
F6
G6
H6
A6
C#5
D5
F#5
D5
C#5
D5
C#5
B4
A4
A#4
J4
G4
H4
H#4
F#4
F4
B4
A4
A#4
J4
H#4
B4
A#4
B3
A3
A#3
J3
G3
H3
H#3
F#3
F3
E4
E4
E4
E3
E3
E3
H3
H3
H#3
J3
E2
E2
E2
H#4
F#4
C#4
A#3
F#4
C#4
H#3
A#3
C#4
G3
F#3
F3
G4
H4
D4
D4
D4
A4
J4
G4
H4
F4
F4
B3
B3
F#3
D3
D3
F3
G3
J3
A3
H#2
A#2
C#3
F#2
C#2
H#2
A#2
C#3
F#2
C#2
H#2
A#2
C#3
F#2
C#2
D3
F2
H2
G2
D2
J2
A2
B2
B2
A2
J2
H2
G2
D2
F2
B1
B2
A2
J2
H2
G2
D2
F2
B1
B1
A3
C6
C4
C4
C5
C5
C5
C6
C6
C3
C3
C3
C2
C2
C2
C4
C#6
A5
B#5
B5
J6
E6
F6
G6
H6
D6
H#6
F#6
C#6
E6
F6
D6
F#6
J5
G5
H5
H#5
E5
F5
F#5
A5
B5
J5
G5
H5
H#5
F#6
G5
H5
H#5
E5
F5
F#5
C#6
D6
E5
F5
B#6
A5
B5
J5
B#6
F#6
H#6
H#6
G6
H6
A6
J6
A6
J6
E6
F6
G6
H6
A6
C#5
D5
D5
C#5
D5
C#5
B#4
A4
B4
J4
G4
H4
H#4
F#4
F4
B#4
A4
B4
J4
H#4
B#4
B4
B#3
A3
B3
J3
G3
H3
H#3
F#3
F3
E4
E4
E4
E3
E3
E3
H3
H3
H#3
J3
E2
E2
E2
H#4
F#4
C#4
B3
F#4
C#4
H#3
B3
C#4
G3
F#3
F3
G4
H4
D4
D4
D4
A4
J4
G4
H4
F4
F4
B#3
B#3
F#3
D3
D3
F3
G3
J3
A3
H#2
B2
C#3
F#2
C#2
H#2
B2
C#3
F#2
C#2
H#2
B2
C#3
F#2
C#2
D3
F2
H2
G2
D2
J2
A2
B#2
B#2
A2
J2
H2
G2
D2
F2
B1
B#2
A2
J2
H2
G2
D2
F2
B#1
B#1
A3
Dur II Mode
This layout is based on Dur II mode in the Bohlen-Pierce Scale (see Dur II BP piano below). Although I believe Lambda should be the reference mode, Dur II mode is visually better for the Axis, with the black keys nicely separated. The only difference between Lambda and Dur II modes are the A#’s and B’s. This is the layout I settled on before giving the AXIS to Berklee College of Music. I told them to think of it as Lambda mode, but with the A#'s and B's switched for visual purposes.
Bohlen-Pierce Scale piano based on Dur II Mode
Bohlen-Pierce Keyboard Built by Heinz Bohlen in 1972
Of all the crazy things, Heinz Bohlen’s original BP keyboard looks exactly like the one I just drew out (above) for Dur II, the mode I settled on for the Axis instead of Lambda. I realized this after-the-fact.
Lambda Mode with MIDI note numbers remapped (using Max)
This layout is also based on Lambda mode, but the MIDI note numbers are shifted over to the right 1 key for each row. It looks cool, but is awkward to play, and requires separate software to remap the MIDI note numbers.
C4
E4
F#4
C#4
A#3
D4
G4
H4
F4
B3
A3
C5
E5
C#5
A#4
D5
F5
B4
A4
C4
E4
C#4
A#3
D4
F4
B3
A3
C3
E3
C#3
A#2
D3
F3
B2
A2
J3
H4
H#3
J4
H#4
C4
E4
F#4
C#4
D4
G4
H4
F4
C5
E5
F#5
C#5
D5
G5
H5
F5
C5
E5
F#5
C#5
D5
G5
F5
C3
E3
F#3
C#3
D3
G3
H3
F3
C3
E3
F#3
C#3
D3
G3
H3
F3
C3
C#3
A#2
D3
B2
A2
E4
F#4
D4
G4
H4
F4
C5
C#5
A#4
B4
A4
J4
H#4
H5
H#5
C6
E5
F#5
G5
A#5
A5
J5
H#5
H#5
C6
A#5
A5
J5
H5
F5
G4
B4
A#4
H4
D5
A4
H5
A5
J5
F5
B4
F#5
A#5
F#4
F#3
H#3
F#3
A#3
H#3
C4
C#4
D4
A#3
H#3
A3
C3
A#2
B2
A2
J2
H#2
J3
F#3
B3
A2
J2
H#2
J2
H#2
H2
A3
J3
H3
A3
J3
B3
A#4
B4
A4
J4
H#4
A#5
A5
J5
C#6
C6
C#4
B5
J5
H#5
A#2
B2
E3
F3
G3
H3
J2
H#2
G2
H2
G3
G5
B5
B5
B5
J4
H#4
Bohlen-Pierce Scale piano based on Lambda Mode
I mapped this keyboard out during my research at NYU in 2001. I have yet to build one and try it out!
B#1