Reverse colour keyboard

[Gill the Piano]

A customer saw a piano whose sharps were white and naturals black. This was on the Bohemian Rhapsody film. Does anyone know whether these pianos are in production and if so, who makes them?

[chrisw]

Have seen organs and perhaps a harpsichord with reverse colour keys but don't recall seeing a piano.

[Gill the Piano]

Customer sent me a still from the film; it's a bog standard 1940s D'Almaine with reverse key covers applied - after all that! Thanks anyway...

[chrisw]

I'm not tempted to get the black and white paint out to reverse the key colours on my upright ! I have enough trouble distinguishing between the natural notes as it is.

[Gill the Piano]

I did say to her that a couple of pots of Dulux might be cheaper than a set of key covers...
Interesting how the black naturals/white sharps thing happened; all to do with the relative prices of ivory and ebony at different points in history, apparently.

[pianotechman]

I tuned an intriguing upright upright once, Royal blue case, Red sharpes/ white keys. I was informed it was a limited edition piano, [Alison I think] that had been made at the time of the coronation of George V !

[juliettealison]

The fortepiano that famous composer Mozart used in the 18th century. The instrument that Mozart used to write his late compositions till his death in 1791 had a mostly-black keyboard, with the white sharps standing out. Today, nobody knows for sure why the keyboard’s colors have been reversed. You can read more at thepiano.sg.