From Neil Young to Sonic Youth and on down, detuned guitars have long been a source of slurred-droney-goodness. But what happens when you apply concept to a larger stringed instrument? Andrew Wedman, who combines the inquisitiveness of an improvising musician with the technical know-how of a piano tuner, has decided to find out. The result is the bass piano — a standard piano tuned down a full octave to A220. Joe Strutt had a chat with Wedman to find out more about this concept. You can release the tension and hear the results for yourself at Wavelength 583 this Sunday at Creatures Creating.

Wavelength: Besides being a musician, you have a technical background as a piano tuner. For this show you’re credited with "piano alterations" (which also sounds like a cool band name). How long does it take to detune one down an octave?

Andrew Wedman: It takes about 5 days to get the tuning to be relatively stable on the bass piano. Piano strings are surprisingly resilient. Every day I detune the piano, and everyday it springs back up in pitch a little. I just have to wrestle with it a little until it relaxes at its new low-tension state.

WL: How did you first encounter the bass piano?

AW: I have always been interested in altered “instruments” whether that was Casio keyboards, warped records or tape manipulation. Also, the John Cage prepared piano works blew my mind as a teenager. Once I trained as a piano technician, it made sense to start deconstructing that instrument as well.

The bass piano came about in an attempt to save pianos going to the dump actually. There are a lot of old uprights out there that have loose tuning pins. That issue is usually too expensive to fix, the pianos can’t be tuned, so they get tossed. I thought, if you take all the tension off the strings maybe it could hold a tune, just down a full octave. And, I found that the timbre changes dramatically at the octave mark.

WL: When I listened to you playing the bass piano, I felt a sort of slurring, almost drunk vibe, with everything a bit out of focus from what you’d normally expect. How would you describe the tonal qualities of the bass piano?

AW: Drunk and slurring, yeah, that sounds like me. The bass piano sounds more like bells or steel drums. The tuning is never rock solid, so things are drifting around a little. Bizarre whistling harmonics pop out, the strings buzz together at louder volumes. Strange things happen.

WL: For your set, you'll be joined by Robin Buckley on percussion. Have you played together before? What kind of interplay do you expect?

AW: I love playing with Robin! I formed The Lethbridge Lodge some years back with Robin and Sandro Perri and wrote songs for that project. I was also in Robin’s free improv group CRAK, playing altered Casio. I think we just communicate really well musically. Plus, he is so handsome.

WL: You’ll also be accompanied by Sascha Mikloweit's video work. How does that affect the music?

AW: Sascha and I have been collaborating off and on since doing techno shows together in the early '00s in Germany. His visual work is oddly beautiful and subconsciously disturbing. My guess is that his work will translate into a special collection of sound vibrations that will break down all mental and emotional barriers of anyone present, our current system of rule will crumble and everyone will become free.

WL: And what do you do for an encore? Well, now I’m really looking forward to the show. Thanks for your time!

Wavelength Presents: "THE BASS PIANO" happens Sunday, December 1, 2013 at Creatures Creating Gallery, 822 Dundas Street West. Doors 7pm, show 8pm. $10 / PWYC