The Typewriter is an instrumental piece by Leroy Anderson, written in in 1950. Its name refers to the fact that its performance requires a typewriter, which is used on stage: Keystrokes, the typewriter bell, and the carriage return mechanism provide a major component of the piece, although Anderson demonstrated that a musical gourd could be used instead of a carriage return. The typewriter is modified so that only two keys work; although many listeners have suspected that stenographers are enlisted to "play" the typewriter, Anderson reported that only professional drummers have sufficient wrist flexibility. It has been called one of "the wittiest and most clever pieces in the orchestral repertoire".
