“The Typewriter” is a novelty orchestral showpiece completed on 9 October 1950; Anderson scored it for full orchestra with a real typewriter used as a solo percussion instrument (three principal sounds: typing, the carriage return bell, and the carriage return). The piece was first recorded/performed in a Decca session with the Boston Pops on 8 September 1953 and quickly became a staple of light-music and pops programming.

Structurally it is a single compact movement of under two minutes, built on a catchy, motoric motif that allows the typewriter to imitate rhythmic typing while the orchestra supplies melodic and harmonic support. Performance demands tight ensemble timing and clear projection of the mechanical sounds (often supplemented by a desk bell for the carriage return), and the piece remains a popular encore and novelty item in orchestral repertoire.