The piano was invented circa 1700 by Italian harpsichord maker Bartolomeo Cristofori. The word piano is a shortened version of the Italian term pianoforte, meaning “soft-loud.” The piano earned this descriptive name thanks to a unique trait: unlike its predecessors such as the clavichord and harpsichord, the piano lets the player control the dynamics (volume) of the sound from soft to loud.
The piano has a few other traits that have helped it earn the nickname “the king of instruments.” These include:
- Tonal range: Notes on the piano cover the full spectrum of orchestral instruments, from below the lowest note of the double bassoon to above the highest note of the piccolo.
- Self-sufficiency: The piano can produce melody (single notes) and accompaniment (chords) simultaneously. Most other instruments generate either melody or accompaniment but not both at the same time.
- Versatility: The piano lends itself to almost any genre of music, from classical to rock.
Types of Pianos
Traditional pianos come in a variety of sizes and one of two distinct configurations: the grand piano and the upright piano. A modern adaptation is the digital piano.
Grand Pianos
The frame and strings of a grand piano are parallel to the floor, with the strings extending away from the keyboard. Grand pianos come in sizes ranging from 4 1/2 feet long (baby grand) to 9 1/2 feet long (concert grand). Longer pianos deliver better sound. Thus, concert grands are almost always used for public performances, whereas baby grands are called upon when space and cost are considerations.
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Upright Pianos
An upright piano (also called a vertical piano) is more compact than a grand piano because its frame and strings are perpendicular to the keyboard. Though upright pianos lack repetition levers (mechanisms that allow pianos to quickly repeat a note), the very best uprights now approach grand pianos in terms of tone quality and responsiveness. Uprights range from 36–60″ high.
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Digital Pianos
First introduced in the 1980s, the digital piano uses digital sampling technology to reproduce the sound of each piano note. Sophisticated digital pianos replicate the “feel” of the real thing with working pedals and weighted keys that respond like those of a traditional piano. However, even the most sophisticated digital pianos lack the nuances of tone and timbre that top-quality traditional pianos produce.
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