The History Of The Modern Piano

Admin — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 09:53:38 +0000

One of the most popular types of musical instruments in the world is the piano. It has existed for hundreds of years and inspired performers from Mozart to Elton John, to put their fingers on the keys to bring awe-inspiring music to the entire world.

An instrument that makes noise when strings are struck by a keyboard has been around for a very long time, most notably in the form of the hammered dulcimers. However, the modern piano came into being in 1698, when Bartolomeo Cristofori invented it while working as the Keeper of the Instruments for Prince Ferdinand de Medicini.

The early piano was built on the technological innovations of previous inventions, including the clavichord, which uses strings struck by tangents, and the harpsichord, which is struck by quills. It is not surprising that the harpsichord played such a large role in the creation of the piano, given that Cristofori was an expert in the making of harpsichord.

Typically, piano design had a problem that caused the construction to be nearly impossible to built, which was the hammers needed to struck the string but not remain in contact. Cristofori solved this problem and his designs have been used by nearly every piano designer since that point.

It was not until 1711 that the piano became known to the public after an Italian writer praised it and included a diagram of the mechanism. After this, it became widely distributed around Europe. One instrument that was spawned by this proliferation of piano designs, was the piano.

Since that point, the piano has gone through surprisingly few changes, with the exception of the pedals which are used to dampen all the keys at once. However, without the piano, we would have never heard the music of Mozart, Beethoven, or any of the other giants of music that have dominated the landscape of the song for the past 200 years.

The piano has become so popular, that many children in North America and Europe go through piano lessons in their youth to teach them about music. Often, unlike the drums or guitar, the piano is seen as the high-class instrument, played by the intellectuals of the world.

The truth is, the piano is for everyone and its cheaper cousin, the keyboard, can be played by anyone who wants to learn. Despite its history and high-class myth, the piano has been the first instrument many people have learned, including some of the hardest rocking rock stars in pop culture history.

Today piano’s come in different shapes an sizes. There are two main shapes, the grand piano shape which the strings are parallel to the floor. These are used in concerts and professional venues of playing. The second type of piano is the upright. This type of piano has the strings perpendicular to the floor. These are used for practicing and home use. These models are much more compact the the grand piano style.

Both of these come in different sizes. The number of keys, eighty eight remains the same. The difference is that a larger instrument resonates more than a smaller model and has a richer , more complex sound.

By: Victor Epand

A Short History of the Piano

Admin — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:00:09 +0000

If you’re thinking of taking piano lessons — or if you already take them — it’s a good idea to learn something about the long musical tradition in which you will be participating. After all, nobody’s choice to play piano is made in a vacuum. No, we decide to learn the instrument because of its special musical qualities and its unique history.

Unlike piano-playing children, whose lessons are often strongly urged upon them by parents, adult piano players like to have as much knowledge about our instrument as possible. Such knowledge not only enhances the experience of playing, but it also motivates us to play with care and respect for our piano masters. This is true for both those who read music and those who play by ear.

Most piano players are aware that the instrument’s modern name is actually a shortened version of its original name, “pianoforte,” which is a compound of the Italian words for “soft” and “loud.” This name was given to the new instrument in order to differentiate it from its forbear instrument, the harpsichord, whose volume range is far less flexible than that of the piano.

While earlier instruments such as the harpsichord generate sound by plucking strings, the piano was the first instrument to successfully generate sound by striking strings. Invented around 1700 by the Paduan instrument-maker Bartolomeo Cristofori, the revolutionary mechanism of the piano, with hammers that return to the rest position immediately after striking, made possible a far greater degree of control and nuance than previous instruments.

With good reason, second-generation pianos — which came soon after Cristofori’s and his followers’ groundbreaking developments — are commonly referred to as “Mozart-era” pianos. Mozart, whose work was both the pinnacle and the embodiment of music during the second half of the 18th century, was an immensely popular figure even in his time. His decision to play, compose for, and perform on the piano did more to popularize the instrument than any other single person has done. Because so many of his works, great and small, popular and obscure, were composed and published for piano, Mozart’s music has always been a major selling point for the instrument.

By the time Mozart passed away in 1791, the Industrial Revolution had begun to take hold of Europe, dramatically transforming all aspects of life, including music and the arts. In the early 1800s, technological progress allowed the piano to evolve almost wholly into the modern instrument we play today.

Advancements in technology related to the piano’s steel strings and iron frame came just in time for use in Beethoven’s later works. Some musical historians have even suggested that the amazing musical and acoustic genius of Beethoven’s final works simply would not have been possible earlier in the composer’s life. This is thanks to changes made to the piano, the instrument that Beethoven loved above all others.

By the end of the 1800s, the piano had all but fully developed into the instrument we have now. This is why piano works by Romantic and Modernist composers such as Chopin, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Debussy, and Stravinsky sound as if they could have been written today. Also, thanks to the instrument’s unprecedented power and range, as well as groundbreaking piano works by Beethoven and others, these composers were able to expand the instrument far beyond its early, harpsichord-influenced repertoire. In short, the vast range of 20th century music — from traditional compositions, to experimental orchestral music, to jazz, blues, and rock music — would not have been possible without the piano.

And here we are today, proudly carrying the piano tradition into the 21st century. As you already know, the piano is now commonplace in middle-class American households. Many children grow up listening to their parents play, and many become pianists themselves at a very early age. Plus, as scientific studies continue to show the health benefits of playing music throughout life, recent years have seen a surge in adult music. Because of its beauty, simplicity, versatility, and its long and storied history, the piano is the top choice for budding adult musicians.

By: Duane Shinn

Learning History | History Education | Historical Oregon » Hammers

The History Of The Modern Piano

A Short History of the Piano