The Piano

Listen to the sound of a Piano

The Piano is a keyboard instrument derived from the harpsichord and the clavichord. It has the qualities of both a string and a percussion instrument. It is played when you press on the piano keys which produces sound by striking its inbuilt strings with felt hammers.

It is one of the most popular and versatile instruments in the world, used in most music genres.
The word piano is a shortened form of the word pianoforte, which derives from the original Italian name for the instrument and means "soft-loud".

A person who plays the Piano is called a Pianist. It is suitable for children from five upwards, although some may start earlier.

The three key Piano types are Upright Grand and Digital (including keyboards).

Bass bridge

The bass bridge supports the bass strings on the Piano in transmitting their vibration to some other structural component of the instrument and the soundboard which then amplifies the sound to the surrounding air.

Treble bridge

The treble bridge supports the treble strings on the Piano in transmitting their vibration to some other structural component of the instrument and the soundboard which then amplifies the sound to the surrounding air.

Treble strings

The treble strings are the vibrating elements that form the source of the treble sound from the piano

Tuning/Wrest pins

The tuning/wrest pins are metal pins inserted in the keyboard to hold and tune the piano strings.

Keys/Keyboard

The set of depressible black and white keys on the Piano (typically for playing the twelve notes of the Western musical scale) that repeats at the interval of an octave. Depressing a key on the keyboard causes the instrument to produce sounds

Bass strings

The bass strings are the vibrating elements that form the source of the bass sound from the piano

Soundboard/Sounding board

The Soundboard/Sounding board is the part of the Piano that transmits the vibrations of the strings to the air, greatly increasing the loudness of sound over that of the string alone

Damper

The damper is a felt-topped strip of wood which, when in place on a piano string, keeps the string from vibrating

Hammer Action

Pressing a key on a piano keyboard causes a felt-covered hammer to rise up and strike a string which creates sound.

Pedals

Right (Sustain/Damper) - Removes the dampers from all strings allows them to vibrate freely. This serves two purposes. It assists the pianist to play smoothly connected notes. Pressing/Raising the damper pedal also causes all the strings to vibrate sympathetically with whichever note is being played, enriching the piano's tone. Middle (Sostenuto) - Sustains only those notes that are depressed at the same time that the pedal is depressed, allowing future notes played to be unaffected. Left (Soft/Una Corda) - Shifts the whole action including the keyboard slightly to the right, so that hammers that normally strike all three strings for a note strike only two of them. This softens the note and also modifies its tone quality.

Modern acoustic pianos come in two basic configurations and several sizes: These are : -

The Grand Piano
The Upright Piano

Key distinguishing factors

The Grand Piano has its frame and strings placed horizontally, with the strings extending away from the keyboard whilst the Upright Piano also called the Vertical Piano is more compact as its frame and strings are vertical. Its hammers move horizontally, and are returned to their resting position by springs
Grand Pianos come in different sizes, a rough generalization distinguishes the Concert grand from the parlour grand or boudoir Grand and the smaller Baby Grand. Longer pianos have better sound and lower dissonance of the strings so that full-size Grand Pianos are almost always used for public concerts, whereas Baby Grand's are only for domestic use where space and cost are crucial considerations.
Upright Pianos also come in different sizes, the Upright Grand Piano, the Studio Piano and the
Console Piano which is a few inches shorter than studio model.

Keys
Almost every modern piano has 88 keys (# of Black and White Keys) and each key plays a different note. It is played by pressing the keys on a keyboard. This causes a small felt-covered hammer to strike steel strings. Each key is connected to its own hammer or set of hammers which hit a specific string or number of strings and it vibrates and makes a sound that is tuned to a specific note. The hammers rebound, allowing the strings to continue vibrating at their resonant frequency. These vibrations are transmitted through a bridge to a sounding board that more-efficiently multiplies the acoustic energy in the air. When the key is released, a damper stops the string from vibration. Multiple keys can be played at the same time to create chords and harmonies.

Dampers
In addition to the hammer, the piano also has a damper. This is covered with felt pad and keeps the strings from vibrating when they are not being played. When you press a key the damper is lifted from the string to allow it to vibrate. When you release a key, the damper moves back onto the string to stop the vibration.

Strings
A typical piano may have as many as 230 strings. This is because many of the high notes have 3 strings, some lower notes have 2 strings, and the very low notes only have 1 string.

Pedals
All pianos have 2 or 3 pedals operated by the foot. The following explains which each pedal does.

Damper pedal (Also known as Sustaining or Loud pedal)

The Damper Pedal is the most frequently used. This is the rightmost pedal in the group. Every note on the piano, except the top two octaves, is equipped with a damper. When the damper pedal is pressed, all the dampers on the piano are lifted off at once, allowing every string to vibrate, creating a louder and sustained sound. The strings are termed to vibrate sympathetically.

Soft pedal (Also known as "Una Corda")

The Soft Pedal is the leftmost in the row of pedals. On a Grand Piano, this pedal shifts the action to one side slightly, so that hammers that normally strike all three of the strings for a note strike only two of them. This softens the note and also modifies its tone quality. On Upright Pianos, the Soft pedal is replaced by a mechanism for moving the hammers resting position closer to the strings. This reduces the volume, but does not change the tone quality.

Sostenuto pedal (Middle pedal)

The Sostenuto pedal was the last of the three pedals to be added to the standard piano. Its purpose is to maintain in the raised position any damper that was raised at the moment the pedal was depressed. It makes it possible to sustain some notes (depress the Sostenuto pedal before releasing the notes to be sustained) while the player's hands have moved on to play other notes.

Digital piano
In addition to the Grand and Upright piano, the digital piano came into being in the 1980’s. The major difference between an acoustic piano and a digital piano is its mechanism for producing sound.

An acoustic piano as already stated produces its sounds when you press on the piano keys which produces sound by striking its inbuilt strings with felt hammers. In contrast, in the digital piano each key is a switch to produce a specific sound. When a key is pressed, the sound is produced through an electronic tone generator which is amplified using a speaker.

Major advances in technology have enabled digital pianos to reproduce sounds very close to those of an acoustic piano. Even the feel of the keyboard can be closely simulated using various devices.

The instrument was made famous in its early years by many classical composers, including Hayden, Mozart and Beethoven and although not portable and often expensive, the piano's versatility and ubiquity have made it one of the world's most familiar musical instruments.

A person who plays the Piano is called a Pianist.

History
Learn more about the history of the Piano through various time periods.

Buying a Piano
Upright and Grand Pianos are heavy in weight, take up a fair amount of space and expensive if new.

Accessories
Take a look at the different accessories a Piano has and what they are used for.

Faults & Repairs
Guidance on the some common faults and repairs for Piano owners.

Types of Piano

There are 3 main types of Piano, These are often resized and combined to construct others like the Baby Grand Piano, Electric Baby Grand Piano and the Electric Upright Piano.

Grand Piano – This is the largest, most majestic and expensive piano type. They are characterized by horizontal soundboards, which can stretch up to 4 ft. (front to back). The soundboard is encased in a supportable opening platform that lifts upwards on the right. Dampers lie on top of the strings, adjacent to the hammers (also horizontal). The internal construction is braced with form-holders, usually made of wood, as well as the small equipped metal reinforcements. The casing is essentially "bottomless", allowing one to see the soundboard support base, also of reinforced wood, which technically acts as the base. Keys consist of wood coated in ivory, or sometimes pure ivory, depending on the piano's manufacturers and classification. The grand piano has a standard of 88 keys. Most of these pianos have sheet music stands. A retractable cover slides over, or folds down on the keys.

- Baby Grand Piano - Is a smaller version of the regular grand piano. It has an 88-key set up, just like the grand piano does, but has a smaller soundboard therefore not as loud as the grand piano.
Upright Piano – This is the most common type of acoustic piano and can be frequently found a living room or parlor. It costs less depending on the model and is more compact offering a warm sound. The soundboard is vertical, with strings that stretch downward and horizontal hammers and dampers. The hammers strike horizontally and are returned to resting position by springs, taking slightly longer than a grand piano's hammers. The support base of the soundboard is visible on the backside, as well as wooden reinforcements. Although often depicted as inferior to the grand piano, some rival a typical grand in terms of tone quality and loudness. Like the grand, upright pianos vary in material construction.

Electronic Piano - This is suitable for beginners or moving performers, and are the most affordable. It does not have the qualities of an acoustic but sound continues to improve for the high-end and mid-range instruments. Quality varies greatly, some with hollow keys, while others try to replicate the feel and weight of acoustic keyboards. In addition to the features of an acoustic piano, electric pianos have a variety of sounds and settings such as organ, guitar, string, choir, and percussion. The numerous sounds on some keyboards make it virtually a portable band. Other pianos have limited functions, but this is better for someone trying to replicate an acoustic and save money.

True electric pianos have a professional appearance and good materials (mostly plastic), as well as touch-sensitive features and sometimes equipped frames. Most have connectors for pedals and computer interactive abilities. They never need to be tuned, and rapidly becoming more popular in modern bands. The electric piano also has the advantage of allowing the user to practice silently with headphones at times when doing so would otherwise disturb people. The few drawbacks include technological infancy and the requirement of a power supply.

Related instruments

Harpsichord
Clavichord
Percussion instruments
String instruments

Learn

The best way to learn to play the piano is to find an experienced and patient teacher in your local area. Sometimes, lessons can also be arranged via your child’s school where they may have a visiting teacher.

If you cannot find a local teacher, another option is to use online tutorials. There are many such resources available on the internet.

Below are just a few examples of what is available : -