PIANO



The piano, which is derived from pianoforte (Italian), means it plays both piano (soft) and forte (loud) tones. It replaced the earlier keyboard instruments, the clavichord and harpsichord, as it proved to be a more tone sensitive and powerful instrument which is extraordinarily expressive and versatile.

The loudness and softness of the note could be directly controlled by the amount of force exerted by the player's fingers on the keys.

The piano is seldom used as a member of the orchestra. It is often heard as a solo instrument or in the solo part of a piano concerto, with the whole orchestra accompanying it.

The strings are placed vertically in the upright piano and horizontally in the grand piano.

HISTORY
The piano was invented at the beginning of the 18th century (1709) by Bartolomeo Cristofori in Florence, Italy. The intention was to combine the more expressive qualities of the clavichord with the clarity of the harpsichord. The clavichord was the earliest type of stringed keyboard instrument, which was very expressive but lacked tone power. The harpsichord, whose strings are plucked, possessed sparkling clarity but lacked flexibility.

As the keyboard makers learned how to make instruments more flexible in creating greater nuances, the harpsichord began to lose popularity. On the other hand, the piano gained popularity towards the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th centuries and composers such as Schubert and Beethoven began to write music specially for the piano.

SOUND PRODUCTION Sound is produced when the strings are struck by wooden hammers connected to the keys. When a key is depressed, the hammer moves forward, strikes the strings and then quickly bounces back. At the moment of striking, the damper (a small felt pad) which normally presses on the strings is released. This allows the strings to vibrate freely and come to rest, or until the finger releases the key, which immediately returns the damper to the strings to silence it. The only difference in sound production in a grand piano is that the hammers hit the strings from below as the strings are stretched out horizontally. Behind the strings is the resonator which amplifies the sound of the strings and enhances their tone-quality. The strings on the right-hand side of the piano are made shorter and thinner to produce higher notes, otherwise known as, treble notes. Those on the left-hand side are longer and thicker for producing bass notes. There are three strings for each higher note, while each lower note has two strings. The extreme bass notes have only one string each as they are spun with very thick wire.
PEDALS There are three pedals on the piano for different functions: The Sustaining Pedal - This is the pedal on the right, also known as the damper pedal. When it is depressed, it removes the dampers from the strings. The notes are held even when the keys are being released. This enriches and sustains the sound. The Sostenuto Pedal - This is the pedal in the middle. When it is depressed, it holds the selected note or chord. It softens the sound of the note or notes. (This is only applicable to the grand piano.) The Soft/Una Corda Pedal - This is the pedal on the left. It makes the tone muted and soft when it is depressed. (The soft pedal works differently on the grand piano and upright piano. On the grand piano, the soft pedal shifts the action sideways so that the hammer will strike only one string instead of three. On the upright piano, the pedal moves the hammer nearer to the strings so that they strike with less force.) It was during Beethoven's time that the sustaining pedal was invented, adding greatly to the tonal effects available. It has also contributed greatly to 19th and 20th century piano music.