| The piano was invented by Bartolomeo Cristofori in | | | | and as you move up the notes are composed of two |
| Florence, Italy during the early 1700s. | | | | and eventually threestrings, which are all pressed down |
| Since then, the piano has been submitted to many | | | | by the hammer at the same time. The metal frame |
| changes. The piano is an instrument that has | | | | keeps thestrings in tension. The strings are attached to |
| akeyboard and strings. The piano is similar to the | | | | metal spikes on the metal frame at one end, and |
| clavichord and the harpsichord, but still they all | | | | theother end is attached to metal pieces called pins. |
| differfrom one another in the way they make sounds. | | | | You tune the piano by tightening or loosening thesepins. |
| In the clavichord, the strings are struck by | | | | The soundboard enhances the vibration of the strings |
| tangentswhich always touch the string. In the | | | | by resonance. |
| harpsichord, strings are plucked by quills and the piano | | | | The keyboard is made up of white keys and black |
| hasstrings which are struck by hammers which | | | | keys. A regular piano usually has 88 keys,but this can |
| bounce back and allows the string to vibrate at will. | | | | vary. The keys on the piano use the lever-principle to |
| The word piano comes from Italian name | | | | function. When you press down onone of the keys on |
| gravicembalo col piano e forte, which is the | | | | the keyboard, the rear part of the key rises and |
| originalnamely given to the instrument. This name | | | | causes the escapement to pushthe hammers down, |
| traduces to harpsichord with soft and loud, which | | | | bounce off the string, and return to its position. The |
| meansthe ability the piano has to produce notes at | | | | damper rises so the stringscan vibrate at the same |
| different amplifications, depending how hard you | | | | time the hammer touches the string. |
| pressthe keys.There are two types of pianos, which | | | | The piano usually has two pedals, but some can have |
| are the grand piano and the later invented uprightpiano. | | | | three. The pedal to the right is themain pedal used in |
| All pianos consist of four parts, which are the case, the | | | | playing. This pedal is used to rise the damper and |
| tailpiece, the keyboard, and the pedals. | | | | extend the sound. The pedal onthe left is used to play |
| The case contains all the strings and the devices that | | | | softer. |
| produce the sound. Grand pianos havea horizontal | | | | Now a day there are hundreds of prestigious piano |
| case, while upright pianos have a vertical case. The | | | | brand names. Some which are |
| tailpiece is made up of the strings,the metal frame, and | | | | Bosendorfer, Baldwin, Steinway, Boston, Kawai, Kimbal, |
| the soundboard. The strings are made of steel. The | | | | Petrof and Yamaha. A Grand Piano has a pricerange |
| lower notes on the pianocontain one string per note, | | | | from about $10,000 to about $400,000. |