Keyboard instrument
The Piano
Hardly any instrument is as versatile as the piano: it can carry melody and accompaniment at once, is as convincing solo as in an ensemble, and for many people it is the very first way into music.
At a glance
The piano is a keyboard instrument and at the same time both a stringed and a percussion instrument: pressing a key sends a felt-covered hammer against taut strings. Its wide compass of 88 keys (seven octaves plus a few further notes) makes it the most complete of all solo instruments — whole orchestral works can be played on it.
History & origins
Around 1700 in Florence, the Italian Bartolomeo Cristofori built the first instrument that could play both loudly (“forte”) and softly (“piano”) depending on how firmly a key was struck — hence the name “pianoforte”. Neither the harpsichord nor the clavichord had offered that dynamic range in this form. Over the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the piano was refined ever further and became the most important domestic instrument of the middle classes; composers such as Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin and Liszt shaped its repertoire decisively.
Construction & how it works
Pressing a key sets a hammer in motion through a finely balanced action; the hammer strikes one or more strings and immediately falls back so that the string can vibrate freely. When the key is released, a damper settles back onto the string and stops the note. The vibrations pass through a bridge to the soundboard, which amplifies the sound. There are two basic designs:
- Grand piano: horizontal strings and a longer case — preferred in concert for its full sound and precise action.
- Upright piano: vertical strings and a compact case — the classic instrument for the home and for lessons.
Sound & tuning
A modern piano is tuned in equal temperament, meaning the octave is divided into twelve equal semitone steps. As a result the instrument sounds equally good in every key. Most notes are produced by two or three strings tuned together, which gives the sound its fullness. Because string tension changes over time, a piano should be tuned regularly by a specialist — as a rule once or twice a year.
Playing & technique
The piano is played with both hands across the whole keyboard; typically the right hand takes the melody and the left the accompaniment and bass — though both hands are equal partners. The pedals widen the expressive range: the right pedal (sustain) lifts the dampers so that notes continue to ring; the left (una corda) makes the sound softer and quieter. A relaxed hand and arm position, a good ear for dynamics and the coordination of both hands are the essential foundations.
Role & repertoire
The piano is at home in almost every kind of music: in classical music as a solo, chamber and accompanying instrument, in jazz as the harmonic backbone, and in pop, rock, film music and song accompaniment. Because it can present harmony and melody at the same time, it is also excellent for understanding music theory — many players of other instruments use the piano as their “thinking instrument”.
Getting started at our music school
Piano lessons can begin at almost any age — with us often from around five years old, but equally as a teenager or an adult. To start with, a well-maintained acoustic piano or a good digital piano with a weighted keyboard and 88 keys is enough. Everything else — from the right posture to your first piece — you learn step by step in your lessons.