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{{redirect6|Pianoforte|earlier versions of the instrument|Fortepiano|other uses of "Piano"|Piano (disambiguation)}} |
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{{Infobox Instrument |
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| name = Piano |
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| image = Steinway Model D.JPG |
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| image_capt = [[Steinway & Sons|Steinway]] grand piano |
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| background = keyboard |
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| hornbostel_sachs = 314.122-4-8 |
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| hornbostel_sachs_desc = Simple [[chordophone]] with [[Musical keyboard|keyboard]] sounded by hammers |
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| inventors = [[Bartolomeo Cristofori]] |
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| developed = Early [[18th century]] |
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| range=[[Image:Range of piano.JPG|200px|center]] |
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}} |
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The '''piano''' is a [[musical instrument]] which is played by means of a [[keyboard instrument|keyboard]]. Widely used in [[Western music]] for solo performances, ensemble use, [[chamber music]], and [[accompaniment]], the piano is also very popular as an aid to [[musical composition|composing]] and [[rehearsal]]. Although not portable and often expensive, the piano's versatility and ubiquity have made it one of the world's most familiar musical instruments. |
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Pressing a key on the piano's keyboard causes a [[felt]] covered hammer to strike [[steel]] strings. The hammers rebound, allowing the strings to continue vibrating at their [[Resonance|resonant frequency]].<ref>"[http://demonstrations.wolfram.com/HammerTime/ Hammer Time]" by John Kiehl, [[Wolfram Demonstrations Project]].</ref> These vibrations are transmitted through a [[Bridge (instrument)|bridge]] to a [[sounding board]] that [[Coupling (electronics)|couples]] the acoustic energy to the air so that it can be heard as sound. When the key is released, a damper stops the string's vibration. Pianos are sometimes [[musical instrument classification|classified]] as both [[percussion instruments|percussion]] and [[string instrument|stringed instruments]]. According to the [[Hornbostel-Sachs]] method of music classification, they are grouped with [[chordophone]]s. |
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The word ''piano'' is a shortened form of the word ''pianoforte'', which is derived from the original [[Italian language|Italian]] name for the instrument, ''clavicembalo ''[or ''gravicembalo'']'' col piano e forte'' (literally ''[[harpsichord]] with soft and loud''). This refers to the instrument's responsiveness to keyboard touch, which allows the [[pianist]] to produce notes at different dynamic levels by controlling the speed with which the hammers hit the strings. |
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==History== |
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===Early history=== |
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{{see also|Fortepiano|Bartolomeo Cristofori}} |
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[[Image:Grand Piano 1781 France - Louis Bas.jpg|thumb|Grand piano by Louis Bas of [[Villeneuve-lès-Avignon]], France, 1781. Earliest French grand piano known to survive; includes an inverted wrestplank and action derived from the work of Bartolomeo Cristofori (ca. 1700) with ornately decorated soundboard.]] |
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[[Image:FortepianoByMcNultyAfterWalter1805.jpg|thumb|Early piano replica by the modern builder Paul McNulty, after Walter & Sohn, 1805]] |
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The piano is founded on earlier technological innovations. The first [[string instrument]]s with struck strings were the [[hammered dulcimer]]s originating from the [[Persian traditional music]]al instrument [[santur]].<ref>David R. Peterson (1994), "Acoustics of the hammered dulcimer, its history, and recent developments", ''[[Journal of the Acoustical Society of America]]'' '''95''' (5), p. 3002.</ref> During the [[Middle Ages]], there were several attempts at creating stringed [[keyboard instrument]]s with struck strings,<ref>Pollens, 1995. chp. 1</ref> the earliest being the [[hurdy gurdy]] which has uncertain origins.<ref name=Baines>{{Cite journal|first=Anthony|last=Baines|title=Reviewed work(s): ''Die Drehleier, ihr Bau und ihre Geschichte'' by Marianne Bröcker|journal=[[Galpin Society|The Galpin Society Journal]]|volume=29|date=May 1976|pages=140–1|doi=10.2307/841885}}</ref> By the 17th century, the mechanisms of keyboard instruments such as the [[clavichord]] and the [[harpsichord]] were well known. In a clavichord the strings are struck by [[Tangent (clavichord)|tangents]], while in a [[harpsichord]] they are plucked by quills. Centuries of work on the mechanism of the harpsichord in particular had shown the most effective ways to construct the case, soundboard, bridge, and keyboard. |
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The invention of the modern piano is credited to [[Bartolomeo Cristofori]] (1655-1731) of [[Padua]], [[Italy]], who was employed by [[Medici|Prince Ferdinand de Medici]] as the Keeper of the Instruments. He was an expert harpsichord maker and was well acquainted with the previous body of knowledge on stringed keyboard instruments. It is not known exactly when Cristofori first built a piano. An inventory made by his employers, the [[Medici]] family, indicates the existence of a piano by the year 1700; another document of doubtful authenticity indicates a date of 1698.{{Fact|date=March 2008}} The three Cristofori pianos that survive today date from the 1720s.<ref>{{cite book |last= Erlich|first= Cyril|title="The Piano: A History"|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]], USA; Revised edition |year= 1990 |month= May |isbn= 0198161719 }}</ref> |
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Cristofori's great success was in solving, without any prior example, the fundamental mechanical problem of piano design: the hammer must strike the string, but not remain in contact with it (as a tangent remains in contact with a clavichord string) because this would [[Damping|damp]] the sound. Moreover, the hammer must return to its rest position without bouncing violently, and it must be possible to repeat a note rapidly. Cristofori's piano [[Action (piano)|action]] served as a model for the many different approaches to piano actions that followed. While Cristofori's early instruments were made with thin strings and were much quieter than the modern piano, compared to the clavichord (the only previous keyboard instrument capable of minutely controlled dynamic nuance through the keyboard) they were considerably louder and had more sustaining power. |
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Cristofori's new instrument remained relatively unknown until an Italian writer, [[Scipione Maffei]], wrote an enthusiastic article about it (1711), including a diagram of the mechanism. This article was widely distributed, and most of the next generation of piano builders started their work because of reading it. One of these builders was [[Gottfried Silbermann]], better known as an [[organ (music)|organ]] builder. Silbermann's pianos were virtually direct copies of Cristofori's, with one important addition: Silbermann invented the forerunner of the modern [[damper pedal]], which lifts all the dampers from the strings at once. |
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Silbermann showed [[Johann Sebastian Bach]] one of his early instruments in the 1730s, but Bach did not like it at that time, claiming that the higher notes were too soft to allow a full dynamic range. Although this earned him some animosity from Silbermann, the criticism was apparently heeded. Bach did approve of a later instrument he saw in 1747, and even served as an agent in selling Silbermann's pianos.<ref>{{cite book |last= Palmieri|first= Bob & Meg|title="The Piano: An Encyclopedia"|publisher=Taylor & Francis |year= 2003 |month= May |isbn= 9780415937962}}. "Instrument: piano et forte genandt" [was] an expression Bach also used when acting as Silbermann's agent in 1749."</ref> |
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Piano making flourished during the late 18th century in the [[First Viennese School|Viennese school]], which included [[Johann Andreas Stein]] (who worked in [[Augsburg]], Germany) and the Viennese makers [[Nannette Streicher]] (daughter of Stein) and [[Anton Walter]]. Viennese-style pianos were built with wood frames, two strings per note, and had leather-covered hammers. Some of these Viennese pianos had the opposite coloring of modern-day pianos; the natural keys were black and the accidental keys white.<ref name="vienna"> {{cite web |url=http://www.ptg.org/resources-historyOfPianos-viennese.php |title=The Viennese Piano |accessdate=2007-10-09}}</ref> It was for such instruments that [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart]] composed his [[piano concerto|concertos]] and [[piano sonata|sonatas]], and replicas of them are built today for use in [[authentic performance|authentic-instrument performance]] of his music. The pianos of Mozart's day had a softer, clearer tone than today's pianos or English pianos, with less sustaining power. The term ''[[fortepiano]]'' is nowadays often used to distinguish the 18th-century instrument from later pianos. |
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The modern piano (the pianoforte) was developed from the harpsichord around 1720, by Bartolomeo Cristofori of Padua, Italy. His new instrument had a delicate pianissimo (very soft sound), a strong fortissimo (a very loud, forceful sound), and every level in between. |
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The first upright piano was made around 1780 by Johann Schmidt of Salzburg, Austria. Thomas Loud of London developed an upright piano whose strings ran diagonally (in 1802), saving even more space. |
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===Development of the modern piano=== |
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{{listen |
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| header = Comparison of piano sound |
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| filename = Frederic Chopin - Opus 25 - Twelve Grand Etudes - c minor.ogg |
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| title = 19th century piano sound |
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| description = [[Frédéric Chopin]]'s [[Étude Op. 25, No. 12 (Chopin)|Étude Op. 25, No. 12]], on an [[Sébastien Érard|Erard]] piano made in 1851 |
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| format = [[Ogg]] |
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| filename2 = Frederic Chopin - etude no. 12 in c minor, op. 25.ogg |
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| title2 = Modern piano sound |
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| description2 = The same piece, on a modern piano |
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| format2 = [[Ogg]] |
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}} |
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{{details|Innovations in the piano}} |
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In the period lasting from about 1790 to 1860, the [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]]-era piano underwent tremendous changes that led to the modern form of the instrument. This revolution was in response to a consistent preference by composers and pianists for a more powerful, sustained piano sound, and made possible by the ongoing [[Industrial Revolution]] with technological resources such as high-quality steel, called [[piano wire]], for [[Strings (music)|string]]s, and precision [[Casting (metalworking)|casting]] for the production of [[Cast iron|iron frame]]s. Over time, the tonal range of the piano was also increased from the five [[octave]]s of Mozart's day to the 7¼ or more octaves found on modern pianos. |
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[[Image:Broadwood grand square action.svg|thumb|left|Broadwood square action]] |
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Early technological progress owed much to the firm of [[Broadwood and Sons|Broadwood]]. [[John Broadwood]] joined with another Scot, Robert Stodart, and a Dutchman, Americus Backers, to design a piano in the harpsichord case – the origin of the "grand". They achieved this in about 1777. They quickly gained a reputation for the splendour and powerful tone of their instruments, with Broadwood constructing ones that were progressively larger, louder, and more robustly constructed. They sent pianos to both [[Joseph Haydn]] and [[Ludwig van Beethoven]], and were the first firm to build pianos with a range of more than five octaves: five octaves and a fifth during the 1790s, six octaves by 1810 (Beethoven used the extra notes in his later works), and seven octaves by 1820. The [[Vienna|Viennese]] makers similarly followed these trends, however the two schools used different piano actions: Broadwoods were more robust, Viennese instruments were more sensitive. |
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[[Image:Erard double pilot action.svg|thumb|right|Erard square action]] |
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By the 1820s, the center of innovation had shifted to [[Paris]], where the Pleyel firm manufactured pianos used by [[Frédéric Chopin]] and the Érard firm manufactured those used by [[Franz Liszt]]. In 1821, [[Sébastien Érard]] invented the double escapement [[Action (piano)|action]], which permitted a note to be repeated even if the key had not yet risen to its maximum vertical position. This facilitated rapid playing of repeated notes, and this musical device was pioneered by Liszt. When the invention became public, as revised by [[Henri Herz]], the double escapement action gradually became standard in grand pianos, and is still incorporated into all grand pianos currently produced. |
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One of the major technical innovations that helped to create the sound of the modern piano was the use of a strong iron frame. Also called the "plate", the iron frame sits atop the [[Sounding board|soundboard]], and serves as the primary bulwark against the force of string [[Tension (physics)|tension]]. The increased structural integrity of the iron frame allowed the use of thicker, tenser, and more numerous strings. In a modern grand the total string tension can exceed 20 tons. The single piece cast iron frame was [[patent]]ed in 1825 in [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]] by [[Alpheus Babcock]], combining the metal hitch pin plate (1821, claimed by Broadwood on behalf of Samuel Hervé) and resisting bars (Thom and Allen, 1820, but also claimed by Broadwood and Érard). Babcock later worked for the [[Chickering and Sons|Chickering & Mackays]] firm who patented the first full iron frame for grand pianos in 1843. Composite forged metal frames were preferred by many European makers until the American system was fully adopted by the early 20th century. |
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Other innovations for the mechanism included the use of felt hammer coverings instead of layered leather hammers. Felt hammers, which were first introduced by Henri Pape in 1826, were a more consistent material, permitting wider dynamic ranges as hammer weights and string tension increased. The [[Sostenuto|sostenuto pedal]] (see below), invented in 1844 by [[Jean Louis Boisselot]] and improved by the [[Steinway & Sons|Steinway]] firm in 1874, allowed a wider range of effects. |
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Other important technical innovations of this era included changes to the way the piano was strung, such as the use of a "choir" of three strings rather than two for all but the lower notes, and the use of different stringing methods. With the [[cross-stringing|over strung]] scale, also called "[[cross-stringing]]", the strings are placed in a vertically overlapping slanted arrangement, with two heights of [[Bridge (instrument)|bridge]]s on the soundboard instead of just one. This permits larger, but not necessarily longer, strings to fit within the case of the piano. Over stringing was invented by [[Jean-Henri Pape]] during the 1820s, and first patented for use in grand pianos in the [[United States]] by Henry Steinway, Jr. in 1859. |
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[[Image:DuplexScaling.jpg|thumb|Duplex scaling: Treble strings of a 182 cm. grand piano. From lower left to upper right: dampers, main sounding length of strings, treble bridge, duplex string length, duplex bridge (long bar perpendicular to strings), hitchpins]] With duplexes or [[Aliquot stringing|aliquot]] scales, which was patented in 1872 by Theodore Steinway, the different components of string vibrations are controlled by tuning their secondary parts in octave relationships with the sounding lengths. Similar systems developed by [[Blüthner]] (1872), as well as [http://mediatheque.cite-musique.fr/ClientBookLineCIMU/recherche/NoticeDetailleByID.asp?ID=0162147 Taskin] (1788), and [[Collard & Collard|Collard]] (1821) used more distinctly ringing undamped vibrations to modify tone. |
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Some early pianos had shapes and designs that are no longer in use. The [[square piano]] had horizontal strings arranged diagonally across the rectangular case above the hammers and with the keyboard set in the long side. This design is attributed to Gottfried Silbermann or Christian Ernst Friderici on the continent, and [[Johannes Zumpe]] or Harman Vietor in England and it was improved by changes first introduced by [[Guillaume-Lebrecht Petzold]] in France and [[Alpheus Babcock]] in the United States. Square pianos were built in great numbers through the 1840s in Europe and the 1890s in America, and saw the most visible changes of any type of piano: the celebrated iron framed over strung squares manufactured by [[Steinway & Sons]] were more than two and a half times the size of Zumpe's wood framed instruments from a century before. Their overwhelming popularity was due to inexpensive construction and price, although their performance and tone were often limited by simple actions and closely spaced strings. |
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[[Image:Upright piano inside.jpg|thumb|left|The mechanism in upright pianos is perpendicular to the keys.]] |
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The tall, vertically strung upright grand was arranged like a grand set on end, with the soundboard and bridges above the keys, and tuning pins below them. The term was later revived by many manufacturers for advertising purposes. Giraffe, pyramid and lyre pianos were arranged in a somewhat similar fashion in evocatively shaped cases. |
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The very tall cabinet piano was introduced about 1805 and was built through the 1840s. It had strings arranged vertically on a continuous frame with bridges extended nearly to the floor, behind the keyboard and very large ''sticker action''. The short cottage upright or pianino with vertical stringing, made popular by [[Robert Wornum]] around 1815, was built into the 20th century. They are informally called ''birdcage pianos'' because of their prominent damper mechanism. Pianinos were distinguished from the oblique, or diagonally strung upright made popular in France by Roller & Blanchet during the late 1820s. The tiny [[spinet]] upright was manufactured from the mid-1930s until recent times. The low position of the hammers required the use of a "drop action" to preserve a reasonable keyboard height. |
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Modern upright and grand pianos attained their present forms by the end of the 19th century. Improvements have been made in manufacturing processes, and many individual details of the instrument continue to receive attention. |
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===History and musical performance=== |
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{{main|Piano history and musical performance}} |
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Much of the most widely admired [[piano repertoire]], for example, that of [[Joseph Haydn|Haydn]], [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]], and [[Ludwig van Beethoven|Beethoven]], was composed for a type of instrument that is rather different from the modern instruments on which this music is normally performed today. Even the music of the Romantics, including [[Franz Liszt|Liszt]], [[Frédéric Chopin|Chopin]], [[Robert Schumann]], [[Felix Mendelssohn]] and [[Johannes Brahms]], was written for pianos substantially different from ours. |
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==Modern piano== |
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[[Image:Fortepian - schemat.svg|thumb|center|700px|A schematic depiction of the construction of a pianoforte (Part names are listed in the illustration's file)]] |
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===Types=== |
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Modern pianos come in two basic configurations (with subcategories): the grand piano and the upright piano. |
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====Grand==== |
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[[Image:Piano in Entrance Hall.jpg|thumb|[[Steinway & Sons|Steinway]] grand piano in the White House]] |
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In grand pianos, the frame and strings are horizontal, with the strings extending away from the keyboard. There are several sizes of grand piano. A rough generalization distinguishes the "concert grand" (between about {{nowrap|2.2 m}} and {{nowrap|3 m}} long) from the "parlor grand" or "boudoir grand" (about {{nowrap|1.7 m}} to {{nowrap|2.2 m}}) and the smaller "baby grand". |
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All else being equal, longer pianos with longer strings have larger, richer sound and lower [[inharmonicity]] of the strings. Inharmonicity is the degree to which the [[frequency|frequencies]] of [[overtone]]s (known as partials, partial tones, or [[harmonic]]s) depart from [[whole number|whole]] multiples of the fundamental frequency. Pianos with shorter, thicker, and stiffer strings (e.g., baby grands) have more inharmonicity. The longer strings on a concert grand can vibrate more freely than the shorter, thicker strings on a baby grand, which means that a concert grand's strings will have truer overtones. This allows the strings to be tuned closer to [[equal temperament]] in relation to the standard pitch with less "stretching" in the [[piano tuning]]. Full-size grands are usually used for public concerts, whereas smaller grands, introduced by [[Sohmer & Co.]] in 1884, are often chosen for domestic use where space and cost are considerations. |
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A grand piano action has a repetition lever for each key. If the key is pressed repeatedly and fairly quickly this repetition lever catches the hammer close to the strings, which assists the speed and control of repeated notes and [[Trill (music)|trill]]s. |
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====Upright==== |
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[[Image:Klavier nah offen.jpg|thumb|Upright piano by [[August Förster]]]] |
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[[Image:Kawai UST8 Action Wide Photo.JPG|thumb|right|Vertical Piano Action]] |
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Upright pianos, also called vertical pianos, are more compact because the frame and strings are vertical. The hammers move horizontally, and are returned to their resting position by springs which are prone to wear and tear. |
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Upright pianos with unusually tall frames and long strings are sometimes called "upright grand" pianos. |
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Some authors classify modern pianos according to their height and to modifications of the action that are necessary to accommodate the height. |
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* '''Studio''' pianos are around 42 to 45 inches tall. This is the shortest cabinet that can accommodate a 'full-sized' action located above the keyboard. |
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* '''Console''' pianos have a compact action (shorter hammers), and are a few inches shorter than studio models. |
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* The top of a '''[[Spinet]]''' model barely rises above the keyboard. The action is located below, operated by vertical wires that are attached to the backs of the keys. |
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* Anything taller than a studio piano is called an '''upright'''. |
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====Other types==== |
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[[Image:Weltereproduktionsklavier.jpg|thumb|left|Player piano]] |
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[[Toy piano]]s began to be manufactured in the 19th century. |
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In 1863, [[Henri Fourneaux]] invented the [[player piano]], which "plays itself" from a [[piano roll]] without the need for a pianist. A performance is "recorded" onto rolls of paper with perforations, and the player piano replays the performance using pneumatic devices. Modern equivalents of the player piano include the [[Bösendorfer]] CEUS and the Yamaha [[Disklavier]], using solenoids and MIDI rather than pneumatics and rolls. |
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A [[silent piano]] is an acoustic piano having an option to silence the strings by means of an interposing hammer bar. They are designed for private silent practice. |
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The [[transposing piano]] was invented in 1801 by Edward Ryley. It has a lever under the keyboard used to move the keyboard relative to the strings so that a pianist can play in a familiar key while the music sounds in a different key. |
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The [[prepared piano]], encountered in some contemporary art music, is a grand piano which has objects placed inside it to alter its sound, or which has had its mechanism changed in some other way. The scores for music for prepared piano specify the modifications, for example instructing the pianist to insert pieces of rubber, or paper, or metal screws or washers, in between the strings. These either mute the strings or alter their timbre. |
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Available since the 1980s, [[digital piano]]s use [[sampling (signal processing)|digital sampling]] technology to reproduce the sound of each piano note. Digital pianos can be sophisticated, with features including working pedals, weighted keys, multiple voices, and [[MIDI]] interfaces. However, when the damper pedal (see below) is depressed on such an instrument, there are no strings to [[sympathetic strings|vibrate sympathetically]]. [[Physical modelling synthesis|Physical models]] of sympathetic vibration are incorporated into the synthesis software of some higher end digital pianos, such as the [[Yamaha Clavinova]] series, or the [[KAWAI MP8]] series. |
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With the advent of powerful desktop computers, highly realistic pianos have become available as affordable software modules. Some of these modules, such as Synthogy's Ivory released in 2004, use multi-gigabyte piano sample sets with as many as 90 recordings, each lasting many seconds, for each of the 88 (some have 81) keys under different conditions, augmented by additional samples to emulate sympathetic resonance, key release, the drop of the dampers, and simulations of piano techniques like re-pedaling. Some other software modules, such as Modartt's [[Pianoteq]] released in 2006, use no samples whatsoever and are a pure synthesis of all aspects of the physicalities which go into the creation of a real piano's sound. |
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In recent times, piano manufactures have superseded the old fashioned pianola or player piano with new innovative pianos which play themselves via a CD or MP3 Player. Similar in concept to a player piano, the PianoDisc or iQ systems installed in select pianos will 'play themselves' when prompted by a certain file format designed to be interpreted by software installed and connected to the piano. Such additions are quite expensive, often doubling the cost of a piano and are available in both upright and grand pianos. |
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===Keyboard=== |
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[[Image:Klavier Tastatur.jpg|thumb|Keyboard]] |
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{{further|[[Musical keyboard]]}} |
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Almost every modern piano has 36 black keys and 52 white keys for a total of 88 keys (seven [[octave]]s plus a minor third, from A<sub>0</sub> to C<sub>8</sub>). Many older pianos only have 85 keys (seven octaves from A<sub>0</sub> to A<sub>7</sub>), while some manufacturers extend the range further in one or both directions. |
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Some [[Bösendorfer]] pianos extend the normal range downwards to F<sub>0</sub>, with one other model going as far as a bottom C<sub>0</sub>, making a full eight octave range. These extra keys are sometimes hidden under a small hinged lid that can be flipped down to cover the keys in order to avoid visual disorientation in a pianist unfamiliar with the extended keyboard. On others, the colors of the extra white keys are reversed (black instead of white). |
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The extra keys are added primarily for increased resonance from the associated strings; that is, they vibrate sympathetically with other strings whenever the damper pedal is depressed and thus give a fuller tone. Only a very small number of works composed for piano actually use these notes. More recently, the [[Stuart and Sons]] company has also manufactured extended-range pianos, with the first 102 key piano. On their instruments, the frequency range extends from C<sub>0</sub> to F<sub>8</sub> which is the widest practical range for the acoustic piano. The extra keys are the same as the other keys in appearance. |
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Small studio upright acoustical pianos with only 65 keys have been manufactured for use by roving pianists. Known as "gig" pianos and still containing a cast iron harp, these are comparatively lightweight and can be easily transported to and from engagements by only two people. As their harp is longer than that of a spinet or console piano, they have a stronger bass sound that to some pianists is well worth the trade-off in range that a reduced key-set offers. |
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The [[Toy piano]] manufacturer [[Schoenhut]] started manufacturing both grands and uprights with only 44 or 49 keys, and shorter distance between the keyboard and the pedals. These pianos are true pianos with action and strings. The pianos were introduced to their product line in response to numerous requests in favor of it. |
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===Pedals=== |
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====Standard pedals==== |
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[[Image:Piano 3 pedals.jpg|thumb|right|Piano pedals from left to right: [[una corda]], [[sostenuto]], and [[sustain pedal]]]] |
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{{main|Piano pedals}} |
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Pianos have had pedals, or some close equivalent, since the earliest days. (In the 18th century, some pianos used levers pressed upward by the player's knee instead of pedals.) Most grand pianos have three pedals: the soft pedal (una corda), sostenuto, and sustain pedal (from left to right, respectively). Most modern upright pianos also have three pedals: soft pedal, practice pedal and sustain pedal, though older or cheaper models may lack the practice pedal. |
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The [[sustain pedal]] (or, damper pedal) is often simply called "the pedal", since it is the most frequently used. It is placed as the rightmost pedal in the group. It lifts the dampers from all keys, sustaining all played notes. In addition, it alters the overall tone by allowing all strings, even the ones not directly played, to reverberate. |
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The [[soft pedal]] or ''una corda'' pedal is placed leftmost in the row of pedals. In grand pianos, it shifts the entire action, including the keyboard, to the right, so that the hammers hit only one of the three strings for each note (hence the name ''una corda'', or 'one string'). The effect is to soften the note as well as to change the tone. In uprights, this action is not possible, and so the pedal moves the hammers closer to the strings, allowing the hammers to hit the strings with less kinetic energy to produce a softer sound, but with no change in timbre. |
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On grand pianos, the middle pedal is a [[sostenuto]] pedal. This pedal keeps raised any damper that was already raised at the moment the pedal is depressed. This makes it possible to sustain some notes (by depressing the sostenuto pedal before notes to be sustained are released) while the player's hands are free to play other notes. This can be useful for musical passages with [[pedal point]]s and other otherwise tricky or impossible situations. |
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On many upright pianos, there is a middle pedal called the 'practice' or ''celeste'' pedal. This drops a piece of felt between the hammers and strings, greatly muting the sounds. |
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There are also non-standard variants. On some pianos (grands and verticals), the middle pedal can be a bass sustain pedal: that is, when it is depressed, the dampers lift off the strings only in the bass section. This pedal would be used only when a pianist needs to sustain a single bass note or chord over many measures, while playing the melody in the treble section. On the [[Stuart and Sons]] piano as well as the largest [[Fazioli]] piano, there is a fourth pedal to the left of the principal three. This fourth pedal works in the same way as the soft pedal of an upright piano, moving the hammers closer to the strings.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fazioli.com/eng/quarto_pedale.php|title=Fourth pedal|publisher=[[Fazioli]]|accessdate=2008-04-21}}</ref> |
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====Unusual pedals==== |
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[[Image:Pedal piano 1.JPG|thumb|An upright pedal piano]] |
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The rare [[transposing piano]], of which [[Irving Berlin]] possessed an example, had a middle pedal that functioned as a [[clutch]] which disengages the keyboard from the mechanism, enabling the keyboard to be moved to the left or right with a lever. The entire action of the piano is thus shifted to allow the pianist to play music written in one key so that it sounds in a different key. The ''pedalier'' piano, or [[pedal piano]], is a rare type of piano that includes a [[Pedal keyboard|pedalboard]], enabling bass register notes to be played with the feet, as is standard on the [[pipe organ|organ]]. There are two types of pedal piano: the pedal board may be an integral part of the instrument, using the same strings and mechanism as the manual keyboard, or, less frequently, it may consist of two independent pianos (each with its separate mechanics and strings) which are placed one above the other, a regular piano played by the hands and a bass-register piano played by the feet. |
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===Construction=== |
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Many parts of a piano are made of materials selected for sturdiness. In quality pianos, the outer rim of the piano is made of a hardwood, normally maple or beech. According to [http://www.speech.kth.se/music/5_lectures/conklin/thepianocase.html Harold A. Conklin], the purpose of a sturdy rim is so that "the vibrational energy will stay as much as possible in the soundboard instead of dissipating uselessly in the case parts, which are inefficient radiators of sound." |
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[[Image:SoundboardBracesRibs.jpg|thumb|left|View from below of a 182-cm grand piano. In order of distance from viewer: softwood braces, tapered soundboard ribs, soundboard. The metal rod at lower right is a humidity control device.]] |
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The rim is normally made by laminating flexible strips of hardwood to the desired shape, a system that was developed by Theodore Steinway in 1880. The thick wooden braces at the bottom (grands) or back (uprights) of the piano are not as acoustically important as the rim, and are often made of a softwood, even in top-quality pianos, in order to save weight. The requirement of structural strength, fulfilled with stout hardwood and thick metal, makes a piano heavy; even a small upright can weigh 136 kg (300 lb), and the [[Steinway & Sons|Steinway]] concert grand (Model D) weighs 480 kg (990 lb). The largest piano built, the [[Fazioli]] F308, weighs 691 kg (1520 lb). |
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The pinblock, which holds the tuning pins in place, is another area of the piano where toughness is important. It is made of hardwood, (often [[maple]]) and generally is laminated (built of multiple layers) for additional strength and gripping power. Piano strings (also called [[piano wire]]), which must endure years of extreme tension and hard blows, are made of high quality steel. They are manufactured to vary as little as possible in diameter, since all deviations from uniformity introduce tonal distortion. The bass strings of a piano are made of a steel core wrapped with copper wire, to increase their mass whilst retaining flexibility. |
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[[Image:Gussplatte.jpg|thumb|[[Cast iron]] plates of [[Steinway & Sons|Steinway]] concert grand pianos, model [[D-274]]]] |
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The plate, or metal frame, of a piano is usually made of [[cast iron]]. It is advantageous for the plate to be quite massive. Since the strings are attached to the plate at one end, any vibrations transmitted to the plate will result in loss of energy to the desired (efficient) channel of sound transmission, namely the bridge and the soundboard. Some manufacturers now use cast steel in their plates, for greater strength. The casting of the plate is a delicate art, since the dimensions are crucial and the iron shrinks by about one percent during cooling. |
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The inclusion in a piano of an extremely large piece of metal is potentially an aesthetic handicap, which piano makers overcome by polishing, painting and decorating the plate. Plates often include the manufacturer's ornamental medallion and can be strikingly attractive. In an effort to make pianos lighter, [[Alcoa]] worked with Winter and Company piano manufacturers to make pianos using an [[aluminum piano plate|aluminum plate]] during the 1940s. The use of aluminum for piano plates, however, did not become widely accepted and was discontinued. |
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The numerous grand parts and upright parts of a piano action are generally [[hardwood]] (e.g. maple, beech. hornbeam). However, since World War II, [[plastics]] have become available. Early plastics were incorporated into some pianos in the late 1940s and 1950s, but proved disastrous because they crystallized and lost their strength after only a few decades of use. The [[Steinway & Sons|Steinway]] firm once incorporated [[polytetrafluoroethylene|Teflon]], a synthetic material developed by [[DuPont]], for some grand action parts in place of cloth, but ultimately abandoned the experiment due to an inherent "clicking" which invariably developed over time. (Also Teflon is "humidity stable" whereas the wood adjacent to the Teflon will swell and shrink with humidity changes, causing problems.) More recently, the [[Kawai]] firm has built pianos with action parts made of more modern and effective plastics such as [[Carbon fiber reinforced plastic|carbon fiber]]; these parts have held up better and have generally received the respect of piano technicians{{Fact|date=May 2008}}. |
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[[Image:Steinway Schriftzug.jpg|thumb|left|Ivorite and ebony keys on a modern [[Steinway & Sons|Steinway]] grand piano]] |
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The part of the piano where materials probably matter more than anywhere else is the [[sounding board|soundboard]]. In quality pianos, this is made of solid [[spruce]] (that is, spruce boards glued together at their edges). Spruce is chosen for its high ratio of strength to weight. The best piano makers use close-grained, quarter-sawn, defect-free spruce, and make sure that it has been carefully dried over a long period of time before making it into soundboards. In cheap pianos, the soundboard is often made of [[plywood]]. |
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Piano keys are generally made of spruce or [[basswood]], for lightness. Spruce is normally used in high-quality pianos. Traditionally, the black keys were made from [[ebony]] and the white keys were covered with strips of [[ivory]], but since ivory-yielding species are now endangered and protected by treaty, plastics are now almost exclusively used. Also, ivory tends to chip more easily than plastic. Legal ivory can still be obtained in limited quantities. The [[Yamaha Corporation|Yamaha]] firm invented a plastic called "Ivorine" or "Ivorite" that mimics the look and feel of ivory; it has since been imitated by other makers. |
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===Care and maintenance=== |
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{{main|Care and maintenance of pianos|Piano tuning}} |
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[[Image:Piano tuner.jpg|thumb|A piano tuner]] |
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Pianos need regular tuning to keep them up to pitch, which is usually the internationally recognized standard concert pitch of [[A440|A4]] = 440 Hz. The hammers of pianos are voiced to compensate for gradual hardening, and other parts also need periodic regulation. Aged and worn pianos can be rebuilt or reconditioned. Often, by replacing a great number of their parts, they can be made to perform as well as new pianos. Older pianos are often more settled and produce a warmer tone.{{Fact|date=October 2008}} |
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Piano moving should be done by trained piano movers using adequate manpower and the correct equipment for any particular piano's size and weight.{{Fact|date=June 2008}} Pianos are heavy yet delicate instruments. Over the years, professional piano movers have developed special techniques for transporting both grands and uprights which prevent damage to the case and to the piano's mechanics. |
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[[Image:Moritz von Schwind Schubertiade.jpg|thumb|The piano at the social center in the 19th century ([[Moritz von Schwind]], 1868). The man at the piano is [[Franz Schubert]].]] |
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==Role== |
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{{seealso|Social history of the piano}} |
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The piano is a crucial instrument in Western [[European classical music|classical music]], [[jazz]], [[Film music|film]], [[television]], and most other complex western musical genres. Since a large number of [[composer]]s are proficient [[pianists]] – and because the piano keyboard offers an easy means of complex melodic and harmonic interplay – the piano is often used as a tool for composition. |
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Pianos were, and still are, popular instruments for private household ownership. Hence, pianos have gained a place in the popular consciousness, and are sometimes referred to by nicknames including: "the ivories", "the joanna", "the eighty-eight", "the black(s) and white(s)", and "the little joe(s)". Playing the piano is sometimes referred to as "tickling the ivories". |
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==See also== |
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{{col-begin}} |
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{{col-4}} |
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;General |
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* [[Jazz piano]] |
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* [[Musica Obscura]] |
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* [[Piano transcription]] |
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* [[Piano trio]] |
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* [[Prepared piano]] |
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* [[String piano]] |
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* [[Piano extended technique]] |
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{{col-4}} |
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;Technical |
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* [[Action (piano)|Piano action]] |
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* [[Agraffe]] |
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* [[Aliquot stringing]] |
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* [[Cross-stringing]] |
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* [[Innovations in the piano]] |
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* [[Piano acoustics]] |
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* [[Piano key frequencies]] (in [[equal temperament]]) |
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* [[Piano pedals]] |
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* [[Piano tuning]] |
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* [[Soft pedal]] |
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* [[Sounding board]] |
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* [[Sustain pedal]] |
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{{col-4}} |
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;Related lists |
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* [[List of films about pianists]] |
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* [[:Category:Piano compositions|Piano compositions category]] |
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* [[List of piano makers]] |
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* [[List of piano brand names]] |
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* [[List of classical pianists (recorded)]] |
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{{col-4}} |
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;Related instruments |
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* [[Hammered dulcimer]] |
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* [[Harp]] |
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* [[Clavichord]] |
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* [[Harpsichord]] |
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* [[Organ (music)|Organ]] and [[Pipe organ]] |
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* [[Electric piano]] |
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* [[Electronic piano]] |
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* [[Harmonichord]] |
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* [[Keyboard instruments]] |
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* [[Electronic keyboard]] |
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* [[Musical keyboard]] |
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* [[Keytar]] |
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{{col-end}} |
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{{Portal|Music|%27A%27_(PSF).png}} |
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==Notes== |
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{{reflist}} |
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==References== |
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<small> |
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* The authoritative ''[[New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians]]'' (available online by subscription), contains a wealth of information. Main article: "Pianoforte". |
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* The ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]'' (available online by subscription) also includes much information on the piano. In the 1988 edition, the primary article can be found in "Musical Instruments". |
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* <cite>The Piano Book</cite> by Larry Fine (4th ed. Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts: Brookside Press, 2001; ISBN 1-929145-01-2) gives the basics of how pianos work, and a thorough evaluative survey of current pianos and their manufacturers. It also includes advice on buying and owning pianos. |
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*''Giraffes, black dragons, and other pianos: a technological history from Cristofori to the modern concert grand'' by Edwin M. Good (1982, second ed., 2001, Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press) is a standard reference on the history of the piano. |
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*''The Early Pianoforte'' by Stewart Pollens (1995, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) is an authoritative work covering the ancestry of the piano, its invention by Cristofori, and the early stages of its subsequent evolution. |
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</small> |
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==Further reading== |
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* {{cite book | title = Music Fundamentals | first = Rod| last = Schejtman | publisher = The Piano Encyclopedia | year = 2008 | isbn = 978-987-25216-2-2 | url = http://www.pianoencyclopedia.com}} |
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* {{cite book | title = The pianist's guide to pedaling | first = Joseph | last = Banowetz | coauthors = Elder, Dean | location = Bloomington | publisher = Indiana University Press | year = 1985 | isbn = 0-253-34494-8}} |
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* {{cite book | title = The Piano Shop on the Left Bank | first = Thad | last = Carhart | publisher = Random House | location = New York | year = 2002 | origyear = 2001 | isbn = 0-375-75862-3}} |
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* {{cite book | title = The Piano Book: Buying and Owning a New or Used Piano (4th edition) | first = Larry | last = Fine | coauthors = Gilbert, Douglas R | publisher = Brookside Press | location = Jamaica Plain, MA | year = 2001 | isbn = 1-929145-01-2 | url = http://pianobook.com}} |
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* {{cite book | title = Van Piano tot Forte (The History of the Early Piano) | first = Christo | last = Lelie | publisher = Kok-Lyra | location = Kampen | year = 1995}} {{nl icon}} |
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* {{cite book | title = Men, Women, and Pianos: A Social History | first = Arthur | last = Loesser | origyear = 1954 | year = 1991 | location = New York | publisher = Dover Publications}} |
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* {{cite book | title = Piano roles : three hundred years of life with the piano | first = James | last = Parakilas | location = New Haven, Connecticut | publisher = Yale University Press | year = 1999 | isbn = 0-300-08055-7}} |
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* {{cite book | title = Piano Servicing, Tuning and Rebuilding: For the Professional, the Student, and the Hobbyist | first = Arthur A. | last = Reblitz | year = 1993 | location = Vestal, NY | publisher = Vestal Press | isbn = 1-879511-03-7}} |
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==External links== |
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{{Sisterlinks|piano}} |
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* [http://www.ptg.org/ The Piano Page] Lots of information from the Piano Technicians Guild |
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* [http://www.uk-piano.org/history/history.html History of the Piano Forte], Association of Blind Piano Tuners, UK |
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* [http://www.frederickcollection.org/collection.html The Frederick Historical Piano Collection] |
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*[http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/cris/hd_cris.htm The Pianofortes of Bartolomeo Cristofori, Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art] |
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* [http://www.pianoencyclopedia.com/ The Piano Encyclopedia], an online reference for piano learning that includes multimedia and free learning material for the piano community. |
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* [http://www.pianopractice.org/ Fundamentals of Piano Practice], an online book and scientific treatise on piano playing. |
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{{Percussion}} |
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Revision as of 00:16, 7 December 2009
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