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The piano is a large stringed musical instrument comprising
of metal wires stretched across a frame, which when struck
by felt-covered hammers controlled by a keyboard, produce
soft and gentle melodious sound, using the principles of
resonance.
Far and wide, the piano is used in
Western music for solo performances and orchestras,
apart from the purposes it serves in
composing and
rehearsal. Despite the fact that it is not transportable
and is an exorbitant commodity, yet it is considered to be
the best household musical instrument, owing to its
adaptability and prevalence, and is casually referred to by
interesting names such as "the ivory", "The Joanna", "The
Eighty-eight", and "The Black(s) and White(s)", "The Little
Joe(s)".
Technically speaking, piano is considered to be successor of
the DULCIMER (struck zither) family, differing from its
contradistinctive predecessor - the HARPSICHORD, which is
played by plucking the strings with quills, and the
CLAVICHORD, in which the strings are struck by tangents.
HISTORY Of THE PIANO
The initial period and the early evolution of the
piano
Undoubtedly, the pianos have a rich and
remarkable history. The word piano
has been abbreviated from ‘pianoforte,’ which
originates from the
Italian name for the instrument, clavicembalo or
gravicembalo col piano e forte meaning ‘harpsichord
with soft and loud.’
During the first decade of the 18th century,
Bartolomeo Cristofori - harpsichord maker of Florence,
Italy, installed an efficient hammer action into the case of
a harpsichord, thus inventing an instrument what was to be
called a gravicembalo col piano e forte. What made it
differ slightly from a harpsichord was the ability to vary
the loudness and softness of its tone, according to the
stroke force used by the player. It was Cristofori who is
generally accredited with the invention of piano. Quite
interestingly, two of his pianos yet exist; one of them,
dated 1720, lies in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
City and the other, dated 1726, lies in a museum in Leipzig,
Germany.
Owing to the passionate article written by
Italian writer
Scipione Maffei in 1711, discussing the minute details
of Cristofori's new instrument alongwith an illustration of
the mechanism, not much was known about it in general
beforehand. This article was widely distributed, which
consequently, lead to newer inventions being carried out by
most of the succeeding generation of piano-makers, following
Cristofori's piano
action which served as a model for the requisite
purpose. Among these makers, a name that holds much
prominence is of
Gottfried Silbermann - rather an
organ builder - who invented the precursor of the modern
damper pedal, which lifts all the dampers from the
strings, simultaneously.
During the late 18th century, art
of piano-making prospered when Johann Andreas Stein honed
the so-called Viennese Action, which comprises of prying or
snapping the hammer up against the string - a rather
inexpensive approach to produce, apart from being much
reliable and particularly sensitive to touch. This action,
alongwith the gracefully constructed case of the Viennese
piano, paved way of producing a perfect model for the mature
keyboard works of Haydn, Mozart and their contemporaries.
Developments of the modern piano
It was around 1760, when Johannes Zumpe
migrated to England escorted by a group of German
piano-builders, where they popularized the primeval single
action in which the hammer is tossed up against the string
by means of a jack attached to the key – this, after a
series of development, became known as the English Action.
With this action, it was possible to make powerful strokes,
accompanied by the heavier stringing and framing of the
late-18th century English piano which
consequently, led to the invention of an instrument with
rather greater volume and intensity of sound and sustaining
power compared to the Viennese Action. Later on, piano
makers set out on a journey to bring out further innovation
in the then-existing piano. Endeavors to conjoin the
qualities sustaining in the English instrument i.e., its
power and cantabile (singing quality) of the alongwith the
responsiveness and stability of the Viennese piano, thus
successfully devised the repetition action, which was the
brainchild of the French manufacturer Sébastien
Érard
in 1823, that still sustains to be in general use.
Subsequently, artisans in entire Western world instigated
working to further hone the pianoforte. Various developments
and innovations were carried out and infact, still continue
in terms of the design and structure, most notably, Germany
and the United States have stayed distinguished for making
excellent pianos, conspicuously those created by the German
firm founded by Karl Bechstein and the American firms of
Baldwin, Mason & Hamlin, Steinway, and Chickering. The
pianos of the Austrian Bösendorfer firm are also highly
valued. The compass of the early piano was similar to that
of the harpsichord, only four, or at most, five octaves.
Further efforts aided in creating an
ever-increasing fortification of the case –before, with
heavier wood framing and afterwards, with the addition of
metal braces, resulting in the complete cast-iron frame,
patented in 1825, by the American piano-maker namely Alpheus
Babcock. With the passage of time, further innovations were
introduced for the mechanism, including the use of felt
hammer coverings in place of layered leather hammers. Felt
hammers were initially introduced by Henri Pape in 1826,
were a more consistent and reliable material to be used,
since it was flexible enough to bear wider dynamic ranges as
hammer weights and string tension increased. Later, in 1844,
with the introduction of the sostenuto pedal by
Jean Louis Boisselot, it led to further improvements
laid down by the
Steinway firm in 1874, permitting a wider range of
effects.
In addition to these novel effects, other
important technical improvements were carried out which also
include alterations in the methods of stringing the piano,
such as the use of a "choir" of three strings instead of two
for all except the lower notes, and the use of different
stringing methods. During the 1820s epoch, over stringing
was invented by
Jean-Henri Pape, and for use in grand pianos in the
United States was first patented by Henry
Steinway Jr. in
1859.
In 1872, after the introduction of duplexes
or
aliquot scales by Theodore Steinway, it was made
possible to control various different components of string
vibrations by tuning their secondary parts in octave
relationships with the sounding lengths.
Previously, pianos possessed shapes and
designs which no longer prevail to be in use, owing to one’s
comfort ability and convenience. The
square piano had horizontal strings diagonally arranged
across the rectangular case above the hammers, alongwith the
keyboard set fixed in the long side. This design, which was
laid down by Silbermann and Frederici was perfected by
Petzold and
Babcock. Constructed in ample quantity throughout the
1890s in the United States were the Steinway's celebrated
iron framed over strung squares, which were infact, twice as
huge and hefty, compared to the size of Zumpe's wood framed
instruments which were given preference to, a century
before, largely owing to its economical construction and
cost, with performance and resonating frequency limited by
simple actions and closely spaced strings.
The tall, vertically played upright grand
was well-organized with the soundboard and bridges arranged
perpendicularly with keys in such a way that the strings did
not stretch out to the floor. The 19th century’s
vertical grand ‘Giraffe’ piano, alongwith pyramid and lyre
pianos functioned on this principle, built in more emotively
shaped cases and designed to save floor space.
The very tall cabinet piano patented by
Southwell featured strings arranged perpendicularly on an
incessant frame with bridges stretched out, reaching the
floor, behind the keyboard. The short cottage upright with
vertical stringing introduced by
Robert Wornum in around 1815, make use of the damper
mechanism owing to which it is often referred to as the
birdcage pianos. Later arrived, the oblique or diagonally
strung upright introduced in France by Roller & Blanchet
during the late 1820s. The tiny
spinet upright was built from the mid 1930s up to
present times. The low position of the hammers adopted the
use of a "drop action" to sustain a significant keyboard
height.
The upright, grand, and concert grand pianos
prevailing currently have acquired their existing appearance
and configuration by the end of the 19th century.
Additionally, various enhancements have been made in its
creation process, which infact is a continuous progression.
THE
MODERN PIANO
Schematic depiction of a piano
A schematic
depiction of structure of a piano.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Fortepian_-_schemat.svg
Every piano consists of the following essential features:
·
case
·
soundboard
·
tailpiece
·
action
·
keyboard
·
pedals
Case
The case is actually the framework of a piano – its chassis,
which adjusts in itself, all the strings and the devices
which are responsible for produce cantabile sound.
The frame is usually made of
iron. At the rear end is attached the string plate, into
which the strings are fastened. In the front is the wrest
plank, into which the tuning pins are set. Around these is
wound the other end of the strings, and by turning these
pins the tension of the strings is regulated.
Soundboard
The soundboard is a thin piece of
fine-grained spruce positioned beneath the strings which
causes the tone to reinforce using sympathetic vibration.
Generally, the soundboard is made from Sitka spruce
of around 3/8" in thickness. The soundboard may be crowned
or slightly curved upwards towards the strings in order to
retain compression, making it vibrate more dynamically, and
keeps it from collapsing due to the pressure from the
strings.
Tailpiece
The tailpiece comprises of the strings, the metal frame
responsible for keeping them in tension, and the soundboard,
made from hardwood, usually fir or beech. The purpose of the
soundboard is to boost the vibration of the strings by
resonance. The strings are made of steel. In the lower
register, there is one string per note, and in the higher
register, every note is composed by two and eventually three
strings, struck concurrently by one hammer.
The tension is the strings is present owing to a metal frame
which is by and large, composed of iron. At one end, the
strings are attached to the frame by means of small spikes,
while, at the other end, they are attached to metal devices
called pins. The pins are laminated in a hardwood plank,
called the ‘pinblock’, positioned in the front part of the
case. The piano is tuned by "moving" the pins with suitable
keys, loosening or tightening the strings, which
consequently, helps in adjusting the pitch of the sound.
Action
The action is the entire mechanism attached to the keyboard
which drives the hammer against the strings. It converts the
downward force on the key into a hammer stroke, which
results in an ‘escapement’ or release of the hammer after it
hits the strings
Keyboard
Mostly, every modern piano has 36 black keys
and 52 white keys for a total of 88 keys i.e., seven
octaves alongwith a minor third, from A0 to C8. Many
primitive pianos possess only 85 keys i.e., seven octaves
from A0 to A7, however, some piano-makers vary the range the
range in one or both directions. The extra keys are
pre-dominantly added for the purpose of increasing resonance
from the associated strings, meaning, they gently vibrate
alongwith other strings every time the damper pedal is
depressed, thus producing a fuller tone. The extra keys are
the same as the other keys in appearance.
Small studio upright acoustical pianos
comprising of only 65 keys have been manufactured which is
handy and are generally, useful for pianists always on a
move.
Piano Pedals
Usually, a piano has two pedals,
but nowadays most of the pianos come with three pedals: the
damper pedal on the right, played with the right foot; the
soft pedal on the left, played with the left foot; and the
sostenuto pedal in the middle, played with the left foot. In
all cases, the end of the pedal remains in contact with the
ball of the foot in line with the big toe. The heel of the
foot remains on the floor the whole time, and the foot
should remain in contact with the pedal at all times.
1. Damper pedal
The
damper pedal – sometimes called the ‘sustain pedal’ or
‘loud pedal’ or even simply called "the pedal", is
position–wise, the rightmost pedal in the group. The
functioning for each note, except in the top two octaves,
includes a damper positioned above the strings stop the
strings from vibrating, thus, immediately stopping the sound
on release of the key. Generally, the damper elevates from
the strings whenever the key is pressed. Though, when the
damper pedal is depressed, all the dampers on the piano are
simultaneously lifted, which results in releasing all the
strings from contact with dampers.
2. Soft pedal
The
soft pedal or "una corda" pedal – positioned on the
leftmost in the row of pedals, is designed to lock in place,
supporting the effect without the musician’s constant
pressure to the pedal. The soft pedal shifts the whole
action alongwith the keyboard a little to the right, so that
hammers that commonly strike all three of the strings for a
note strike only two instead. Its primary function is to
manipulate the sound quality.
3. Sostenuto pedal
The
sostenuto pedal - or the middle pedal – holds dampers in a
raised position for keys which have been struck and held
before activation of the pedal. The right pedal raises all
the dampers, allowing the strings to resonate freely.
The use of these pedals
result in producing subtle alterations in sound and tone
quality.
How the Piano Operates
Basically, when a piano key is
pressed down, its tail rotates upward and lifts a lever that
strikes a hammer against the strings for that specific key's
note. Simultaneously, a damper elevates from these strings,
causing them to vibrate more freely. When the key is
moderately released, the damper drops back onto the strings
and quietens the note. When the key is fully released, all
parts of the mechanism retreat back to their original
positions gravity. As in the case of grand pianos, upright
pianos do not depend on gravity for this purpose; instead,
they possess various springs and small strips of cloth to
pull some of the action parts back into place.
TYPES OF PIANOS
Pianos come is differing shapes, styles, designs, mostly
appearing in two basic forms; vertical and horizontal.
Basically, there are two major categories of pianos:
·
Acoustic pianos – which include upright and
grand pianos
·
Digital pianos – which include electronic
pianos
ACOUSTIC PIANOS:
A standard acoustic piano operates manually with its
components the vibrating the strings which results in
producing a sound. Each key characterizes a different pitch.
Hammers, keys, pedals and piano cabinet all function
manually which make-up the construction of an acoustic
piano. When the pianist strikes a key, the hammers strike
the strings and the ensuing vibration within the cabinet
produces the beautiful sound you’ve come to expect from an
acoustic piano.
Grand Piano
The largest piano type, and undoubtedly, the
most majestic and expensive one Grand Pianos are
horizontally built soundboards, ranging from 4’5” to
9’ in length, and is encased in a durable
opening platform which lifts on the left in an upwards
direction. Dampers lie on top of the strings, adjacent to
the hammers which are also positioned horizontally.
Internally, it is supported with form-holders, generally
made of wood, together with the small equipped metal
reinforcements. Keys are made of wood layered in ivory, or
at times pure ivory, though varying according to the piano's
makers and categories. The grand piano featured the standard
88 keys. Grand pianos appear in different sizes, including
the "concert grand", which is about 2.2 m to 3 m long, the
"parlor grand" which is about 1.7 m to 2.2 m and the smaller
"baby grand".
http://www.visualparadox.com/images/no-linking-allowed-main/grandpiano.jpg
Upright
Piano
This is a
piano whose strings are stretched vertically, perpendicular
to the floor. This kind of piano can vary in height from 36
to 60 inches. Also called vertical pianos,
these are rather compact in size owing to the frame and
strings which are placed vertically, stretching out in both
directions from the keyboard and hammers. Since the
hammers strike outward or horizontally, they take slightly
longer to return to resting position than the hammers of a
grand. Uprights generally are less costly, though there are
some may get pricey, depending on the model. Though,
uprights often are considered low-grade in front of the
grand pianos, however, a five-foot upright can rival a
typical grand in terms of tone quality and loudness.
Typically the keyboard is similar to that of the grand, but
varies in material construction.
In general,
upright pianos can be sorted out in four types, depending on
the size and structure variations;
·
Full-size or Professional Upright Pianos –
the largest among all the vertical pianos - are usually
available with a height varying from 47 - 60", and are
preferred more rather professionally. This type of piano
uses a full size direct blow action with added components
called ‘stickers’. On top of the sticker, is present an
adjustable a dowel. These parts extend from the key up to
the bottom of a direct blow action.
http://www.used-pianos.co.uk/stocklist/images/U7large.jpg
·
Studio Pianos - which come in a range
of 44 - 47" in height, use a direct blow action with the
action resting directly on the back of the key. Studio
pianos will generally have a better sound than either a
console or spinet and touch will also generally be better.
Because these pianos can have much better sound and touch
because of their design, manufacturers also tend to spend
more time on the quality aspects of these pianos.
http://www.yamahamusiccentre.com/images/UprightPics/P22TBOM.gif
·
Console Pianos - with a height ranging
between 40 - 44" – feature 3 different types of actions.
They can have an indirect blow or drop action, a compressed
action, or a full blow action.
http://www.chickpiano.com/img/20070831135907.jpg
·
Spinet Pianos - varying between 36 -
40" in height – uses an indirect or drop action behind the
keys and either partly or completely below the keys.
http://www.johnsonpiano.com/images/jp/baldac1.jpg
Other acoustic
pianos include toy pianos, specifically made for kids
which usually is no more than 50 cm in width, made out of
wood and plastic and use the same musical scales as
full-size pianos.
DIGITAL PIANOS
A digital piano is a modern
electronic musical instrument built to be used as an
alternative to a traditional
piano, both in the way it feels to play and in the sound
produces. Unlike acoustic pianos, they have no
hammers, no strings and no soundboard to produce sound.
Instead, they are high quality recorded samples of grand
pianos.There are some digital pianos
available which have been in the same fashion as an acoustic
piano. Even though digital pianos might not seem to give the
genuine feel in sound, however they have many advantages
over normal pianos. Digital pianos have been in market since
the
1980s. It functions on
digital sampling technology in order to reproduce the
sound of each piano note. The top digital pianos are very
classy, with added features including working pedals,
weighted keys, multiple voices, and
MIDI interfaces.
Apart aforementioned, there are also other
categories of pianos which include Electric Pianos,
Rhodes Piano, and Stage Piano.
Electric Pianos,
which made appearance in the 1960’s, produce sounds
mechanically which are converted into electronic signals by
pickups.
http://pianoandsynth.com/wp-content/images/visual_front_p250.jpg
http://pwp.netcabo.pt/0163736902/images/DSC01108.JPG
Rhodes Pianos is
a brand of
electric piano which also works on the principle of
producing sound electromechanically. Due to the
distinctiveness of the sound it reproduces, it is often
utilized in thousands of songs of differing musical genres
since 1965.
http://images.43things.com/entry/00/00/02/624l.jpg
http://www.combo-organ.com/Fender/Starmaster.jpg
Stage Piano is
also an electronic keyboard designed for serving
professional musicians for various live onstage
performances. Although stage pianos have built-in features
similar to
digital pianos designed for in-home use and electronic
synthesizers, yet they include other features which
makes them preferred over digital pianos, providing a small
number of sounds including acoustic piano, electric piano,
and Hammond organ.
http://www.computersunlimited.com/images_products/yamaha_p140s_s15435.jpg
http://www.nordusa.com/galleries/ns88/images/NS88%20Full%20with%20Legs_jpg.jpg
VARIOUS BRANDS OF
PIANOS
Some of the popular names in piano
manufacturers, particularly acoustic pianos include:
·
Steinway & Sons, Baldwin, Wurlitzer,
Chickering, Mason and Rich, Cable, and Winter, belonging to
United States;
·
Yamaha, Kawai, Pearl River, Samick, Young
Chang, Nordiska, Carl Ebel, Richter, Daewoo, and Hyundai,
belonging to Asia;
·
Germany/Austrian manufacturers namely
Bechstein, Ibich, Blüthner; Feurich, Pfeiffer, Hupfeld,
Rönisch, Wilh. Steinberg, Steingraeber, Brückner, Solton;
Stenmann, Haessler, Steinway Haus, Bösendorfer, Schimmel,
and August Förster;
·
Petrof, Scholze, Rösler, Bohemia, and
Rieger-Kloss of Czech Republic;
·
Pleyel, Gaveau, Rameau, and Erard of France;
·
Kemble, Chappell, Collard and Collard,
Whelpdale, Knight, Bentley, Welmar, Marshal & Rose,
Broadwood and Woodchester from UK.
In addition, Alesis, Casio,
Daewoo, Bohm, Ensonio, Farfisa, Gem, Hammond, Kawai, Korg,
Kurzweil, Orla, Roland, Solton, Suzuki, Technics, Viscount,
Wersi, and Yamaha are some existing manufacturers who excel
in making digital pianos.
Major Piano Brands:
Baldwin
Baldwin was established in 1862 is America's
largest piano manufacturers, which produces excellent
acoustic and digital pianos in both upright and grand
cabinets.
http://www.gibson.com/en-us/divisions/baldwin/
Bechstein
Bechstein was founded by Carl Bechstein in
1826 and is included among the great German piano
manufacturers in the entire world.
http://www.courtneypianos.co.uk/bechstein.html
Bosendorfer
Bosendorfer is an Austrian company, set up
in 1828 in Vienna, making finest quality of pianos ever
since its inception.
http://www.boesendorfer.com/
http://www.boesendorfer.com/index.php?menu=1&lang=en
Casio
Casio was responsible for manufacturing the
world's first home keyboard back in 1981 and currently,
produces a wide array of digital pianos and keyboards of
affordable prices.
http://www.casio.com/products/Musical_Instruments/Privia_Digital_Pianos/
http://www.casio.com/products/Musical_Instruments/
Kawai
Japanese piano-makers – Kawai, was
established in year 1927 and is considered among Japan's
second largest company, in production of both acoustic and
digital pianos.
http://www.kawaius.com/
Roland
Roland manufactures a diverse range of home
keyboards, digital pianos, and other electronic musical
instruments comprising of synthesizers, guitar products,
electronic percussion kits, digital recording equipment,
amplifiers and audio processing devices.
http://www.rolandus.com/products/subcategories.aspx?ParentId=12
Steinway
Steinway pianos – the top-notch manufacturers,
show no compromise in terms of are both quality and cost and
are often enlisted amongst the premium names in
pianos-makers. Steinway & Sons manufactures pianos in the
United States.
http://www.steinway.com/
Yamaha
Ever since 1900, when the founder Torakusu
Yamaha built Japan's first piano, Yamaha has built up quite
a reputation in manufacturing finest quality of acoustic,
digital pianos and acoustic/digital pianos.
http://www.yamaha.com/musicproduction/
CARE
AND MAINTENANCE OF THE PIANO
Pianos need proper care and maintenance. For that, following
instructions would be fruitful for you and your piano:
Cleaning the Keys
For cleaning the keys, REMEMBER, never to use rubbing
alcohol, bleach or other similar cleaning products, since
these products consist of certain constituents which dry out
the essential oils present in your piano's ivory keys. Its
better to wipe off the keys with a damp cloth and a cleaning
agent particularly meant for pianos, for further help, you
can consult your dealer or piano technician for your brand.
Remember to wipe only the key tops and avoid letting the
sides of the keys to moisturize. In some cases, the dye used
on the black keys might come off, so it is advisable to use
different cloths for the white and black keys. Incase of
plastic keys, you can use a damp cloth and a gentle soap.
Cleaning the Cabinet
Cabinet - the body of the piano is generally made from
different types of wood, grains and finishes and since we
know, that wood furniture needs extra care and protection,
from dust, dirt and specially termites. Usually, a soft
cloth does well in removing dust and dirt. There are some
products available conveniently for cleaning the piano
cabinet.
Cleaning the Soundboard
Usually, it is slight tough to clean the soundboard,
compared to other components of a piano. Dust and debris and
strange enough sometimes accidentally paper clips, buttons
and other small articles get stuck in this part of the
piano. The best way to clean it up is using a vacuum,
without coming in contact with the strings or anything in
the soundboard. If the debris is wedged tightly inside, DO
NOT use any sharp object to try removing it. If still no
success with it, you can hire the services of a technician.
Humidity and Temperature
Humidity and temperature may greatly affect
the sound quality and performance of a piano. High Humidity
causes keys to stick or become sluggish and cause strings
and tuning pins to rust. Low humidity affects the sound of
the keys, resulting in loosening them and causing cracks in
the soundboards. A humidity range of 35-55% is bearable for
the piano. To protect your piano from humidity, place it in
a humid-free environment and also, using a humidifier and
dehumidifier will be effective. A temperature of 68
degrees Fahrenheit is endurable, and thus, a piano should be
kept away from heat or fireplaces and avoid placing it near
windows where direct sun rays flow in.
Piano Tuning
It is advisable to tune your piano at least twice a year
and it is preferred to seek out help from a registered
tuner-technician who is an expert in his work.
Learn
Piano Chords at PlayPiano.com
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