Harp & Keyboards · Keyboards
Piano
Felt hammers strike the strings. In the orchestra the piano is a soloist, but also a percussive instrument that sharpens bass lines and mallet parts.
- Family
- Harp & Keyboards · Keyboards
- Classification
- Chordophone · struck strings
- Transposition
- None (concert pitch)
- Clefs
- Grand staff (treble and bass)
- Sounding range
- A0 – C8
Parts of the piano
A Steinway model D concert grand. Photo: Steinway & Sons, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Labels added by Musicians Tools.
Range
C1C2C3C4C5C6C7C8
A standard grand has 88 keys, A0 to C8. Some concert grands extend lower. Playback uses a neutral tone, not the instrument's own sound.
Writing for the piano
- Written on a grand staff. The right pedal lifts all dampers and lets strings ring.
- In the orchestra the piano often doubles bass lines, harp or mallet parts to give them a clear attack.
- Thick, close chords in the low register sound muddy; spread them out.
- Extended techniques include clusters, playing on the strings inside the piano and prepared piano.
History
Bartolomeo Cristofori built the first pianos in Florence around 1700. The modern grand piano, with an iron frame, crossed strings and 88 keys, took shape during the 19th century.
Listen
Key works featuring the piano. Each link opens a YouTube search, so you can pick the recording you like.
- Stravinsky – Petrushka
- Rachmaninoff – Piano Concerto No. 2
- Gershwin – Rhapsody in Blue
- Saint-Saëns – Symphony No. 3 “Organ”, Finale
Useful tools
Relatives
Pages coming:HarpsichordOrgan