ALL ABOUT PIANOS
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The Piano started life as a Monochord Instrument
Instruments can be divided into three categories based on how they produce sounds. Those categories are string instruments, wind instruments, and percussion instruments. The piano's ancestry can be traced back through various instruments such as the clavichord, harpsichord, and dulcimer. But if it were traced back even further, one would find that the piano is a descendant of the monochord. In other words, based on its ancestry the piano can be classified as a string instrument.. Monochords come in many different shapes and sizes
New After the monochord, we see the emergence of
The Polychord
The polychord–you guessed it–comes with two or more strings. However, the polychord does not refer to a single instrument.
The piano family tree is split into two categories, a polychord with a bridge and without a bridge. We see a variety of instruments emerge between the polychord and the piano, but perhaps the most notable is the Dulcimer, the Harpsichord, and the Clavichord.
There are Two different types of PolyChord - Bridged and Bridgless -
Plucking Strings -The Grand Parents and Parents of the modern Piano
Before the concept of striking strings with hammers became known a major development in Keyboard technology started with a group of instruments including Virginals, Harpsichords and Clavicitheriums
These all have one thing in common - they Pluck the strings. When the keys are pressed they activate a series of levers which, in turn, driver=s a trigger mechanism that plucks the string.
Although the have different mechanisims the Harpsichord is often called the Mother of the Modern Piano
Clavichords - The Father of the Piano today
Like the Modern Day Piano the strings are struck with a hammer in the Clavichord
The clavichord is a stringed rectangular keyboard instrument[1] that was used largely in the Late Middle Ages, through the Renaissance, Baroque and Classical eras.[2] Historically, it was mostly used as a practice instrument and as an aid to composition, not being loud enough for larger performances.[2] The clavichord produces sound by striking brass or iron strings with small metal blades called tangents. Vibrations are transmitted through the bridge(s) to the soundboard
Fortepiano and Pianoforte
Generally they are the same thing. A fortepiano, sometimes referred to as a pianoforte, is an early piano. In principle, the word "fortepiano" can designate any piano dating from the invention of the instrument by Bartolomeo Cristofori in 1698 up to the early 19th century. (c) Wikipedia
Often referred to as Square pianos they tended to be more angular in design. Mozart used a 1782 fortepiano from 1785 until his death in 1791
Since 1830 these instruments are known as Pianoforte or Pianos and fall into two distinct types - Upright and Grand Pianos.
Digital Pianos
As Technology develops, Digital Pianos are evolving from traditional stand devices to Keyboards only and even fold up keypads like the one shown here. As space gets smaller in homes these instruments will occupy a vital place in the history of the Piano and its music.
Lets not confuse the issue here. Electronic type Piano's have been around since the 1920's but they used electro-magnetic devices to trigger the hammers unlike modern Digital Pianos where the sound is created or reproduced entirely by electronics. The only semi-mechanical operation in the majority of instruments is the Key press unit.
The first true Electronic units started in the early 1970's and by 1974 Touch Sensitive keys had been introduced. Typically when the key is pressed a sound recording is processed by a Computer to form the note you hear. Each key will have recordings of perfect notes associated with them and they can vary taking into account Key pressure and speed and Pedal action.
Electronic Grand Pianos may have a vibrating reeds or the later models may have very sophisticated computerised sound generators that can accurately mimic the fine and beautiful notes of the best acoustic pianos
With Digital devices, the lines can blur between Synthetic Music, Organ, and Piano with some instruments switching mode at the touch of a button. They can add Percussion and Backing chords to make even a novice feel comfortable at the keyboard or they can provide a professional keyboard player with a versatile and compact tool.