| Many people do not realize that the piano is | | | | changes in volume. |
| a stringed instrument. Because the strings | | | | |
| are hidden away inside of the piano, and out | | | | It is unclear exactly when a truly hammered |
| of sight, it is not generally realized that | | | | keyboard instrument appeared. There are |
| strings are used to create the sounds of the | | | | letters indicating that an instrument that |
| piano. Because of its stringed quality, the | | | | could play both loud and soft was available |
| forerunners to the piano include such | | | | in 1598, but historians are unsure as to |
| instruments as the dulcimer (which was played | | | | whether this was a hammered piano, or a |
| by hitting stretched strings of different | | | | cleverly rigged harpsichord. In any case, |
| lengths with a hammer). But all of it began | | | | most historians agree that what can actually |
| in the annals of prehistory, when humans | | | | be called the "pianoforte" did not make an |
| noticed that a stretched animal-gut string | | | | appearance until 1709. This instrument was |
| created different sounds depending on length | | | | capable of a wide range of artistic |
| and tautness. | | | | expression. |
| | | | |
| Keyed instruments that resembled some sort of | | | | The name piano is a derivative of the term |
| a keyboard first appeared in the middle of | | | | pianoforte. "Piano" is a term that means |
| the 12th Century. It was called the | | | | "soft," and "forte" is one that means "loud" |
| monochord. Eventually, enough keyed strings | | | | or "strong." The name given the piano |
| developed into the clavichord. This | | | | originally is quite descriptive. It basically |
| instrument was unique, in that having keyed | | | | means "soft-loud" and describes the feat of |
| strings better facilitated the ability to | | | | being able to play a keyboard instrument with |
| strike more than one string at a time. This | | | | varying degrees of volume. Originally, there |
| meant that it was possible to produce two | | | | was little interest in the pianoforte. |
| sounds, or notes, at once. It until a couple | | | | However, as an article written about the new |
| of centuries later, in the 14th Century, that | | | | keyboard invention was translated into |
| metal wires were used in place of strings for | | | | different languages made its way across the |
| many instruments, including the keyboard | | | | European continent, makers of clavichords and |
| instruments. | | | | harpsichords began also to make pianos. |
| | | | |
| The harpsichord came into being before the | | | | As the piano evolved, it began to take |
| piano did (sometime in the 14th Century). It | | | | different forms, including upright grand |
| was based more on the old instrument called | | | | (1739), upright (1800), and different styles |
| the psaltery. A psaltery was a simply | | | | of grands and uprights, including those that |
| instrument where the strings were placed in a | | | | expanded to include more octaves. While the |
| box and then plucked with the finger, or with | | | | keyboard arrangement has not changed much |
| an instrument called a plectra. When the keys | | | | since the 14th Century, keyboard instruments |
| of a harpsichord were struck, a plectra | | | | have expanded to include more than one |
| pulled on the sting, plucking it. However, | | | | sounding board, and several octaves. |
| the harpsichord was incapable of creating | | | | |