| Classical music is a broad term that usually refers | | | | to composing and rehearsal. Although not portable |
| to music produced in, or rooted in the traditions | | | | and often expensive, the piano's versatility and |
| of, Western art, or ecclesiastical and concert | | | | ubiquity have made it one of the most familiar |
| music, in the period from the 9th century to the | | | | musical instruments. |
| 21st century. The central norms of this tradition | | | | The piano is sometimes classified as both a |
| became codified between 1550 and 1900, which is | | | | percussion and a string instrument. In the period |
| known as the common practice period. | | | | from about 1790 to 1860, during the Mozart-era, |
| Classic music is still played by many of today's | | | | piano underwent tremendous changes, which led |
| musicians. European classical music is largely | | | | to the modern form of the instrument. Early |
| distinguished from many other non-European and | | | | technological progress owed much to the English |
| popular musical forms by its system of staff | | | | firm of Broadwood, which already had a |
| notation, in use since about the 16th century. | | | | reputation for the splendor and powerful tone of |
| Classical and popular music are often distinguished | | | | its harpsichords. |
| by their choice of instruments. The instruments | | | | The accordion is played by compression and |
| used in classical music were mostly invented | | | | expansion of a bellows, which generates air flow |
| before the middle of the 19th century. Some of | | | | across reeds. A keyboard or buttons control |
| them had been designed even earlier, and codified | | | | which reeds receive air flow and therefore |
| in the 18th and 19th centuries. They consist of | | | | determine the tones produced. The accordion's |
| the instruments found in an orchestra, together | | | | basic form was invented in Berlin in 1822 by |
| with a few other solo instruments such as the | | | | Friedrich Buschmann. The accordion is one of |
| piano, harp, accordion, and organ. | | | | several European inventions of the early 19th |
| The great majority of classical music gear fall into | | | | century that used free reeds driven by a bellows. |
| six major categories - bowed strings, woodwind, | | | | The violin is a bowed string instrument with four |
| brass, percussion, keyboard, and the guitar family. | | | | strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest |
| The first four form the basis of the modern | | | | and highest-pitched member of the family of |
| symphony orchestra. | | | | string instruments, which also include the viola and |
| The classical guitar was originally a | | | | cello. The oldest documented violin to have four |
| Spanish-derived, six-stringed instrument. It is | | | | strings, like the modern violin, was made in 1555. |
| played using a plectrum or the finger-nails, with | | | | Significant changes occurred in the shape and |
| frets set into the fingerboard. Popular music tends | | | | structure of the violin in the 18th century, |
| to use amplification for both the six-stringed | | | | particularly in the length and angle of the neck, as |
| instruments and the four-string bass guitar. The | | | | well as in the bass bar. Most of the old violins |
| guitar family gradually supplanted the lute which | | | | have undergone these modifications, and hence |
| had come to prominence during the Renaissance. | | | | are in a significantly different shape than their |
| The piano is widely used in Western music for | | | | forerunners, undoubtedlys with differences in |
| solo performance, chamber music, and | | | | sound and response. |
| accompaniment. It is also very popular as an aid | | | | |