All About Pianos by Annika Vanderbeek
The piano is a very beautiful and old instrument. The first piano invented was called the fortepiano, and it was invented in the 1700s by Bartolomeo Cristofori. The piano is a very complicated instrument, and if you would like to learn more about it read on!
There are two main types of pianos: the upright piano and the grand piano. The grand piano has a better tone than the upright piano, but is also more expensive and takes up more space. The upright piano is a more affordable instrument, which also takes up less space. The grand piano is the ideal choice when floor space and budget allow for it.
The range of the modern piano is a little bit over seven octaves. The piano has 88 keys: 52 white keys and 36 black keys. The white keys play natural tones which are in the key of C. On the other hand, the black keys play sharps and flats of the notes that are played on white keys.
Some of you may have heard a piano and wondered how it works. Well, inside the piano are tightened strings of different lengths. When a key is pressed on the piano, the string is struck by a felt-coated hammer. Almost all of the notes on the piano have three strings, except the lower bass notes which usually have one or two. When a note stops being pressed, a damper stops the string from ringing.
Not only do the hands play piano, but it is also the feet! There are three pedals right next to where the pianist's feet would rest. Although the pedals can have different functions, we will only talk about the most common ability for each pedal. The pedal farthest to the left is called the soft pedal. I’m gonna be honest, this pedal has always been a mystery to me. I can’t notice a difference whenever I press the pedal, but I did do a little bit of research. The soft pedal moves the hammers closer to the strings, which allows the pianist to play a little bit quieter than usual.
The middle pedal of the piano is called the sostenuto pedal. This pedal holds the notes that are being played when the pedal is pressed. For example, if you play a note on the piano and then press the middle pedal down, that note will continue to play unless you let go of the pedal. If another note begins to play after you press the pedal down, it will not be affected.
The final pedal is the far right pedal, the sustain pedal. This pedal removes the damper from the string, which lets the note ring for much longer than usual. This pedal is usually used in slower and more meaningful pieces, but it can also be used if there are consecutive notes that are too far away from each other to be played correctly.
If you enjoyed learning more about pianos, you should start piano lessons. The piano is an amazing start to learning any instrument, as you learn many things about music from playing the piano. So the next chance you get when you see a piano, think about the possibilities that could happen with it.
There are two main types of pianos: the upright piano and the grand piano. The grand piano has a better tone than the upright piano, but is also more expensive and takes up more space. The upright piano is a more affordable instrument, which also takes up less space. The grand piano is the ideal choice when floor space and budget allow for it.
The range of the modern piano is a little bit over seven octaves. The piano has 88 keys: 52 white keys and 36 black keys. The white keys play natural tones which are in the key of C. On the other hand, the black keys play sharps and flats of the notes that are played on white keys.
Some of you may have heard a piano and wondered how it works. Well, inside the piano are tightened strings of different lengths. When a key is pressed on the piano, the string is struck by a felt-coated hammer. Almost all of the notes on the piano have three strings, except the lower bass notes which usually have one or two. When a note stops being pressed, a damper stops the string from ringing.
Not only do the hands play piano, but it is also the feet! There are three pedals right next to where the pianist's feet would rest. Although the pedals can have different functions, we will only talk about the most common ability for each pedal. The pedal farthest to the left is called the soft pedal. I’m gonna be honest, this pedal has always been a mystery to me. I can’t notice a difference whenever I press the pedal, but I did do a little bit of research. The soft pedal moves the hammers closer to the strings, which allows the pianist to play a little bit quieter than usual.
The middle pedal of the piano is called the sostenuto pedal. This pedal holds the notes that are being played when the pedal is pressed. For example, if you play a note on the piano and then press the middle pedal down, that note will continue to play unless you let go of the pedal. If another note begins to play after you press the pedal down, it will not be affected.
The final pedal is the far right pedal, the sustain pedal. This pedal removes the damper from the string, which lets the note ring for much longer than usual. This pedal is usually used in slower and more meaningful pieces, but it can also be used if there are consecutive notes that are too far away from each other to be played correctly.
If you enjoyed learning more about pianos, you should start piano lessons. The piano is an amazing start to learning any instrument, as you learn many things about music from playing the piano. So the next chance you get when you see a piano, think about the possibilities that could happen with it.