In this post I'm going to be giving you all some background information on the Grand Piano.
The harpsichord (on your left) was invented in the 15th century and was the best keyboard instrument at the time. However the only problem with the harpsichord was that no matter how hard you played a note on the harpsichord, the note stayed at the same volume. Composers and musicians found this annoying as they could not play a piece the way they wanted to play it. On a harpsichord to play a lasting note you had to play the same note over and over again as it had no pedals. 
Bartolomeo Cristofori invented the piano that we all know and love today. It was first called "gravicembalo col piano e forte" which translates to a soft and loud keyboard instrument. One of Cristofori's earliest surviving pianos dates back to 1720. After more improvements, composers were able to write music specifically for the piano instead of the harpsichord.
Some interesting facts about the grand piano:
- There are actually 230 strings altogether inside a piano.
- The piano is known as "The King of Instruments" because it is the only musical instrument that can cover a full orchestral range. (which means it can play the lowest note possible and the highest note possible).
- A concert grand is up to 8' 11.75"! That is very long!!
- A concert Grand Piano weighs over 1400 lbs.
No comments:
Post a Comment