About Pianos

These pages are about pianos. Here you can learn about the history of pianos, the different types of pianos, how pianos work, and how to care for pianos.

So let's learn all about the piano!

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Piano History

Before pianos, there were dulcimers, organs and harpsichords. Keyboard history changed in the beginning of the 18th century with Bartolomeo Cristophori's invention, the piano-forte. Innovations in Europe and America through the years have made the piano sound more powerful and the instrument more reliable.

The Different Types of Pianos

To learn about pianos, we will need to know the different types of pianos. The "horiziontal" pianos have their soundboard on a plane that is horizontal to the floor. These are called "grand" pianos, which includes square grands, baby grands and the full-sized concert grands.

The "vertical" pianos include the upright, studio, console and spinet pianos. These are the most popular acoustic pianos for the home, due to their smaller footprint, and lower cost.

Electric pianos and keyboards are a faily recent addition to the piano family, and are popular for their many features.

How Pianos Work

What really happens when you press a piano key? The piano is made up of hundreds of working parts, all precisely and finely adjusted to make the creation of music happen as seemlessly and easily as possible. A well regulated piano action can take you from the softest pianissimo to the loudest fortissimo, but it's not just the action. The sounboard, strings, bridges, casing, pinblock, and trap work all play a part in the piano's sound and performance.

How To Care For A Piano

How often should you tune a piano? Is it something you can do yourself? What is regulation and how often should a piano need it? What about piano repairs and rebuilding?

Read about caring for a piano....

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