The history of the piano outlines a process whereby musicians desired to improve upon the ideas of those who came before. The result is the modern piano, an instrument that is perfectly at home in a bar, a classroom, a living room or a concert hall.
Piano Ancestry
Bartolomeo Cristofori, a keeper of instruments for the royal Italian court, invented the pianoforte in 1700. Cristofori desired a keyed instrument that allowed the player to control the volume of the notes-loud or soft. Until then, spinets were the instruments of choice for the European courts, and the large stringed instruments were set on a table and played standing up. The strings inside were plucked by pressing any of the keys on the keyboard.
Cristofori already knew how to make harpsichords and spinets, so developing hammers to strike the instrument's strings was a natural step for him. The hammers were controlled by the keyboard, but they differed from earlier music instruments in that they could be controlled in how hard or soft they struck the strings.
Piano Development
The possibilities of the piano were slowly recognized, and further developments in design and sound made them even more popular. One significant development occurred in the 1730s, with the addition of the damper pedal by a German instrument maker named Gottfried Silbermann.
Other improvements by musicians and instrument makers over the next 150 years included felt coverings on the hammers for a softer sound and steel strings. Also, the piano began to reach more octaves, and iron frames were put on the sounding boards, an innovation that allowed thicker strings and more of them. Pianos were still housed in harpsichord-sized cases, which gave them the distinctive grand piano shape. Square pianos, in heavy iron frames, were desired in the 1800s, but they fell out of favor to the upright pianos of the 20th century.
Today's Pianos
Companies like Steinway & Sons, Baldwin, Yamaha, Kawai and Schulze Pollmann manufacture pianos that span a range of piano types. Several kinds of pianos are manufactured and sold today, including concert grands, grands, baby grands, uprights and even electric piano keyboards that fit on the player's lap.
 | Want to learn how to play the piano? You might want to start with a keyboard first so you can figure out the keys before buying a piano and investing in piano lessons. |
 | Cleaning your piano keys regularly will not only make your piano look better, but it will also prevent stuck keys, which will improve your performance. |
 | Different types of pianos range from the stylish grand pianos to the space-saving vertical pianos to electrical pianos, which are ideal for beginners. |
Famous piano performers aren't limited to the Classical composers and performers of the 18th century. In the 19th and 20th centuries, innovators such as Franz Liszt and Glenn Gould stunned audiences and listeners with their skills. |
Who invented the piano? Bartolomeo Cristofori typically gets the credit for developing the piano for Italian royalty during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. |
