ORIGIN OF PIANO

        The beautiful sound of piano music has captured the hearts of people since the early eighteenth century. Since then, many musicians have dedicated their lives to this instrument. Some players even play piano so well that it may seem that this instrument is easy to play. However, to be able to play the piano well isn't easy; it takes lot of skill. To become a good piano player , one must love music very much , have good finger techniques and body flexibility.

ORIGIN OF PIANO:

         The word piano is a shortened form of pianoforte , the Italian term for the early 1700s version of the instrument, which in turn derives from gravicembalo col piano e forte and fortepiano. The Italian musical term piano and forte indicates "soft" and "loud" respectively, in this context referring to the variations in volume (i.e., loudness) produced in response to a pianist's touch or pressure on keys: the greater the velocity of a key pressed , the greater the force of the hammer hitting the strings and the louder the sound of the note produced and the stronger the attack. The name was created as a contrast to harpsichord, a musical instrument that doesn't allow variation in volume. The first forte pianos in the 1700s had a quieter sound and smaller dynamic range.

    

    The piano was founded on earlier technological innovations in keyboard instruments. Pipe organs have been used since antiquity, and as such , the development of pipe organs enabled instrument builders to learn about creating keyboard mechanisms for sounding pitches. The first string instruments with struck strings were the hammered dulcimers, which were used since the middle ages in Europe. During the middle ages, there were several attempts at creating stringed keyboard instruments with struck strings. By the 17th century, the mechanism of keyboard instruments such as the clavichord and the harpsichord were well developed.

        The invention of the piano is credited to Bartolomeo di Francesco Cristofori(1655-1731) of Padua, Italy, Who was employed by Ferdinando de' Medici, Grand Prince of Tuscany, as the keeper of the Instruments. Cristofori was an expert harpsichord maker, and was well acquainted with the body of knowledge on stringed keyboard instruments. He used his knowledge of harpsichord keyboard mechanisms and actions to help him to develop the first piano. It is not known exactly when Cristofori first built a piano. An inventory made by his employers, the Medici family, indicates the existence of a piano by the year 1700; another document of doubtful authenticity indicates a date of 1698. There are three Cristofori pianos that survive today date from the 1720s. Cristofori named the instrument "un cimbalo di cipresso di piano e forte" ( a keyboard of cypress with soft and loud), abbreviated over time as pianoforte, fortepiano, and later , simply, Piano.

    The world's oldest piano made by Bartolomeo Cristofori is still in existence in Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York city.

First Piano made by Bartolomeo Cristofori

   The above shown piano is the oldest piano ever made by Cristofori. This is a grand piano actually. In 1726 he made another Piano which is still in Museum of Musical instruments of Leipzig University, Germany.

Piano made by Cristofori in 1726

    

    Later that was subjected into development of various structural changes in pianos by various musical instrument builders in 1800s. An early piano replica was built by modern piano builder Paul McNulty, After Walter and Sohn, in 1805.

Piano Replica made by Paul McNulty in 1805.

    

    This technology in music was further developed in many aspects and spread its branches in various areas.