The piano is a complex instrument with tight wires and deep sounds. It is, however, easier to play than you think. With a push of a key, a note is made. Here are 9 things you should know about a piano.
1. 61 keys
There are at least 61 keys on a piano. These keys amount to 5 octaves. An acoustic piano has 88 keys — 52 white keys and 36 black keys. Beginner lessons don’t usually go past three octaves, but with practice, the musician will be able to reach further.
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2. Black and white keys
The keys were originally colored black and white so they could be easily identifiable to the musician. Further, the original materials used to make the piano were ebony (a dense black hardwood) and ivory (hard white material from tusks and teeth from animals). Today, the keys are coated in plastic, but the traditional coloring is still the same.
3. White keys are "natural" notes and the black are "sharp" or "flat"
White keys as a whole are considered “natural” notes. Their individual names depend on the note being played. They range from C, D, E, F, G, B, and A.
The black keys are named “sharp” or “flat” after the white key they are closest to, so each black key actually has two names. If a black key has an A on it’s left and a B on its right, then that note can either be “A sharp” or “B flat.”
4. What is an octave?
An octave is a span between one note to the next. There are 8 total “natural” (white) notes between one note to the next. As an example, from A to A, there are 8 notes (ABCDEFGA).
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5. How sound is made
Sound is made on a piano when a hammer hits strings. On a grand piano, there are three types of string sets resulting in about 230 strings total:
- Uni-chords. The deepest notes on a piano have single strings.
- Bichords. The next lowest strings have two strings. Mid-level notes have two strings, too.
- Trichords. The higher notes have three strings.
6. Pedals on a piano
There are three pedals on an acoustic piano. The pedals are as follows:
- Left: The “soft pedal” or “shift pedal” is responsible for lowering the volume of notes played on the piano. The hammer will hit two strings, rather than three, when the pedal is pressed.
- Middle: This pedal differs depending on the piano you use. When a chord is played and the pedal is pressed on a grand piano, only the notes played in the chord will sustain. On an upright piano, the middle pedal softens the sound being played so it’s not as loud.
- Right: The “damper pedal” raises the dampers in the entire piano so the notes ring out without hindrance. When the pedal is released, the dampers fall down an stops the ringing notes.
7. Who invented the piano?
Bartolomeo Cristofori invented the piano around the year 1700. The piano was created so sustained notes could be played loudly or softly on one set of keys.
8. Tuning should be done by a professional
Tuning a piano is hard work and should only be done by a professional. It can cost between $65 and $225 depending on the piano. The cost can rise significantly if it needs multiple tuning sessions.
9. How the piano became so popular
The short answer: it’s easy to use!
Other instruments require breath, finger coordination (some at the same time!), or your voice. The piano, however, makes noise by simply pressing a key.
As a bonus, you can play almost any musical score made for other instruments because it’s so versatile.
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