Piano

This article is about the modern musical instrument. For other meanings, see piano (disambiguation).

Related Topics:
Musical instrument - Piano (disambiguation)

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A piano is a large musical instrument with a keyboard. Its sound is produced by strings stretched on a rigid frame. These vibrate when struck by felt-covered hammers, which are activated by the keyboard.

Related Topics:
Musical instrument - Keyboard

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The word piano is an abbreviation for pianoforte, Italian for soft-loud, referring to the ability of the piano to play notes at different volumes depending on how hard its keys are pressed.

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As a keyboard stringed instrument, the piano is similar to the clavichord and harpsichord. The three instruments differ in the mechanism of sound production. In a harpsichord, strings are plucked by quills or similar material. In the clavichord, strings are struck by tangents which remain in contact with the string. In a piano, the strings are struck by hammers which immediately rebound, leaving the string to vibrate freely.

Related Topics:
Clavichord - Harpsichord - Tangents

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