Abstract: The importance of the piano is commonly overlooked and to many is quite unfamiliar with the pieces of the piano and the significance each part has in order to help contribute to the sound as a whole. Since the rise of the piano within the early 18th century we can see it being incorporated within many popular cultures and can be seen as a form to bring society together. We can see the piano had the most impact throughout the late 1700s-mid1800s during the rise of the Romantic era. A time where art and music were the essences of society. In this paper, we will dive into the components of a piano and how it’s used.
Audience and Purpose: The purpose is to describe the components of a grand piano, how they function, and the impact they have within the music industry compared to other instruments related to the piano. The audience is meant for musicians and artists to understand how to use a piano and its role within the music industry.
Definition: A large musical instrument with a wooden case enclosing soundboard and metal strings, which are struck by hammers when keys are depressed. The vibrations that are released by the keys are then stopped by dampers when the keys are released.
Function: The function of a piano is to produce variations of notes and sounds to create different melodies ranging from soft high notes to strong bass tones. This allows musicians to incorporate within their musical pieces and create depth within songs as the piano usually provides the melody.
Overview: A traditional grand piano is about 6-7 feet in length and weighs approximately around 650 to 850 lbs depending on what size you get. They’re usually made up of hardwood and are laminated to make them last longer and for strength. The strings of the piano are usually made of steel to be able to handle extreme tension and hard blows.
Components:
The following figure below displays the essential components of a piano.
Figure 1: Anatomy of a piano
Casing and Lid: They are essential components of a piano as they offer protection to the inner parts. The lid can be folded down to cover the keys when the piano is not being used, and essentially protect it from dust and any outer damage that can potentially harm the interior. The raised lid also helps the flow of sound waves as they are radiated from the soundboard.
Soundboard: Can be described as the “heart and soul” of the piano. This component is what enhances the sounds that come from the strings, and usually, the highest quality of wood is used to create the rich sound that comes from within. It serves as a translator, it generates the sound waves and amplifies them. Soundboards can typically last about fifty years.
Bass and treble strings: When the strings are struck by the hammers they can produce a range of sounds both high and low notes depending on the length and tension of the strings. They vibrate to create these tones, which match the same vibrations as the sensory nerves in our ear and that’s how we hear the music. An average piano has about 220 strings, each having a different pitch and frequency which have to be tuned to match the rest of the keys.
Hammers: The hammers strike the strings and are connected to the keys on the piano, as a key is depressed the hammer quickly hits the matching string on the inside of the piano, and the sound is produced. A typical piano has 88 keys each with a matching hammer, they’re made of wood with an attaching felt tip that comes into contact with the strings.
Tuning pins: The tuning pins are used to match the correct notes to the keys of the piano. The tuning pins tighten or loosen the strings to change the pitch of the keys. The tighter it gets the higher the note will be, and the looser is where the lower notes come into play. This is pretty tricky to do for the average listener as professional piano players or musicians already have adapted their ears to identify the correct tones the keys are supposed to be in; however, there are certain instruments such as a tuner that can help you place each in the proper key. Tuning the piano is important because it determines the quality of the music played in the end.
Keyboard: The keyboard is the most iconic part of the piano. Made up of 52 white keys and 36 black keys. The white keys are usually the whole notes and the black keys are the flats and sharps. The familiar tune of the piano originates from several notes played simultaneously in order to create a harmony called a chord. Multiple chords are then pieced together to create a song. Depending on the series of chords you play it can determine the mood whether it be major, which are typically described as happier notes. Or minor chords that are usually sadder notes. The cacophony of notes establishes the melody of a song.
Pedals: The pedals on a piano are meant to elongate the keys and blend each note. Without the pedals, the notes sound short and harsh, however when the pedals are depressed as the pianist plays the keys it makes it sound beautiful.
Legs and Wheels: These can be included as part of the main outer body of the piano. The legs are how the piano stands in position. A grand piano typically has three legs, a base leg, a treble leg, and a pointed leg. The bass leg is located on the left side of the keyboard, where the bass notes are. The treble leg on the right side and the point leg are what hold the back of the keyboard upright. The three-legged position creates the stability of the piano on any surface and the wheels help with mobility.
Conclusion:
This musical instrument was invented by Bartolomeo Cristofori around the year 1700. The piano then became one of the most popular and influential instruments invented. The name was created because the piano can create both “piano and forte” sounds. Piano means soft and forte means strong. The range of the piano helps create different tones within a music piece as it goes higher and lower frequencies than most instruments. Pianos can also be tied to improving health as practicing and improving your piano skills makes the muscles located within your hands and arms much stronger than the average person. The piano can also be considered a hybrid instrument as it has strings similar to guitars which can be tuned to create different pitches. As Well as a percussion instrument the keys are hit with the hammers which create vibrations similar to percussion instruments. The piano can be particularly recognized during the jazz age where new styles of music and dance emerged. This instrument was the foreground of many well known pieces that arose during this era. The piano plays a key role within the music industry which opens a door for new ranges in music and creates the common sounds we know today.
References:
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