Piano Facts

How can you describe a piano? Well, a piano is a stringed keyboard instrument which have strings inside that will be hit by soft hammers. The word piano is just a short term for its real name "pianoforte" which consists of two Latin words that means soft (piano) and loud (forte). The piano has a very vast span of loudness and softness which is one of the most significant characteristic of the piano.

There are four important basic parts of the piano which includes the action. It is the mechanism which allows the strings to quiver. In this instrument, this can be done with the hammer action of the piano.  The second one is the frame. The frame is usually made from iron or other kind of steel which can resist the great tugging exertion of the piano's strings. The third one is the soundboard which is made up of wood being placed into the frame. Last but not the least the strings (basically steel wires ) which are being extended above the soundboard and securely attached to the frame. These are all joined into a wooden container.

The common total number of keys is 88 which are also made out of wood. The white keys are being coated with ivory while the black ones are covered with ebony. But nowadays, plastic has been a replacement for ebony and ivory because it is cheaper.

Did you know that the room temperature and humidity can influence the tuning of the piano. This is why you should never put it near any heating device and even under the heat of the sun. The piano should also be tuned regularly every time the season starts to change, this is a common method for places who have enormous change in their temperature and humidity.
Here is an example of a piece played through a piano which is accompanied by a Cello: