The piano has been a source of joy and fun since the day of its creation. A lot of people have a piano-learning bullet point in their bucket list. Many people wish to go to their favorite pianist’s program at least once, and a few others have an in-depth desire to perform in a large hall and in front of a big crowd. It is widely appreciated by people in social gatherings, parties, clubs, concerts, and family get-togethers as well. Well, we can easily name a lot of fancy restaurants that offer piano as an additional aspect of the ambiance just because of how it touches all who listen to it. The piano has the ability to touch and attract people with its rhythm and tune.
But, as history witnesses a struggle with everything good in its initial phase, so did piano. Like every popular instrument today, it had a hard time settling up its place. Let’s have a look at the humble beginnings of this majestic musical instrument: how it got the form that it has today, how it made it through all the popular, lovely and old traditional instruments and replaced many of them, how it continued to get everybody in a hold with its rhythm and keys. Let’s have a look at where and when it all began.
A Slow Start
As we know, there are three identified types of instruments that mankind knows,: the string instruments, wind instruments, and percussion instruments. The piano is known as a string instrument because of the fact that the sound generated is because of the vibration of the strings, but it is also known as a percussion instrument because those strings vibrate when a hammer strikes them.
Well, this is just another beautiful fact about this instrument that makes it unique as well. Now, let’s talk about how the piano got invented. It was very similar to an instrument known as a dulcimer. A dulcimer, like a piano, is known to be in both the strings and the percussion category as well. But the dulcimer is known as the piano’s ancestor and it is the descendant of the monochord.
The invention of the piano in the 1700s by Bartolomeo Cristofori, an Italian, did not bring it much fame. It took nearly 150 years to be acknowledged by the public. Also, how Cristofori thought of an invention like that is a story as well. It was because of a disadvantage that an instrument called the harpsichord gave musicians no control over its volume.
Well, something named a “clavicembalo col piano e forte” (literally, a harpsichord that can play soft and loud noises) got the fancy name of ‘piano’ and today, it is not even possible to dive into music without it. Before its invention, none of the instruments were considered apt enough to play both high and soft notes. Hence, music stood on extreme ends, either very bold and loud or very soft.
The piano did away those limitations and showed a way to combine different chords. Initially, the piano was limited to western music, but later on, as the world advanced, it started reaching far off places as well. Since then, it has been constantly growing and holds the credit for the success of the development of a number of new genres as well.
Having its shape and form originated from an instrument named harpsichord, the piano outran every instrument it originated from and took a special place in the hearts of all of us. Like everything that improves with time, the piano had a different shape and identifications when it was first built. Its unfinished form is still known as a clavichord, which was very similar to the piano but had an issue that Cristofori didn’t like – it produced a high volume that no musician had control over. Essentially, the piano originated from a huge variety of instruments and it has left all of them behind by evolving each of them.
Rise In Popularity
It is the wide popularity of the instrument that has led to the creation of its different forms. It is a versatile instrument and is used in completely unrelated music forms as well. It has come all the way from primitive synthesizers to electric and acoustic pianos. A tremendous number of worldwide famous music ensembles uses its tones as their core music.
Music has been a constant socially binding source since time immemorial. At celebrations or festivities, people like to gather and enjoy different genres of music as per the ambiance. With the piano, it is possible to compose solo music, but you can do it with someone else too. Duet pieces or four-handed piano playing has been quite a trend in the face of modern music ensembles. Moreover, if you play really well and confidently, then it is also possible to build a career in the field.
Pianos are popular in multiple genres of music; they can be directly put to use or even set in synchrony with other instruments. You can easily find them at multiple places like restaurants, clubs, and theme-based cafés too. Music pieces performed by pianists helps set the perfect ambiance of a place. A number of places have become more famous owing to the piano music they present instead of their actual service. It also comes in handy when playing pop, jazz, rock, and even gospel in the clubs. Concerts are a big hype all around the world and the piano has become an inseparable part of that. The music is so engrossing that a number of singers have a special inclination towards it and they like to have a pianist on their team or they aspire to become one.
The pianist is in great demand for cocktail and high profile parties. This is because people like to enjoy soft music in the background and a glass of their favorite wine or any other drink. It spruces up the place with sheer serenity and is always the first choice for such events.
Conclusion
The piano has played a significant role in changing the dynamics of the musical world. Moreover, it creates a community for musicians to be interactive with fellow pianists and connect through piano music.
