The History of the Modern Piano

The History of the Modern Piano

Pianos have been around for about three millenniums, and have been redesigned hundreds- if not thousands of times! What has kept this instrument, this form of expressing deep feeling, so entwined with its owner and all those who hear it?

The piano has been around for such a lengthy period of time that it is described to have an epoch, or an age, which represents its climb into fame and ends just before the current ‘depression’ it’s going through. This is known as, “The Age of the Piano” (Bellis, About).

There are many types of pianos that can be divided into groups. The spinet piano, the console piano, and the studio piano are a few examples of these. These are called vertical pianos, because they focus on minimizing the space. These pianos have diagonal strings, and you usually see these stuffed into a corner at your grandmother’s- or older sibling’s house. To name the other genre would be the grand piano- known for the many smooth curves along its side (Barron, 2). This would be the piano you imagine high up on the stage during a concert. We’ll delve further into these two types of pianos further on, inside of the article.

I thought that this would be a good topic to make an essay on, because: it seemed like a unique topic to do, I enjoy the playing the piano on a weekly basis, and because there is so much more to learn about pianos in-general.

This topic doesn’t strike me as a ‘common’ topic, because there aren’t that many people that aren’t interested in playing piano- but in listening to the tunes. I currently take piano lessons and enjoy being able to make up a melodious beat which flows. This is like being able to draw, or paint, or any other creative skill.

The piano has had a long lin...

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...h instrument has unique sounds and a wide variety of notes which can be played. People can now branch out from one type of music, and can express themselves through the sound they are listening to. There has been a decline on the piano’s demand for a long time. Many piano making companies, dating back to the 1800s, have gone bankrupt. People are looking into new forms of expressing themselves.

The piano, itself, has an effect on changing the culture and has changed our beliefs in what is acceptable and not acceptable. The piano was a stepping stool to better sounds which help to direct more powerful emotions. It has left a noble legacy which has changed the world.

The piano has had a large role in changing the world, and even if it is on the decline it has left its mark on the way we experience music. It has a long and illustrious history which is left uncharted.