BY: AMBER ROSE EDWARDS

Where the piano came from  In 1709, the “pianoforte” was first revealed as the invention of an Italian harpsichord maker named Bartolomeo Cristofori.  Cristofori based his new design on the wooden frame of a harpsichord and implemented a unique keyboarding mechanism that was similar to that of a clavichord.

The First Musical Instruments  Panpipes are the ancient ancestor of both the harmonica and the pipe organ.  The harp’s fundamental string design would eventually influence an entire line of stringed musical insturments :  Dulcimer  Harpsichord  Clavichord  The violin family, and of course the piano.

Why does the piano have 88 keys?  The piano started out with only about 60 keys, same as the harpsichord.  By the middle of the 19th century, it had 85 notes up to A,then finally they added the last three at the top.  There's even a piano made today which has 96 keys; the bass notes go all the way down to C. It's nine-and-a-half feet long and weighs almost a ton.

What types of piano are there?  There are two basic types: Grand pianos have their strings and soundboard parallel to the floor, and Verticals (or Uprights) have their strings and soundboard turned up perpendicular to the floor.  Grands can be anywhere from 4 and a half to 9 and a half feet long. Uprights can be 52 or more inches high; around 45 inches.

Is the piano a string or percussion instrument?  The piano is really a "hybrid"--a combination of two types.  It's a string instrument because the musical tones originate in the strings; and it's also a percussion instrument, because the strings are set into vibration by being struck with hammers.  To be historically correct, it's classified as a "keyed zither" by Musicologists.

How many strings does a piano have?  It depends on the piano. Each note has three strings in the treble, two strings in the tenor and part of the bass, and only one in the very low bass.  65 trebles (X 3=195), 12 tenor/bass (X 2=24), and 11 single low bass, so it comes out to 230.

How does the piano create sound?  When you push down a key, the mechanism inside makes a hammer go up or forward to strike the strings.  When the string vibrates it makes a musical sound; the string is connected to a large soundboard that amplifies the sound much louder than the string could do by itself.

What causes "Sticky Notes?"  A sticky note is one where the note does not respond quite as it should e.g. it can be played once, but the key or the action does not return to its original position.  The key itself is physically stuck down: - the front of the key is fouling on the slip rail  The front bushings are binding on the key pin -the key pin is rusty - clean or replace -the bushings need lubricating and / or easing

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