Instruments can be divided into three main categories based on their source of sound, including string instruments, wind instruments, and percussion instruments. The piano can be traced back through various instruments such as the clavichord, harpsichord, and dulcimer. However, to go back even further, the piano is actually a descendant of the monochord, meaning that it can be classified as a string instrument.
The Dulcimer
While the piano is largely classified as a string instrument due to the fact that the sound comes from the vibration of the strings, it is also a percussion instrument because a hammer hits those strings to produce the sound. Because of this, it is similar to a dulcimer. The dulcimer is an instrument that originated in the Middle East but later spread to Europe in the 11th century. It featured simply a box with strings stretched atop it. Similar to the piano, a small hammer is used to hit the strings which is why the dulcimer is believed to be a direct ancestor of the piano.
The Clavichord
The piano is also part of the keyboard, dating back to the origins of the organ, which produces its sound by sending bursts of air through a series of pipes. Craftsmen created an improved version of the organ and developed an instrument that was one step closer to the piano that we know today. That instrument is known as the clavichord. The clavichord first appeared in the 14th century and was widely popular during the Renaissance Era. It worked by pressing a key which would, in turn, cause a brass rod to strike the string causing vibrations to emit a sound over a four to five-octave range.
The Harpsichord
Next was the harpsichord, created in Italy around 1500. It later spread across Europe to France, Germany, and Great Britain. When a key is pressed, a plectrum fastened to a strip of wood would pluck the string to produce a sound. This system of strings and soundboard, as well as the overall structure of the instrument, closely resemble key features of the modern-day piano.
The First Piano
The first real piano was invented by Bartolomeo Cristofori (1655-1731) of Italy. Cristofori was unsatisfied by the lack of control that musicians had over controlling the volume of the harpsichord so he sought to change that with his own creation. He did this by switching out the plucking mechanism with a hammer to create the modern piano around the year 1700. The instrument was first called “clavicembalo col piano e forte” which literally translates to “a harpsichord that can play soft and loud noises,” if you can believe that. This was soon shortened to the common name piano, short for pianoforte.
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