The piano is a
musical instrument played
using a keyboard.
It is widely used in classical
and jazz
music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music
and accompaniment and for composing
and rehearsal. Although the piano is not portable and often expensive, its
versatility and ubiquity have made it one of the world's most familiar musical
instruments.
The piano usually has a
protective wooden case surrounding the soundboard and metal strings. The metal
strings are struck (by internally attached wooden blocks) when the keys are
pressed down. But when the particular key(s) are released by the pianist, the
strings’ vibration will come to a stop, ultimately putting a stop to the sound
made by that key. The note can be prolonged by the use of the pedals (typically
pianos have two or three pedals) attached at the bottom of the piano near the
pianist’s feet.
The word piano is a shortened form
of pianoforte (PF), the Italian
word for the instrument (which in turn derives from the
previous terms gravicembalo col piano e forte and fortepiano). The Italian
musical terms piano
and forte indicate "soft" and "strong" respectively,
in this context referring to the variations in sound volume the
instrument produces in response to a pianist's touch on the keys: the
greater the velocity of a key press, the greater the force of the hammer hitting
the strings, and the louder the sound of the note produced.