Piano History  The term “piano” comes from the old Italian term pianoforte. The name contains two dynamic terms in music: piano means soft and forte means loud. This was to indicate the capabilities of the instrument to deliver a dynamic range of sound volume. Piano is from the family of keyboards, since you have practically a board with the keys on it. In very simple terms, the keys are connected to felt-covered little hammers that strike steel strings when a key is pressed. The sound vibration is transmitted to the sounding board. Depending on how hard you press the keys, the sound will be softer or louder. Piano and violin are the most frequent instruments used for solo performance (with or without orchestral accompaniment) in classical music. Read the rest of this entry »