• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Piano Emporium Logo

Header Left

Visit Us

Header Right

(828) 277-5566

Header Left

Visit Us

Header Right

(828) 277-5566
  • Pianos
    • Clavinovas
    • Grands
      • Grands: New Inventory
      • Grands: Used Inventory
    • Uprights
      • Uprights: New
      • Uprights: Used
    • Hybrid Pianos
    • Disklaviers
    • Other Digital Pianos
    • Featured Yamaha Pianos
  • Services
    • Piano Moving
    • Piano Restoration
    • Piano Tuning
    • Piano Rentals
    • Antique Piano Guide
  • About
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Newsletters
    • Testimonials
  • FAQ
  • Locations
    • Visit Us
    • Asheville
    • Weaverville
  • News & Tips
  • Back to Top
  • Pianos
    • Clavinovas
    • Grands
      • Grands: New Inventory
      • Grands: Used Inventory
    • Uprights
      • Uprights: New
      • Uprights: Used
    • Hybrid Pianos
    • Disklaviers
    • Other Digital Pianos
    • Featured Yamaha Pianos
  • Services
    • Piano Moving
    • Piano Restoration
    • Piano Tuning
    • Piano Rentals
    • Antique Piano Guide
  • About
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Newsletters
    • Testimonials
  • FAQ
  • Locations
    • Visit Us
    • Asheville
    • Weaverville
  • News & Tips

Piano Trivia and Fun Facts

October 17, 2018 //  by Brandi Hand

At Piano Emporium, we are big fans of the piano. We’ve compiled a few fun facts about the piano below. Enjoy! 

  • The piano was invented in Italy in 1709 by harpsichord maker Bartolomeo di Francesco Cristofori. One of Cristofori’s original pianos is still in existence at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
  • The word piano is the shortened version of the word pianoforte, which means soft (piano) and loud (forte).
  • The first pianos were too expensive for even the very wealthy to own. For nearly a century only aristocrats and royalty owned pianos. How times have changed!
  • A new piano should be tuned four times a year to adjust to its new environment and changing seasons. After the first year, tuning twice a year is sufficient. 
  • Pianos have a total of 88 black and white keys.
  • Wow! The piano has the widest range of tones of all instruments. A piano plays a note lower than the lowest note on a double-bassoon and higher than the top note of a piccolo – an entire orchestral range in one instrument! When seated at a piano, the deepest bass range is the first key on your left, and the highest treble is the last key on the right.
  • The piano can play accompaniment and melody at the same time.
  • The piano is an incredibly intricate instrument. It has over 12,000 parts, 10,000 of which are moving.
  • There are 18 million non-professional piano players in the USA alone.
  • The exact middle of a piano keyboard is NOT middle C. It is actually the space between E and F above middle C.
  • In grand pianos, the frame and the strings extend horizontally. In upright pianos, the frame and the strings are extended vertically.
  • The piano can be considered both a string and percussion instrument. (Most categorize it as a percussion instrument because hammers strike the strings inside to produce sound)
  • Each string usually holds around 168 pounds of tension. The total tension of most standard pianos is around 18-20 tons. Some of the largest grand pianos hold up to 30 tons of tension!
  • The harp, or the metal frame of the piano, is usually made of cast iron.
  • Up until the 1950s, piano keys were made from elephant tusks. Today, in order to protect and preserve elephants, most piano keys are made from plastic.
  • Pedals on pianos are called – from left to right – una corda, sostenuto, and the sustain pedal.
  • The largest piano ever made weighs 1.4 tons and is 5.7 meters long. The piano was made by Adrian Mann, a New Zealand piano tuner.
  • Polish musician Romuald Koperski holds the record for the longest piano concert ever held: 103 hours and 8 seconds long.

Category: Uncategorized

Previous Post: «Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Diagram Piano Playing and Preventing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Next Post: A Talented Young Musician Plays at Piano Emporium »

Questions?

We can help you find the perfect piano for your particular needs. The choices can be overwhelming and we are here to help you make an informed decision. Please do not hesitate to contact us with questions.

Contact Us

Piano News&Sales

Learn the best practices for taking care your piano, how to get the most out of it, and learn about sales and events in our showrooms. Your email address is safe with us and will never be shared.

Piano Emporium
Asheville


828 Hendersonville Road
Asheville, NC 28803

(828) 277-5566

M-TH 10-5:30, FRI 10-4 and SAT 10-2
or by appointment

contact&directions

Piano Emporium
Weaverville


285 N Main Street
Weaverville, NC 28787

(828) 484-9846

T-F 1-5
or by appointment

contact&directions
Yamaha Authorized Dealer 25 Years of Service Registered Piano Technician
Casio Pianos Authorized Dealer Schimmel Pianos Authorized Dealer
  • Back to Top

Site Footer

  • Delivery/Shipping Options
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions

Piano Emporium serves the greater Asheville and Hendersonville area with New and Used Piano sales.
Copyright © 2023 Piano Emporium · All Rights Reserved.