Digital Keyboards » Pianos http://www.digital-keyboards.com All the best information about Digital Keyboards Wed, 01 Dec 2010 23:58:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc en hourly 1 Keyboard Instruments: Organs, Harpsichords, Pianos, Keyboards & Synthesizers http://www.digital-keyboards.com/keyboard-instruments-organs-harpsichords-pianos-keyboards-synthesizers/ http://www.digital-keyboards.com/keyboard-instruments-organs-harpsichords-pianos-keyboards-synthesizers/#comments Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:52:58 +0000 http://www.digital-keyboards.com/keyboard-instruments-organs-harpsichords-pianos-keyboards-synthesizers/ Even non-musicians are familiar with keyboard instruments. Few people reach adulthood without having had at least one opportunity to bang on a keyboard of some type. However, many people (including musicians) aren’t aware of the history behind keyboard instruments. Their evolution is both fascinating and surprising.
Many people mistakenly believe that the harpsichord was the earliest keyboard instrument. Harpsichords were undoubtedly a precursor to the piano. However, the pipe organ actually predates the harpsichord by some 1100 years. In fact, the pipe organ was the only keyboard instrument until the invention of the clavichord and the harpsichord.
The earliest pipe organs were massive structures. Upon their emergence, few companies actually made pipe organs. Even fewer people were trained to install and repair them. Their size and complexity made them difficult to work with, although the sound they produced was magnificent. Pipe organs often contained multiple keyboards to operate the many pipes and produce the rich sounds that the instrument is associated with. Naturally, this was not the type of instrument that the average person played at home. Most pipe organs were located in churches and concert halls.
Eventually, more compact versions were invented. Pipe organs evolved into regular organs, which most people of today are familiar with. They were more easily afforded by smaller parishes and even private owners. They were also much more compact and easier to repair.
The clavichord entered the scene in the early 15th century. It first emerged as a “practice instrument.” Since not all musicians could afford or had easy access to an organ, the clavichord became a convenient alternative. It provided organists a means for practicing at home without having to go to a church or other location to find an organ. Clavichords were smaller than today’s piano and may be compared to today’s smaller keyboard synthesizers, minus the need for electricity.
It was likely very shortly after that the harpsichord was invented. The harpsichord more closely resembled today’s piano. This may be part of the reason that people believe the harpsichord was the first keyboard instrument. Modern pianos are based on a very similar design to its predecessors. Harpsichords, however, were much smaller (though larger than the clavichord). The harpsichord had many variations that operated on the same basic musical principles. Some of these include the virginal, the spinet and the clavicytherium.
Like music trends always do, the harpsichord fell out of fashion upon the advent of the piano. The piano, though usually a bit larger, produced a cleaner sound. Harpsichords became all but obsolete within just a few decades. Ironically, harpsichords have come back into fashion in recent years because of their unique and distinctive sound. They are often heard as part of the backup for many contemporary songs, though relatively few people actually own a genuine harpsichord.
The piano is by far the most common keyboard instrument today. They are found in nearly every school and church in North America, as well as in millions of private homes. Most every music student has at least some piano training. They are one of the easiest instruments to learn to play and provide a good musical basis for learning other instruments.
Of course, with an electronics-loving society came the natural evolution of the piano to a plug-in version. These are commonly referred to as synthesizers. Aside from the obvious difference from the piano in the requirement of electricity, synthesizers are capable of mimicking many different instruments. Even the most rudimentary of synthesizers usually have several different instrument modes. The more complex the machine, the more sounds it is able to reproduce. More expensive models are extremely complex and technical. Their technology is of such quality that it can be difficult to distinguish their sound from the actual instrument they are mimicking.
New advances in technology, especially in computers, are being made every year. How this will affect the further evolution of keyboard instruments remains to be seen. It appears, though, that the good old fashioned piano is here to stay for awhile.

]]> http://www.digital-keyboards.com/keyboard-instruments-organs-harpsichords-pianos-keyboards-synthesizers/feed/ 0 Types of Piano http://www.digital-keyboards.com/types-of-piano/ http://www.digital-keyboards.com/types-of-piano/#comments Tue, 22 Dec 2009 18:08:33 +0000 http://www.digital-keyboards.com/types-of-piano/  

Piano is a musical instrument and it is played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with felt hammers. There are different kinds of pianos present in the market. Some of the important ones are mentioned below.

Stage Pianos

These Digital Pianos come with 88 keys and have a very good Piano action – either weighted, hammer or graded hammer action. Some of the models contain the basic piano sounds and a few other sounds like electric piano, organ and some have strings. You can consider these models if you are a serious Piano learner with a tight budget. It may or may not come with built-in speakers. These are even used by a lot of gigging pianists, as they tend to be considerably lightweight.

Grand Pianos

It is a horizontal piano, standing on three or six legs, is called a grand, which also could be straight strung or over strung. Again, the over strung construction is preferred. The action of a grand is located behind the keys, and it can be seen partially through the strings but beneath the music desk. Without removing the action it is difficult to identify which of the several different types of action is present. Unqualified persons should never attempt to remove a grand action; there is considerable danger of causing damage.

Synth Action Pianos

These Digital Pianos come with 88 keys and have synth action. They are meant for keyboard players who are not accustomed to playing with hard keys but need more than 61 keys. These models normally contain numerous musical styles, sounds and effects.

Vertical Pianos – They are called vertical pianos because of their height and the position of the strings. The height of this kind of piano range from 36 to 60 inches and they are of 4 types: Spinet – The height of this type of piano is 36 to 38 inches, and an approximate width of 58 inches, spinets are the smallest of the pianos. Console – Slightly larger than the spinet, its’ height ranges from 40 to 43 inches and is approximately 58 inches wide. This type of piano comes in various styles and finishes.

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