Grand Piano: History and Range

Grand Piano

• The piano is known as the "king of instruments" due to its widest range of notes.
• The word "piano" is short for pianoforte, meaning that the instrument can be played both softly (piano) and loudly (forte).

Grand Piano History

• c. 200: The grand piano's origins can be traced to the santur, a stringed instrument with the use of hammers.
• 1300s: The first written records of the harpsichord, a stringed plucked instrument.
• 1500-1700s: The Clavichord and harpsichord were popular instruments in Europe during this time.
• c.1700: The rich Italian Medici family owned a piano, possibly made by Bartolomeo Cristofori. 
• Late 1700's: Johann Andreas Stein improved the piano, leading to the "Viennese piano". 
• Early 1800's: The "double escapement" action was added to the piano.
• 1843: The patent for the first full-iron frame in a grand piano.
• 1853: Steinway & Sons created a piano company

Grand Piano Range

• The piano has a note range of over seven octaves.
• Playable both softly or loudly, in response to the player's touch.

Who's the Baby?

• Grand pianos are available in several sizes, beginning with baby grand, under 5ft 4in (162 cm) to Concert Grand up to 9ft 10in (3m) long. 
• Longer strings provide for a fuller base response. 

The Action

• When a key is pressed, the action causes a hammer covered in felt strikes a steel string, causing a note.
• The soundboard vibrates these strings, creating a full dynamic range of sound.
• Higher-pitched notes have two or three strings per note; lower notes are typically thicker and heavier.

The Keyboard

• The keyboard is the visible action of the piano.
• There are both white keys and black keys, these make a chromatic scale which is repeated on the keyboard in octaves.
• White keys were traditionally made of ivory and the black keys were traditionally made of ebony wood.
• Modern keyboards are now made of plastic. 

Pedals

• The soft pedal makes the notes sound softer. 
• The sostenuto pedal allows the notes already played to continue, and keep other notes sounding normal. 
• The damper or sustain pedal makes the sounds continue to sound. 

Top Pianists

• Notable composers, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Liszt, Frédéric Chopin, and Clara Schumann, have written piano works. 
• Modern pianists include 20th century notables such as Vladimer Askenazy, Nelson Freire, and Idil Biret.
• Oscar Peterson is a noteable Jazz pianist.

Triumphant Trumpet

• The Trumpet is believed to be over 3,500 years old. 
• They were first made of animal horns and sea shells. 
• The trumpet did not have piston valves until the beginning of the 1800's. 

Trumpets in History

• C.1500 BCE: Long Trumpets were used in China for signaling.
• 1323 BCE: silver and gold trumpets were found in the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun.
• 600 BCE-600 CE: the roman army signaled with trumpets.
• 1400s: S shaped trumpets were made.

Top Trumpeters

• By the early 19th century, trumpets had become a fixed feature of the symphony orchestra
• Maurice Andre, Adolph "Bud" Herseth, Louis Armstrong, Chet Baker, Miles Davis, Wynton Marsalis, Arturo Sandoval, Guy Barker and James Morrison

Special Effects

• Mutes are added to the bell to change the sound of the instrument.
• The Harmon or Wah-wah is also a type of mute.

Place in the Orchestra

• The trumpet can hit some of the highest notes of all the brass Instruments
• The B flat trumpet is the most common variation

How To Play The Trumpet

• Players hold their lips tut
• Air vibrates down the metal tube
• Closing the piston valves helps produce different notes.

Trumpet Range

• Over three octaves

The Gamelan

• A traditional Indonesian orchestra from Bali that is the primary instrument.
• Can be compared to something that is like moonlight and flowing water.
• Gamelans have been used for centuries as a way of spreading religious messages.

Sacred Instrument

• Gamelan was formed around 1,800 years ago. 
• The Ruler Sang Hyang Guru used the Gong to summon the gods and considered their set sacred.

playing Together

• Every player is equal, drummer leads
• Men and women are typically separated but women may sing with the males.

Instruments

• Ostinato: Gamelon tunes that are repeated. 
• Interlocking: Instruments play together.  
• Bebranangan: Balinesse Gamelon. 
• Drums:  Main Rhythm Instruments. 
• Gender Metallophones: create softer tunes.

Wayang kulit

• Puppet theater or shadow play.

Sitar, tabla and tambura

• Indian classical culture for over 3,000 years. 
• Three main part.  Ruga, a constant rhythm, and a single melody line.

The Sitar

• A 3 set long necked string instrument 
• 4 strings
• 2-3 drone
• 9-13 sympathetic string

The

• A pair of drums. 
• Dayan for the right and Bayan for the left 
• When both are struck it sounds like a bell

The Tambura

• Can drone
• Typically also called the Tampura

Other Instruments

• Reed key organ
• Organ version

Famous Players

• Raji Shankar , George Harrison's teacher.
• Anoushka is Raji daughter
• Akala

The Violin

• A small stringed instrument that is part of the orchestral string section.

###Violin Details

• Scroll
• Tuning bags
• Nut
• Pegbox
• Neck
• Here
• Fingerboard
• F holes.

Electrafying Violins

• electric versions made in the 1920s

Violin strings

• In the past they are made from gut and now of metal. 

How to Play the Violin

• Right hand holds the bow while the string is under your chin.

Violin History

• Antonio Stradivari made over 3.5 million for a anonymous bidder.
• Paganini.
• Jospeh

Violin Music

• The violin can be played in multiple types of music.

Koto

• A ancient string instrument of Japan

Musician Bio - Yatsubhashi Kengyo

• Started as a child
• Buddhist priest
• Died at age 71

Playing

• Use ivory picks on thumb

Koto parts

• Bridge positions for tone and range
• Music stand holds music

Composition

• Rokndan no Shirabe,
• 17th century
• 6 steps

Tuning

• Positioning of the strings and height of the bridges

Samkyoku ensemble

• Three instruments playing 
• Koto

kokku and Shamin

• Kokyu is coconut 

Details

• Shaakahachi replaces kokku 
• Reassembles a dragon shape