Encyclopedia of technologies and techniques. Piano as a musical instrument

If you are a beginner pianist, then it will be useful for you to learn a little more about your instrument than those who have nothing to do with the piano know. Now here we will talk about how the piano works and what happens when we press the keys. Having received this knowledge, you may not yet be able to tune the piano yourself, but at least you will have an idea of ​​​​how to fix minor problems with the piano and continue practicing until the tuner arrives.

What do we usually see on the outside when we look at a piano? As a rule, this is a kind of “black box” with teeth-keys and foot-pedals, main secret which is hidden inside. What's inside this “black box”? Here I would like to pause for a moment and quote the lines famous poem for the children of Osip Mandelstam:

We saw today
A town inside a piano.
The whole city bone,
There are piles of hammers.

The strings shine with the heat of the sun,
There are soft cloths everywhere,
Whatever the street is a string
Visible in this city.

In every piano and grand piano, such a “town” is hidden inside a mysterious “black box”. This is what we see when we open the piano lid:

Now it’s clear where the sounds come from: they are born at the moment when the hammers strike the strings. Let's take a closer look at the external and internal structure of the piano. Each piano consists of three main parts: housing, acoustic (sound) block and percussion-keyboard mechanism (mechanics).

Essentially, the most massive part of the piano is its frame, hiding everything that happens inside and protecting all the mechanisms of the instrument from dust, water, accidental breakdowns, penetration of domestic cats and other disgrace. In addition, the case plays an important role as a load-bearing base, which prevents the 200-kilogram structure from falling to the floor (about how much an average piano weighs).

Acoustic block piano or grand piano form those parts that are responsible for the instrument to produce musical sounds. Here we include the strings (that's what it sounds), the cast-iron frame (on which the strings are attached), as well as the soundboard (this is a large canvas glued together from pine planks that reflects the weak sound of the string, amplifying and growing it to concert strength).

And finally Mechanics A piano is a whole system of mechanisms and levers that are needed so that the keys struck by the pianist respond with the necessary sounds, and so that at the right moment the sound, at the request of the playing musician, is immediately interrupted. Here we must name the keys themselves, hammers, dampers and other parts of the instrument, this also includes pedals.

How does it all work?

The sounds come from hammers hitting the strings. On the piano keyboard everything 88 keys(52 of them are white, and 36 are black). Some older pianos only have 85 keys. This means that a total of 88 notes can be played on a piano; to do this, there must be 88 hammers inside the instrument that will strike the strings. But it turns out that there are much more strings that the hammers hit – there are 220 of them. Why is this so? The fact is that each key has from 1 to 3 strings from the inside.

For low thunderous sounds, one or two strings are enough, since they are long and thick (even have a copper winding). High sounds are born thanks to short and thin strings. As a rule, their volume is not too strong, so it is enhanced by adding two more exactly the same ones. So it turns out that one hammer strikes not one string, but three at once, tuned in unison(that is, the same sound). A group of three strings that produce the same sound together is called in unison strings

All strings are mounted on a special frame, which is cast from cast iron. It is very strong, as it must withstand high string tension. The screws with which the required string tension is achieved and fixed are called pegs(or whirbels). There are as many virbels inside the piano as there are strings - 220, they are located in the upper part in large groups and all together form Virbelbank(virbel bank). The pegs are screwed not into the frame itself, but into a powerful wooden beam, which is fixed behind it.

Can I tune the piano myself?

I don’t recommend it unless you are a professional tuner, but you can still fix some things. When tuning a piano, each of the pegs is tightened with a special key so that the string sounds at the desired pitch. What should you do if any of the strings are weakened and one of their choirs gives out dirt? In general, you need to invite an adjuster if you do not do this regularly. But before he arrives, this problem can be resolved independently by slightly tightening the necessary string.

To do this, you first need to determine which of the choir strings is out of tune - this is easy to do, you need to look at which choir the hammer hits, then listen to each of the three strings separately in turn. After this, you just need to turn the peg of this string slightly clockwise, making sure that the string acquires the same tuning as the “healthy” strings.

Where can I get a piano tuning key?

How and with what to tune a piano if there is no special key? Under no circumstances try to turn the pegs with pliers: firstly, it is not effective, and secondly, you may get hurt. In order to tighten the string, you can use ordinary hexagons - such a tool is in the arsenal of any car owner:

If you don’t have hexagons at home, I recommend buying them - they are quite inexpensive (within 100 rubles) and are usually sold in sets. From the set we select a hexagon with a diameter of 8 mm and the corresponding head, the resulting tool can easily adjust the position of any of the piano pegs.

As you can see, everything is quite simple. Only, I warn you that with this method you can solve the problem for a while. However, you should not get carried away with “tightening the pegs” and refuse the services of a tuner: firstly, if you get carried away, you can spoil the overall tuning, and secondly, this is far from the only necessary operation for your instrument.

What to do if the string breaks?

Sometimes the strings on a piano burst (or break, in general, break off). What to do in such a situation before the adjuster arrives? Knowing the structure of the piano, you can remove the damaged string (remove it from the “hook” at the bottom and from the “peg” at the top). But that is not all…. The fact is that when a treble string breaks, one of the neighboring ones (on the left or right) loses its tuning along with it (“relaxes”). It will also have to be removed, or fixed at the bottom on a “hook”, making a knot, and then adjusting it in a familiar way to the desired height.

What happens when you press the piano keys?

Now let's understand how the mechanics of a piano work. Here is a diagram of the operating principle of piano mechanics:

Here you see that the key itself is not connected in any way to the source of sound, that is, to the string, but only serves as a kind of lever that activates internal mechanisms. As a result of the impact of the key (the part that is visible in the figure is hidden when viewed from the outside), special mechanisms transfer the impact energy to the hammer, and it strikes the string.

Simultaneously with the hammer, the damper moves (a muffler pad that lies on the string), it comes off the string so as not to interfere with its free vibrations. The hammer also instantly bounces back after being hit. As long as a key is pressed on the keyboard, the strings continue to vibrate; as soon as the key is released, the damper will fall onto the strings, dampening their vibrations, and the sound will stop.

Why do pianos need pedals?

Usually a piano or grand piano has two pedals, sometimes three. Pedals are needed to diversify and colorize the sound. Right pedal removes all the dampers from the strings at once, as a result of which the sound does not disappear after releasing the key. With its help we can achieve simultaneous sound more sounds than we could play with just our fingers.

There is a common belief among inexperienced people that if you press the damper pedal, the sound of the piano will become louder. To some extent this is indeed true. Musicians tend to evaluate not so much volume as the enrichment of timbre. When a string is acted upon with open dampers, this string begins to respond to many others that are related to it according to acoustic-physical laws. As a result, the sound is saturated with overtones, making it fuller, richer and more flighty.

Left pedal also used to create a special kind of colorful sound. By its action it muffles the sound. On pianos and grand pianos, the left pedal operates different ways. For example, on a piano, when the left pedal is pressed (or, more correctly, taken) the hammers move closer to the strings, as a result of which the force of their impact decreases and the volume decreases accordingly. On a piano, the left pedal, using special mechanisms, shifts the entire mechanics relative to the strings in such a way that instead of three strings, the hammer hits only one, and this creates an amazing effect of distance or depth of sound.

The piano also has third pedal, which is located between the right pedal and the left one. The functions of this pedal may vary. In one case this pedal-sostenuto, needed to hold individual bass sounds, in another - moderator, which greatly reduces the sonority of the instrument (for example, for night practice), in the third case, the middle pedal activates some additional function. For example, he lowers a bar with metal plates between the hammers and strings, and thus changes the usual timbre of the piano to some “exotic” coloring.

Let's sum it up...

You and I learned about the structure of a piano and got an idea of ​​how a piano is tuned; we learned how to eliminate minor defects in the operation of the instrument before the tuner arrives. I also suggest you watch a video on the topic of the article - you will be able to spy on the production of musical instruments at the Yamaha piano factory.

If you have any questions, leave them in the comments. To send the article to your friends. Use the buttons social networks at the bottom of this page.

All about the piano:

Piano (Italian pianino - small piano) - string keyboard musical instrument, a type of piano in which the strings, soundboard, and action are arranged vertically rather than horizontally, resulting in the piano taking up much less space than a grand piano.

The first piano was invented by the American J. Hawkins in December 1800; independently of him, the piano was also designed by the Austrian M. Müller - a little later, in January 1801. But modern form the piano was purchased only in mid-19th century (cast iron frame, cross strings, mechanics with lower and upper dampers).

Now the piano is increasingly being replaced by MIDI keyboards and synthesizers, due to the greater versatility and better ergonomics of the latter.

The most common cabinet pianos have a body width along the keyboard of 1450-1500 mm and a height of about 1250-1400 mm; the range is 7 octaves. The piano has a plinth - this is a piece of iron construction that connects to the body of the piano from below and is necessary for attaching the pedal mechanism. The vertical upright of the body, connected to the beam and leg of the piano, is called the console.

You might also be interested in learning about the history of the piano.

Tool placement: do not place the piano or grand piano where they are subject to changes in temperature and humidity (radiator, window), as well as direct sunlight! Sudden changes in temperature and humidity in a room not only harm the wooden parts and body, but also the metal parts, the operation of the mechanics and the overall stability of the instrument. The normal temperature for operating a piano is considered to be +12…+25 degrees with a relative humidity of 50-60%.

Place the tool at a distance of 10 cm from the wall, all contact planes (legs) should touch the floor. Pictures on the walls and various objects located around the instrument can create unwanted side sounds, while the sound of the piano itself installed on a soft base (carpet) is quieter than on a hard base (parquet, linoleum).

Settings: It is advisable to tune the instrument after turning the heating on/off; the frequency of tuning depends on the intensity of its use, but in any case at least once a year, and for a new instrument - twice a year. If you do not do this for too long, then later the instrument will not be able to be tuned immediately, this is due to the weakening of the tension of the strings and the gradual deformation of the instrument frame. Moreover, the tuning will drop unevenly, and the instrument will begin to sound out of tune; the tuner will be forced to either tune the piano lower than it should be, or he will have to a short time configure it again.

When you decide on the quality of the work performed, pay attention to the accuracy of the settings, to the movement of the pedals (is there any squeaking, humming, are all notes playing when pressed), are there any extraneous sounds, are all the hammers returning to their place.

Care: a piano, especially a varnished one, like any furniture, needs constant care. With proper attention and care, such a musical instrument can become a family heirloom, passed on from generation to generation and live for several centuries. Caring for the outer surface of the instrument is very easy. A piece of clean cloth lightly dampened with water is safest for a polished surface, and dry for a matte surface. You can also use special furniture care products, using them in accordance with the instructions.

Some parts of pianos and grand pianos are attractive to moths, so ask your tuner to put insect repellent inside the instrument. At least once a year, remove dust inside the housing using a brush and vacuum cleaner.

Of course, the most important part of a piano is its sound. Call your tuner regularly (once every 1-2 months, depending on the frequency of use of the instrument), and be sure to follow his recommendations.

To give appearance fresh look piano using polishing fluid and natural drying oil High Quality. When carrying out the procedure, use gloves, preferably medical ones, they will fit your hands better and will be more comfortable for you.

The polishing pad is made from pure woolen fabric. It is folded so that it is convenient to hold, and then a pre-prepared linen cover is put on it (or wrapped in linen cloth).

A little polishing liquid is poured onto the swab and, after it has been absorbed, a few drops of drying oil are poured.

The polishing compound is applied to the piano using circular and straight movements. In this case, the liquid gradually seeps through the fabric (the effect is similar to that of liquid cream paint for shoes). The alcohol contained in the polishing liquid quickly evaporates, leaving a very thin shiny film on the surface. As soon as the tampon begins to stick to the surface, add a few drops of drying oil. You can’t pour too much drying oil, because... its excess reduces the shine of the polish. From time to time, the swab is soaked in polishing fluid (be sure to let it soak into the swab).

It is necessary to constantly move the tampon, otherwise stains will form that are very difficult to remove.

Don't be afraid to refinish your piano this way. Drying oil protects the surface from cracks, drying out and harmful effects. Polish gives pianos and any other furniture a shiny look.

Yellow stains on piano keys appear from oily fingers (unwashed hands). Such yellow stains should be removed with chemically pure alcohol or ether. If your piano keys are made of ivory, you can clean them with a mixture of 1 part turpentine and 3 parts denatured alcohol. After cleaning, without rinsing off the composition, the keys should be exposed to light.

To prevent dust from getting on the keys, cover them with a special cloth and only then close the cover.

To preserve the instrumental qualities in the room where the piano is located, it is necessary to maintain a certain air humidity. If the air is too dry, cracks may appear on the surface, especially for varnish coatings. If the air is too humid, the instrument will quickly fail.

The piano is one of the most common musical instruments; it has two varieties - piano and grand piano. This is a complex keyboard-string mechanism consisting of an acoustic apparatus, a keyboard mechanism and support structures. It has a wide range of sounds from soft to loud. In a piano, the strings are arranged vertically, in a grand piano - horizontally.

Predecessors of the piano

The history of the piano goes back to the distant 16th century. The inventor of this magnificent instrument is considered to be Bartolomeo Cristofori, an Italian master who invented hammer mechanisms for the harpsichord. The instrument had a very simple design; at that time the piano did not yet have pedals or dampers. It consisted of keys, a hammer and a returner. The forerunners of the piano were the clavichord and the harpsichord.

Bartolomeo Cristofori

The clavichord was the first keyboard-string instrument. Its design is very similar to a modern piano, but it was much smaller in size and could not produce loud sounds. It was a musical instrument for home use. Unlike a piano, which can have up to three strings per key, in the clavichord only one string corresponds to one key. The exact time of invention of the instrument is unknown; it became widespread in .

Piano Cristofori

The harpsichord appeared in the 15th century. Its dimensions exceeded the clavichord, and its structure was more similar to a modern grand piano. The sound was produced using a feather or a piece of leather, but was also not loud enough for public speaking.

The significance of the instrument in world history

The design of the piano changed several more times. Various masters from Italy, Germany, and England have been improving the concept of the instrument for another century. The main contribution to the creation of new characteristics of the piano, thanks to which we can enjoy its modern sound, was made by the masters Silbermann, Schröter, Zumpe, Stein.

The appearance of the piano caused a real revolution in the world of music. Finally appeared new tool for sound in concert halls, the breadth of its range allows it to play leading roles in musical creations. The popularity of the piano grew very quickly. In the eras of classicism and subsequent romanticism, people began to appear who wrote works specifically for this instrument, which later became masterpieces classical music. But the piano was not only an accompaniment for concert performances; many noble subjects preferred to have this magnificent-sounding instrument at home.

In Russia, piano making was also focused on high level. There are several hundred names of world-class craftsmen who were involved in the development and supply of the instrument. Initially, the piano appeared in Russia, of course, in St. Petersburg.

By the end of the 20th century, new varieties of musical instruments began to appear, based on the piano. These are electronic pianos and .

The differences between a piano and a grand piano are known to everyone who has even the slightest idea about music and musical instruments. However, most people do not understand why they differ so significantly. And to understand how different these tools are, you need to understand what each of them is.

What is a grand piano

A grand piano is a musical instrument that belongs to the family of keyboards and strings. It got its name from French word“royal”, which is translated into Russian as “royal”. The grand piano is one of the varieties of the piano, just like the upright piano. However, the instruments differ in some significant ways.

The instrument has a large body, the length of which varies from 160 to 310 cm and depends on the type of piano. The weight of the piano can also be different: from 250 to 500 kg.

There are several types of grand pianos, the difference of which comes down to size and purpose. For example, there are mini-grand pianos, intended primarily for children and their rooms, cabinet grand pianos, which are placed in music schools, as well as concert grand pianos, which are supposed to be placed in theater halls.

All pianos, regardless of their size, have the same shape. They consist of a housing, which contains all the mechanisms of the instrument, as well as keys located on the front of the housing. The entire structure is supported by three wheeled legs, one of which supports the back of the case, and the other two are symmetrical supports for the keys.

The secondary parts of the piano structure are the pedals and the case cover. The case lid keeps the piano partially open. All grand pianos come with three pedals responsible for different functions.

The piano's string mechanisms are arranged in a horizontal orientation, which enhances the sound of the keys. Therefore, the main purpose of pianos is concert performances. The piano keyboard counts 88 keys, of which 52 are white and 36 are black. Black keys are smaller than white keys and are located above them.

What is a piano

The piano, along with the grand piano, belongs to the category of string instruments. keyboard instruments, and also falls under the general definition with a piano. Both instruments are included in the piano category, however, they still have differences. The piano has a medium-sized body. The weight of the instrument is from 250 to 400 kg, and the height in cm is from 120 to 150.

The body of the piano has the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, and inside it are the key mechanisms of the instrument. The keyboard is located in the middle of the front of the case and is supported on two legs. The legs can be either on wheels or without. Most of the instruments produced do not have three pedals, but are limited to two. The number of keys on the piano is 88 pieces.

The strings located inside the piano are in a vertical orientation, and the instrument's lid is kept in a closed position. This prevents the piano from making loud noises. ringing sounds, which is why it is intended for playing in small rooms.

Common features of a grand piano and an upright piano

Along with their differences, the tools have a few similarities.

1. Classification. Both the grand piano and the piano belong to the family of stringed keyboard instruments; they can also be combined under the general category of piano (forte - loud, piano - quiet).
2. Number of keys. Grand pianos and pianos, despite the difference in size, have a common number of keys and octaves. Namely, 88 keys, 2 partial and 7 full octaves.

On this important common features instruments are running out, because a grand piano and an upright piano are really different.

Differences between a piano and a grand piano

Having studied in detail the structure and essence of the instruments, we can deduce their main differences.

Appearance. According to the description of the piano, its shape on top resembles a wing, and the piano has a regular rectangular lid. The piano has two wheeled or regular legs that support only the keyboard. The legs of the piano are always on wheels and also provide support for the entire instrument. The instruments also differ in size: a grand piano is always larger than an upright piano, unless we are talking about its miniature variety.

String orientation. The string mechanisms of a grand piano and an upright piano differ in their arrangement. This difference between tools is key, since it is what determines their purpose. Thus, the horizontal arrangement of the strings of a piano allows it to produce louder, clearer and cleaner sounds, which is why it is intended for playing in large concert halls. The piano has vertical strings and plays more quietly.

Number of pedals. All grand pianos are produced with a set of three pedals, each of which is responsible for a specific function:

1. Holding sounds.
2. Reducing sounds.
3. Holds only part of the keyboard sounds.

Pianos are not always equipped with three pedals; most often they only provide the ability to hold and weaken sounds.

Thus, we can come to the conclusion that a grand piano and an upright piano cannot be called the same instruments. Although they fall under the general classification.

Piano- tool with unique history creations, ancestors, composers and performers.

Progenitors of the modern piano

In the Middle Ages, musicians played keyboards, including an organ that had many pipes instead of strings. The clavichord was the first instrument to have a string for each key. A modern piano has up to three of them. The birth of sound occurs like this: the musician presses a key, a small copper square strikes a string. The sound is soft and quiet, intended for a small number of people.
Another ancestor of the piano is the harpsichord. The strings are arranged horizontally, like a modern grand piano. The sound is produced when a bird feather or a small piece of leather touches a string. And this instrument has a weak sound. Ancient instruments - harpsichords and clavichords were expensively decorated and were suitable for home decoration, like beautiful furniture.

Who invented the piano

The Italian Bartolomeo Cristofori was a court master. He had long been trying to solve a problem: how to change the volume level of a harpsichord. Musicians of that time felt the need for a new instrument, with good sound from the stage. One day, while walking around the city, Bartolomeo saw street dulcimer players and noticed that an expressive sound was produced if the strings were struck with soft mallets. This is the solution to the problem. Cristofori modified the harpsichord, creating a new similar mechanism. As a result, it was possible to change the sound strength during the game. This is how an instrument appeared, which the master called - a large harpsichord with a quiet and loud sound, the first piano. Thanks to Bartolomeo Cristofori, the instrument mechanism now includes a spiller, a fender, a hammer, a shulter, and a damper. This happened in 1709 in Florence. The instrument had a wing-shaped shape, was simple, and did not have pedals or dampers.

The king is born

Over the decades, craftsmen continued to improve the instrument. Early XIX century was marked by the invention of a solid cast iron frame and a cross arrangement of strings. As a result, the sound became of perfect quality, the piano was born, from the French word - royal. Since 1850, factories in Germany, America and Russia began producing tools. The piano takes on a modern form: a solid cast iron frame, a wooden body, and a double rehearsal mechanism. Improved the piano in different time I.A. Zilbermann, I.A. Streicher, K.G. Schröter, J. Blütner, S. Erard and many others. The best manufacturers of pianos are called Yamaha, Kawai, Steinway, Bechstein, Besendorfer.

Key stringed instrument– the piano is made in two types: a grand piano with horizontal strings, a piano with vertical strings.

The role of the piano in the world of music

The importance of the piano in the world of music cannot be overestimated. The breadth of his sound range allowed him to play solo roles in many works. In the three hundred years that have passed since the birth of the instrument, famous composers and musicians such as F. Chopin, E. Grieg, F.A. Mozart and Sergei Rachmaninov became famous thanks to the piano and its extraordinary design and mechanisms.
And now the piano is the most common musical instrument. In the twentieth century, modern musical instruments appeared on the basis of the piano: synthesizers and electronic pianos.