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piano
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An innovative piano design
The intricate process of constructing a grand piano
A pianoforte by Bartolomeo Cristofori Fats Waller “Giraffe-style” piano, an upright piano in Biedermeier style, by Gebroeders Muller, c. 1820; in the Centraal Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands. Detail of the late 19th-century piano that belonged to Leopold Godowsky. Square piano by Johann Christoph Zumpe, 1767; in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London
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Gong. Closeup of a khong wong gong circle chime. Thai classical musical instrument, part of piphat ensemble. (percussion, music)
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Trumpet musical instrument.
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An innovative piano design
An innovative piano design Upright pianos like the one pictured here—with their strings running down to floor level, which was an innovation c. 1800—have been the dominant type of piano in people's homes since the second half of the 19th century.

piano

musical instrument
Also known as: Klavier, pianoforte
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Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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•History

piano, a keyboard musical instrument having wire strings that sound when struck by felt-covered hammers operated from a keyboard. The standard modern piano contains 88 keys and has a compass of seven full octaves plus a few keys. The vibration of the strings is transmitted to a soundboard by means of a bridge over which the strings are stretched; the soundboard amplifies the sound and affects its tone quality. The hammers that strike the strings...

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