First, the piano keys are laid out in a very logical order, and this can help students learn music quickly. What do I mean when I say the keys are laid out in a logical order? There are seven pitches in a major or minor scale. The simplest major scale is C Major, which has the following notes: C, D, E, F, G, A, B. Here is how the keyboard is laid out - if you look right in the middle of this keyboard image (on the white keys), you will see C, D, E, F, G, A, B. That is the C Major scale:
So, people often say the piano is easier to learn than its chordal (being able to play more than one pitch at a time) friend, the guitar. The guitar is not laid out in a linear and logical way like the piano. This is one reason the piano is so often used for songwriting. Even musicians who do not play piano as their main instrument, can sit down and plunk out (even if it is slowly) some chords and notes, and then have an actual pianist play their tune later.
Take a look at what pianos looked like when they were first invented. They were called fortepianos. They were smaller, and were used by Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven for writing music.
With the advent of large orchestras during the classical period (1750-1830), the piano as we know it today came to being. The reason for the invention of the modern piano is that the orchestra, music halls and audiences got larger, so they had to create this amazingly strong behemoth we know today as the piano. Some of the classical pieces that were being written demanded that the pianist bang the heck out of the piano...it had to take a beating, and it could, with it's metal frame and thick metal wires.
We like classical at Earthtone School of Music, but we really love jazz. Check out two of the greatest jazz pianists ever right here (Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock), and learn to play like them, at Earthtone School of Music. Also, check us out on Facebook.
By Tim Kurteff-Schatz
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