Why do pianos have 88 keys

The pitch of the individual keys will vary depending on the tuning method. Musical Instrument Guide : Piano Contents. The answer just might surprise you. So, why do pianos have 88 keys? Pianos have 88 keys because composers wanted to expand the range of their music. Adding more piano keys removed the limits on what kind of music could be performed on the instrument.

There have been many reiterations of the piano over the past few centuries. Even today some pianos are being made with upwards of keys. Still, 88 keys have been the standard for the last years.

The reason 88 keys still remains the standard is partially due to tone. Once a piano starts producing notes below the lowest A on the keyboard, the tones become almost unrecognizable. This is because the frequency range is incredibly low, and the human ear can only hear comfortably beyond a certain range. The same can be said for pitches that are beyond the highest C on the piano.

The other reason pianos are at 88 keys is because there simply are not enough compositions to warrant a mass expansion of the instrument. With the exception of some modern works and electronic music, there is almost no repertoire that uses pitches beyond the standard 88 keys. Beyond the low A, no one makes use of anything beyond this range. Another issue with taking the piano beyond 88 keys is the size. Not only does the piano have to extend from side to side, but it also has to extend from end to end.

Without that increase in the size of the piano casing, some of those pitches would not properly sound. This can be problematic when trying to add pianos of this size to your home let alone a crowded concert stage. Tamara Wijsman Tamara Wijsman 2, 3 3 gold badges 21 21 silver badges 28 28 bronze badges. It has been praised by many artists of the 19th century. The added strings, weight of table, and resonance may have pleased them. There is a cache and these 9 more keys are of a different color so that they do not disturb the player too much.

Is that site a reputable source? Zeigler, Ph. This answer is interesting, but doesn't seem to answer the actual question of why they added the extra four keys — BlueRaja - Danny Pflughoeft. This site seems to be correct. Show 2 more comments. Scott Jeffrey Scott Jeffrey 81 1 1 silver badge 2 2 bronze badges. An observation about 88 notes on the piano You can play through the entire major key circle of fifths on the piano starting on the lowest C to the highest C; AND You can play through the entire minor key circle of fifths on the piano starting on the lowest A to the highest A.

Interesting how this worked out perfectly! David Holoboff David Holoboff 81 1 1 silver badge 1 1 bronze badge. Mark Lutton Mark Lutton 8, 21 21 silver badges 36 36 bronze badges.

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How many of each color key are there on a piano? Wonder What's Next? Try It Out Whew! Do you have a piano at home? If you don't, chances are that you might know someone who owns a piano. Many schools also have pianos in their music rooms. Your mission today, should you choose to accept it, is to find a piano and spend some time with it. Count the keys. Experiment with the low sounds and the high sounds.

If you know a simple song, try to play it. If you can get help from a music teacher or someone who knows how to play the piano, ask them to take you on a tour of the piano. What does it look like inside? Can you see the hammers striking the strings when a key is pressed? Maybe you can even learn a simple song! Feeling crafty? It would be extremely hard for you to make your own piano at home. Pianos are large, complex instruments that usually take many talented artisans a long time to make. They can cost thousands of dollars, too.

Simple follow the given directions to make a variety of homemade musical instruments, including bottle flutes, comb clarinets, straw oboes, rubber band guitars, and maracas! Up for a challenge? Jump online and read through Where Math Meets Music. You'll learn about the mathematics behind the music and why certain notes sound great together…and why others do not. Have fun learning more about how music and math mix! Did you get it? Test your knowledge. What are you wondering?

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