The Design of The Piano

1
The Design of The Pianoforte
gravicèmbalo col piano e forte (literally
harpsichord with soft and loud) T. H.
Normanton - 24th April 2007
2
The Search for a Mechanism

• The Background and The Problem
• The Sponsor and The Inventor
• The Invention
• Analysis of the Design
• Developments

3
What do people want?

• Available music
• Musical instruments that are easy to play and
  manage
• Affordable music-making
• Less expensive instruments
• A general purpose music-making instrument

4
Some key dates

• Harp Egypt 4000BC
• Monochord Pythagoras 500BC
• Portative organ Invented 1100
• Initially did not have keys
• Organistrum (Hurdy-Gurdy) Established by
  1150
• Clavichord Starts 1350AD
• Harpsichord Appears 15th C.
• Pianoforte Invented c1700

5
Basic Stringed Instruments

1 Finger plucked Harp 2 Plectrum
Plucked Zither, Harpsichord 3 Bowed Rebec,
Hurdy-Gurdy, Keyboard 4 Hammered Dulcimer,
Clavichord, Pianoforte
6
Early Keyboard Instrument Technologies

• 15thC

13thC
Keyed Organ
Hurdy-Gurdy
Clavichord
8 Note Diatonic
12 Note Chromatic
Plainsong Polyphony
7
Putting it together
Harp Keyboard Mechanism
Developed 14th-15th C
Developed 15th-16th C
Harpsichord
Clavichord
8
At the end of the Renaissance

• Mass production techniques still not developed
• Clavichord is too quiet for orchestral use
• Harpsichord is unable to play soft (piano) or
  loud (forte)
• just loud
• and its been going on for a bit too!
• Were composers dropping subtle hints for sponsors
  to develop a harpsichord with dynamics?
  something new?
• Builders must have been trying to find a new and
  clever plectrum mechanism technology
• But where to find the time to innovate?
• Enter

9
The Medici at c1700

• Rich and Powerful. The Godfathers of the
  Renaissance
• Sponsors for Arts and Science
• Ferdinando de' Medici, Hereditary Prince of
  Tuscany hires Bartolomeo Cristofori, reason
  unknown but he was probably given little
  choice An offer he couldnt refuse?
• But he was a creative musical instrument
  craftsman

10
Cristofori invents the Pianoforte

• Offers a solution to the loud/soft problem by
  suggesting a hammer action to replace the
  plectrum action of the Harpsichord Knights
  Move (Gosling, 2007)
• Cristofori invents a mechanism or action so
  that
• Hammer cannot remain in contact with, and
  therefore damp, the string. Therefore the action
  must flick the hammer at the string
• The motion of the players finger is amplified
  into hammer energy
• Hammer must not bounce back and strike the string
  again
• Very complex action

11
Cristoforis Pianoforte and action
c1720
12
Later Innovations

• More keys
• Improved tonal volume (multi-stringing)
• Mechanism for upright piano
• Cast Iron Frame (1825)
• Stabilises tuning and gives durability
• Case design
• Different styles to suit varied potential buyers
• Upright piano takes up much less space
• Industrial revolution
• Mass production
• Digital Piano a different instrument (1980s)

13
Incorporation of Style
14
The Pianoforte as a Design(Gosling, 2007)

• Unique Selling Point
• Anyone can play it
• It is in all important peoples homes
• All musicians should be able to play one
• Appeals to the hitting instinct
• Intrapsychic
• Musicians knew they needed a harpsichord with a
  wider dynamic range the idea was there
• Clearly feasible for mass production
• Adoption
• Musicians queuing up

15
The Pianoforte as a Design

• Useable
• Over 5 Centuries of unhurried keyboard evolution
• Sustainable
• Successive evolution and innovation
• Piano tuning a whole new industry
• Socially acceptable
• Softer, less strident than a harpsichord
• Entertainment for the Victorian middle classes
• Scrapable

16
Scrapable
Shelford Feast 2002 Piano Smashing Contest
17
Interesting developments
The Player Piano
18
Interesting developments