When was the piano invented?

The ancestor of the piano, the dulcimer

Do you know how long the piano has existed?

Its origins are very old, and it is said that the dulcimer, an instrument that came to Europe from the Middle East in the 11th century, is the ancestor of the piano.

In the first place, what kind of instrument is the piano classified as? It can be said that it is both a stringed instrument and a percussion instrument. The dulcimer has the elements of a stringed instrument, where the strings resonate to generate sound, and the element of a percussion instrument, where the instrument is struck with a hammer. Make a sound.

Keyboard instruments ``clavichord'' and ``harpsichord''

The piano is also classified as a keyboard instrument because it has a keyboard.

The organ, which is also a keyboard instrument, has existed for a long time, but after the clavichord was invented in the 14th century, with a mechanism for generating sound similar to the modern piano, the clavichord became popular during the Renaissance period. It became a familiar instrument to people.

Furthermore, the harpsichord was created around 1500, about 180 years before Bach was born. The way the strings are stretched and the overall appearance is very similar to modern pianos, and unlike the clavichord mentioned earlier, the sound is generated by plucking the strings.

"Claviembalo col piano e forte"

The ``clavicembalo col piano e forte'', which is the basis of the modern piano, was invented in 1709 by the Italian Cristofori. Unlike a harpsichord, which produces sound by plucking the strings, striking the strings with a hammer makes it easier to express the strength and weakness of the sound. The name "piano" as it is commonly called comes from this model.