How did the piano come up with its name?

Answer 1

One of the (then) striking features of the instrument was that you could play softly (piano) or loudly (forte) simply by changing the force exerted on the keys. Harpsichords could not do this (at least not in the fluid and instant way that it can be done on the piano) and clavichords are so delicate that changes in volume are more of a nuance than a full feature. Originally these instruments were called piano i forte, which became pianoforte, and now almost always simply piano. Cristofori's brilliant invention that makes this possible is called the "escapement" action. In a nutshell, the escapement action allows the pianist to set a hammer in motion with virtually any amount of force as long as it is sufficient to get the hammer to strike the wire, the hammer then "escapes" the control of the action and moves freely for a brief moment before striking. It is then free to recoil back and be stopped by the action and set into place for another strike.

Answer 2

'Piano' is the Italian for 'soft' and 'forte' is the Italian for 'loud', so it can be translated as 'soft-loud'. It was given that name because when it was invented most of the music now played on pianos was played on harpsichords. The volume on a harpichord always stays the same, whereas on a piano you can vary it between soft and loud.

Answer 3

It came after the harpsichord and the harpsichord couldn't play different volumes, so the pianoforte was named that because "piano" means soft and "forte" means loud. It was named after its ability to have changes in volume.

Answer 4

The Piano was first called the Piano-Forte. It was revolutionary in that it was the first keyboard instrument that one could play many different dynamic levels by changing the force with which the key was struck. Until the invention of the Piano-Forte all keyboard instruments were a set dynamic level and it couldn't be changed (with a few exceptions in the Harpsichord family). Over the Centuries the Piano-Forte was changed and improved upon until eventualy Forte was dropped from its name, thus becoming the Piano.

It originally was called a pianoforte, which means 'quiet loud' in Italian. It was called this because it was a development from the harpsichord, which was kind of like a piano but had a different sound and could not change dynamics. So when the piano was invented, it was called a pianoforte to show that it could play both quietly and loudly. However, nowadays we just call it a piano for short. Hope this helped!

When the instrument was first made, it was often referred to as a "piano-forte", as forte means 'loud' in the Italian language; and the piano was a welcome capably loud instrument, as well as soft, due to its huge string size, large soundboard and the force control one is capable of exerting on the instrument.

Pianoforte meaning soft [piano] loud [forte]
The term "Piano," in reference to the current 88-key instrument we know today, originated shortly after its invention. Prior to the 18th century, the popular keyboard instruments were the Clavichord and the Harpsichord, both of which functioned on hard hammers and strumming mechanisms to produce sound. However, these mechanisms limited dynamic range greatly, so dynamic expression was cut down to one or two levels.

In ca. 1698-1700, Bartolomeo Cristofori, under the employment of the famous Medici family of Italy, designed what would be the basis for the modern piano. By replacing the plucking action with a padded and weighted hammer, Cristofori was able to offer greater expression and dynamic range through his new instrument. Musicians could play both soft and loud with this invention, leading to Cristofori's coining of Fortepiano for its name (Italian for "Loud Soft"). Today, we've shortened the term to Piano, indicating its ability to play softer dynamics instead of the steady, loud sound of Harpsichords.

Answer 5

The piano's predecessor the harpsichord had very little dynamic freedom for expression. With the advent of the piano, one of its most expressive features was the ability to control dynamic levels with ease. Thus, the Italian terms for "soft" and "loud" ("piano" and "forte", respectively) became associated with the piano due to its expansive dynamic range.

Answer 6

A new and unique property of the piano, when it was compared with other keyboard instruments available at the time of its invention, is that it can be played loudly or softly, depending on touch. This is true because the wires are hammered. The harder the touch, the stronger the hammer strike against the strings. Harpsichords cannot do this, and any loud and soft effect produced on clavichords by touch is very subtle. In Italian, the word piano means soft, and the word forte means loud, or strong. Hence the name piano e forte, or pianoforte. The piano was invented in Italy by Bartolomeo Cristofori, some time around 1700.

You might very well have considered the very problem that Cristofori overcame: if the piano strings are literally hammered by way of pressing the keys, then why don't the hammers remain on the strings when the piano player plays a key and continues to hold it down? The answer is called "escapement action", the brilliant insight that makes the piano possible.

Answer 7

Pianoforte meaning soft [piano] loud [forte]

Answer 8

Piano is a short form of "pianoforte", which in it self a short form from its original Italian name: clavicembalo col piano e forte.

Answer 9

No, it was called the Piano-forte, which was short for clavicembalo [orgravicembalo] col piano e forte. This means harpsichord with soft and loud.