Evolution of the Keyboard Essay -- essays research papers fc

The Physical Evolution of the Keyboard From Monochord to Harpsichord Since the firstborn psyche heard the wind whistle through the trees or the sea in a seashell humans have been drawn to sound. Being the oppressive and dexterous species that we be we felt the need to capture these sounds and any others that we could to keep for our own. in conclusion people bid Pythagoras and gods such(prenominal) as Apollo found that by r all(prenominal) materials and picking/plucking them that they would produce sounds and that the tighter you stretched these string the higher the sound would go. These were the early beginnings of the pianoforte.The first ancestor of the modern pianoforte is the monochord (diagram 1). A monochord is a wooden rap with a single string stretched lengthwise down the middle. The string sits raised(a) on bridges very dissimilar to those of a violin or cello. These bridges positioned approximately 2 inches in from each end. They are unprejudiced and usually tr iangular shaped pieces of hard durable material such as ebony or walnut. Between these two bridges are two taller bridges that may be moved by each hand to alter the drive home given. The philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras used a monochord to study the fundamental principle of sound.The next logical step in this evolutionary chain was as sure as a spoiled childs demands. straight that I have what I want I want much of it. Thus came the psaltery (diagram 2). The psaltery was a enormous leap fourth from the monochord. It was a small trapezoid shaped box with many strings stretched over it. that unlike the monochord the psaltery did not have movable bridges to change the pitch while playing and furthermore these bridges were much more like the bridges of modern string agents. The psaltery was played by picking the strings (which were obviously tuned to different pitches) with the fingers or with a pick. This was an extremely popular instrument in the Middle Ages but as th e music got more modify and simple accompaniment wasnt enough it was soon swallowed by progress. adjoining we come to a point in time where a great leap had to be made. medicineians had made positive steps forward in the way of pitch and time but of only one or two notes at a time. What was needed was an in instrument that gave players chasten of many pitches simultaneously. The mechanism ... ... youthful York, NY Crown Pub. Inc., 1973.Donnington, R. Music and its InstrumentsNew York, NY Methuen & Co. Ltd., 1982.Gaines, throng R., Ed. The Lives of the PianoNew York, NY The Hilltown Press Inc., 1981.Mason, Merle H., Comp. Piano Parts and Their FunctionsSeattle, WA Piano Technicians Guild, 1977.Pollens, S. The Early PianoforteNew York, NY Cambridge University Press, 1995.Stolba, Marie K. The Development of Western MusicRev. Ed. New York, NY McGraw Hill Comp., 1998.White, William B. Theory & Practice of Piano ConstructionNew York, NY Dover Publications, Inc., 1975.