What does Piano mean?

Definitions for Piano
piˈɑ noʊ, ˈpyɑ-pi·ano

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word Piano.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. piano, pianoforte, forte-pianonoun

    a keyboard instrument that is played by depressing keys that cause hammers to strike tuned strings and produce sounds

  2. piano, pianissimoadjective

    (music) low loudness

  3. piano, softadverb

    used chiefly as a direction or description in music

    "the piano passages in the composition"

  4. piano, softlyadverb

    used as a direction in music; to be played relatively softly

Wiktionary

  1. pianonoun

    A keyboard musical instrument, usually ranging over seven octaves, with white and black keys, played by pressing these keys, causing hammers to strike strings.

  2. pianoadjective

    Soft. Used as a dynamic directive in sheet music in its abbreviated form, {p.}, to indicate lowering the volume of the music. In the pianoforte this is done by pressing the instrument's keys more lightly.

  3. Etymology: Short form of pianoforte, from piano + forte. So named because older keyboard instruments, notably the harpsichord and the clavier, could not produce varied volumes.

Wikipedia

  1. Piano

    The piano is an acoustic, stringed musical instrument invented in Italy by Bartolomeo Cristofori around the year 1700 (the exact year is uncertain), in which the strings are struck by hammers. It is played using a keyboard, which is a row of keys (small levers) that the performer presses down or strikes with the fingers and thumbs of both hands to cause the hammers to strike the strings. The word piano is a shortened form of pianoforte, the Italian term for the early 1700s versions of the instrument, which in turn derives from gravicembalo col piano e forte and fortepiano. The Italian musical terms piano and forte indicate "soft" and "loud" respectively, in this context referring to the variations in volume (i.e., loudness) produced in response to a pianist's touch or pressure on the keys: the greater the velocity of a key press, the greater the force of the hammer hitting the strings, and the louder the sound of the note produced and the stronger the attack. The name was created as a contrast to harpsichord, a musical instrument that does not allow variation in volume; compared to the harpsichord, the first fortepianos in the 1700s had a quieter sound and smaller dynamic range.An acoustic piano usually has a protective wooden case surrounding the soundboard and metal strings, which are strung under great tension on a heavy metal frame. Pressing one or more keys on the piano's keyboard causes a padded hammer (typically padded with firm felt) to strike the strings. The hammer rebounds from the strings, and the strings continue to vibrate at their resonant frequency. These vibrations are transmitted through a bridge to a soundboard that amplifies by more efficiently coupling the acoustic energy to the air. When the key is released, a damper stops the strings' vibration, ending the sound. Notes can be sustained, even when the keys are released by the fingers and thumbs, by the use of pedals at the base of the instrument. The sustain pedal enables pianists to play musical passages that would otherwise be impossible, such as sounding a 10-note chord in the lower register and then, while this chord is being continued with the sustain pedal, shifting both hands to the treble range to play a melody and arpeggios over the top of this sustained chord. Unlike the pipe organ and harpsichord, two major keyboard instruments widely used before the piano, the piano allows gradations of volume and tone according to how forcefully a performer presses or strikes the keys. Most modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, 52 white keys for the notes of the C major scale (C, D, E, F, G, A and B) and 36 shorter black keys, which are raised above the white keys, and set further back on the keyboard. This means that the piano can play 88 different pitches (or "notes"), going from the deepest bass range to the highest treble. The black keys are for the "accidentals" (F♯/G♭, G♯/A♭, A♯/B♭, C♯/D♭, and D♯/E♭), which are needed to play in all twelve keys. More rarely, some pianos have additional keys (which require additional strings). Most notes have three strings, except for the bass, which graduates from one to two. The strings are sounded when keys are pressed or struck, and silenced by dampers when the hands are lifted from the keyboard. Although an acoustic piano has strings, it is usually classified as a percussion instrument rather than as a stringed instrument, because the strings are struck rather than plucked (as with a harpsichord or spinet); in the Hornbostel–Sachs system of instrument classification, pianos are considered chordophones. There are two main types of piano: the grand piano and the upright piano. The grand piano is used for Classical solos, chamber music, and art song, and it is often used in jazz and pop concerts. The upright piano, which is more compact, is the most popular type, as it is a better size for use in private homes for domestic music-making and practice. During the 1800s, influenced by the musical trends of the Romantic music era, innovations such as the cast iron frame (which allowed much greater string tensions) and aliquot stringing gave grand pianos a more powerful sound, with a longer sustain and richer tone. In the nineteenth century, a family's piano played the same role that a radio or phonograph played in the twentieth century; when a nineteenth-century family wanted to hear a newly published musical piece or symphony, they could hear it by having a family member play it on the piano. During the nineteenth century, music publishers produced many musical works in arrangements for piano, so that music lovers could play and hear the popular pieces of the day in their home. The piano is widely employed in classical, jazz, traditional and popular music for solo and ensemble performances, accompaniment, and for composing, songwriting and rehearsals. Although the piano is very heavy and thus not portable and is expensive (in comparison with other widely used accompaniment instruments, su

ChatGPT

  1. piano

    The piano is a musical instrument of the keyboard family, played by pressing keys to produce sounds. It is a versatile instrument with a wide range of tones and dynamics, consisting of a set of keys connected to strings inside a wooden case. Playing the piano involves combining melody, harmony, and rhythm to create music.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Piano

    soft; -- a direction to the performer to execute a certain passage softly, and with diminished volume of tone. (Abbrev. p.)

  2. Pianoadjective

    alt. of Pianoforte

  3. Etymology: [It., even, smooth, soft, fr. L. planus even, level.]

Wikidata

  1. Piano

    The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also popular as a tool for composing and rehearsal. Although not portable and often expensive, the piano's versatility and ubiquity have made it one of the world's most familiar musical instruments. Pressing a key on the piano's keyboard causes a padded hammer to strike steel strings. The hammers rebound, and the strings continue to vibrate at their resonant frequency. These vibrations are transmitted through a bridge to a sounding board that more efficiently couples the acoustic energy to the air. The sound would otherwise be no louder than that directly produced by the strings. When the key is released, a damper stops the string's vibration and the sound. See the article on Piano key frequencies for a picture of the piano keyboard and the location of middle-C. In the Hornbostel-Sachs system of instrument classification, pianos are considered chordophones. The word piano is a shortened form of pianoforte, the Italian word for the instrument. The musical terms piano and forte mean "quiet" and "loud", respectively, and in this context refer to variations in loudness the instrument produces in response to a pianist's touch on the keys: the greater the velocity of a key press, the greater the force of the hammer hitting the string, and the louder the note produced. The word forte in Italian actually means force or strong.

The Foolish Dictionary, by Gideon Wurdz

  1. PIANO

    A tool frequently used in building a Rough House.

Surnames Frequency by Census Records

  1. PIANO

    According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Piano is ranked #30442 in terms of the most common surnames in America.

    The Piano surname appeared 767 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 would have the surname Piano.

    72.1% or 553 total occurrences were White.
    22.1% or 170 total occurrences were Asian.
    3% or 23 total occurrences were of Hispanic origin.
    2% or 16 total occurrences were of two or more races.

British National Corpus

  1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'Piano' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #4725

  2. Written Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'Piano' in Written Corpus Frequency: #3710

  3. Nouns Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'Piano' in Nouns Frequency: #1777

How to pronounce Piano?

How to say Piano in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of Piano in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of Piano in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of Piano in a Sentence

  1. Tamara Simmons:

    I decided at age 10 that I wanted to learn how to play the piano, but I knew that it was going to take a little bit more work for me to learn, i knew most people had 10 fingers. I knew I had four, but I was pretty sure I could make it work.

  2. Logan Pearsall Smith:

    The indefatigable pursuit of an unattainable perfection, even though it consists in nothing more than the pounding of an old piano, is what alone gives meaning to our life on this unavailing star.

  3. Judith Crist:

    Artists today are in the same situation as a chimpsnzee placed in front of a Steinway Grand Piano.

  4. David Foster:

    We think the two of us in a sort of streamlined version — just her and I, a piano, and maybe one or two musicians — could probably do a really great 90-minute show.

  5. Elton John:

    He( Bernie) always gives me a lyric, i go into a room, put the lyric on the piano, look at the title. And as I start reading the song, a little movie comes in my head a bit like writing a film score where you get the visual part.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

Piano#1#3763#10000

Translations for Piano

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"Piano." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/Piano>.

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