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The Great Piano Debate Goto Page: 1 2 [>] [»|]

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Piano is what kind of instrument?
  Stringed
  Percussion
  Neither
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`Kel`
Captain

PostPosted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 11:06 am


Piano...

Is it more a stringed intrument or a percussion instrument and why?

------------------
I thought I would be mean and but this debate in its own forum. blaugh
PostPosted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 11:48 am


I don't think that it is a percussion instrument at all. I think it is a string instrument. If you look at what part that it typically plays in an orchestra, you will see that is it part of an orchestra and then it guides the violins, cellos, basses, and violas. Hence why it has strings!

Girlie320


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PostPosted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 6:56 pm


Stringed.

Look at the inside, it's like a harp. When I think of percussion I think drums, cymbals, and a lot of banging. I know, I used to play percussion. But with the piano, you can easily form cords and sustain notes. Not so easy of a drum. Also, you don't see very many percussion concertos, now, do we? heart
PostPosted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 5:57 pm


The piano is FORMALLY classified as a Percussion instrument because it involves "mallets" (internally) and because you are "striking it to create sound not bowing or plucking.
Personally, I think it could be either but is more likely to be seen as within its own catagory "Keyboard instruments."

moon_child113


Aria di Bellezza

PostPosted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 10:13 pm


I played piano for 11 years, and i'm 13...................

the piano is a hybrid.
PostPosted: Sat Dec 06, 2008 10:10 pm


Actually, I think they classify it under "Keyboard" with Harpsichord, Celesta, Organ, Virginal, Clavichord, etc etc.

And while it IS stationed behind the strings, when I saw it being used at the Symphony, last time I went (then again, their positioning was a bit odd) it was in front of the percussion and behind the strings, so yes, both.

Camusian_Night-terror


Septomor

PostPosted: Tue Dec 09, 2008 6:58 pm


I think there is some problem with calling it a Keyboard for the fact that that is not well defined itself. I would think under the circumstances that a marimba is a keyboard instrument as well then.

To be fair, there are a lot of percussion concertos now-and-days but really that's because percusive instruments have gained popularity since the 1850's when they gained an important role to affect the feeling of the piece. One of today's primary percusion composers is Manslanka.

And once again, it's more likely a string since that's what produces the sound. Sort of like a brass instrument which is suppose to have a brassy sound. It's really hard to describe, but I don't believe that it can be classified as percussion either way.
PostPosted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 1:39 pm


It makes logical sense to call it a percussion instrument, but it's a stringed instrument no doubt.

Extra Fancy Geo


Le Cosmo

PostPosted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 7:32 am


>3>
I am positively, absolutely, not doubting that the Pianoforte is in fact a Percussive instrument.

If an old lady that was taught by Rachmoninov says that it is a percussion intrument, I know it is a percussion instrument.
Why do we use our fingers to play on it? If you had a Saxophone and you did not blow into it and you just used the keys, by golly it sounds percussive.

Rachmoninov > all of our thoughts.
PostPosted: Wed Jun 03, 2009 7:38 am


If i remember correctly from the music dictionary its classified as a Keyed Percussion instrument.

Lord Eydvar


flamingrice

PostPosted: Thu Jun 04, 2009 5:24 pm


The piano is a string instument! Although it doesn't seem like it, the hammers that hit the strings when you hit a key on the piano makes the piano a stringed instrument. Who doesn't know that?!
PostPosted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 7:03 pm


Neither. It belongs to the Keyboard instruments along with its other members. xp

xHajixbloodplus


Spainstateofmind

PostPosted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 10:03 am


Le Cosmo
>3>
I am positively, absolutely, not doubting that the Pianoforte is in fact a Percussive instrument.

If an old lady that was taught by Rachmoninov says that it is a percussion intrument, I know it is a percussion instrument.
Why do we use our fingers to play on it? If you had a Saxophone and you did not blow into it and you just used the keys, by golly it sounds percussive.

Rachmoninov > all of our thoughts.


I'm totally with him. Just because it has strings does not mean it is a string instrument. The type of instrument is defined by the manner in which it is played, and the piano's sound is produced by means of mallets, not plucking or bowing.

Besides, Sergei's word is law. 3nodding
PostPosted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 12:36 pm


i think that it is kinda both
like it can be a percussion because u are hitting it to play music
and it is stringed because it has strings in it

sha__mean_aka_nice224


Lime Kiss

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PostPosted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 4:36 am


If you took a small hammer and hit the strings of a harp, it would still be a stringed instrument.
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