Iris Chang

Instruction

Toda            Today, more and more people consider that music is a valuable form of art. Music benefits temperaments and development of emotions. Therefore, many parents arrange for their children, especially pre-school age, like three or four years old, to take piano lessons during the establishment of intellectual development. However, learning to play the piano is a complex procedure. Particularly, child beginners need music educators to use specialized methods to guide them to recognize the basic elements of music. For very young beginners, some piano teachers advocate that teaching pupils in one-on-one piano teaching is the best way; however, others believe in giving group lessons at first and then taking individual lessons can provide more effective results. During the first level of learning the piano, instruction may be given individually or in groups, but group classes demonstrate beneficial results.

Background- The Problem

Individual piano instruction is based on the traditional system. Because individual instruction is conventional, many piano teachers have been reluctant to explore other methods of teaching (Enoch, 1977, p.7). In fact, young children are in a specific stage of learning the piano. Students in this age begin to explore the potential communication with the piano. They must learn basic skills like music reading, fingering, and technique. Piano educators need valid methods to motivate very young beginners to play the piano. Private lessons can be used for individual attention to personal needs, but students lack the opportunity of cooperation with companions. Because there is no outside motivating force other than the teachers, students who are taught without any class participation after one or two years often lose curiosity (Bastien, 1988, 101). In other words, the primary purpose of teaching the youngsters is to stimulate their interests to keep playing the piano. Although one-on-one piano tutors can focus on the specific problems of each student, young children often lose interest in playing the piano. According to the individual interview and questionnaire in Music Education Research, “Innovations in Piano Teaching”, the author generalizes that because some students have not had “to perform regularly in front of their peers” (Daniel, 2004, p.36), they feel uncomfortable when transferring to the class teaching. Private instruction is capable of meeting particular needs, but it may lack opportunities to cooperate with peers and perform.

Evaluation of Alternative Solution 1- Individual Instruction

Some piano educators recommend that private lessons are especially effective for very young beginners because they emphasize the diversity of each student and individual needs. In other words, individual piano lessons supply time for the relationship between one teacher and one student, so the instructor can focus on “the student’s single needs, especially his personal technical development” (Clark, 1992, p.184). Because every child “differs from the other both mentally and physically”, the same strategy in two pupils becomes invalid (Carrè, 1957, p.28). Therefore, the one-on-one programs “can be tailored specifically for each student’s interests, abilities, and preferred learning method” (Lewis, 2003). For these reasons, the piano teachers who advocate one-on-one instruction believe that the success of teaching is based on personal contact.

However, in private lessons, children lack circumstances of working with companions, so they lose advantages of cooperating activities. As an example, some timid children may be disinclined to speak up “without benefit of peer support” (Enoch, 1977, p.9). Specifically, when young students are accompanied and are not afraid to ask questions, their learning efficiency is raised. In addition, private lesson students do not have lively environment for playing percussion instruments with classmates to train rhythmic feeling and listening abilities. In individual lessons, private teachers do not spend as much time as group teachers reinforcing “fundamentals of reading and writing musical notation, ear training, and theory”, and “these drills may take the form of games with various ‘fun’ approaches” in group lessons (Robinson, 1967, p.11). Though individual instruction contains a combination of singing, listening, and counting training, pupils receive less “additional activities such as creating work and ensemble playing” which are included in group instruction (Bastien, 1988, p.83). Last, the one-on-one instruction has “only teachers as models”, and performance experiences and facing peer audience do not exist in them (Skaggs, 1981, p.267). Because private lessons do not provide many chances to practice performance, private students are not used to managing nervousness. As a result, students cannot learn challenging stage phobia from performance experience. While individual instruction is practical and effective for meeting individual needs, it has both short-term and long-term problems.

Discussion of Primary Solution – Group Instruction

For very young pupils, group piano instruction supplies an environment for children to work together in a variety of activities and learn more effectively. First, healthy competition urges students to study with friendship and rivalry, if the teachers provide good guidance (Enoch, 1977, p.8). Indeed, children like to work together, and positive competition often urges them to study actively. For example, when one group of pupils sing or play a main melody, another group can listen carefully and clap the counterpoint. In this situation, children do not feel alone and may gain confidence. Through the cooperating experience, children’s hearing abilities can be trained naturally.

Second, students are not only entertained in group atmosphere but have chances to share the communicative art of music. To illustrate, when children study with companions, they are capable of enjoying performing for peer audience, they expect “the learning games, they make new friends, and they learn from each other” (Skaggs, 1981, p.267). Similarly, in performance situations, children are taught to appreciate and make constructive criticisms about the music, and discuss together what effective practice will improve the music (Lyke, 1987, p.13). This is beneficial experience in performing for small groups because it can help the young children to avoid stage fright when they perform in public and learn to accept criticism and welcome solutions of problems. When the times of performing are accumulative, children will gain much self-confidence, more than they imagine.

In addition, when there is more than one pupil in a studio, verbal and ensemble trainings are possible. That is, “individual repertory enables group members to become familiar with a much great portion of the piano literature than private students can” (Skaggs, 1981, p.267). In other words, viewing and emulating are valuable exercises to learn from each other. However, when students need to have series of private advice like correcting mistakes in group instruction, the uninvolved students may seem bored and neglected because the pupils do not participate in the private study (Skaggs, 1981, p.267). On the other hand, in “Forum on Group Piano from”Piano Pedagogy Forum, qualified group teachers are successful and well-organized to give each pupil something to do at the same time (Lyman, 1999).

What is more, some music educators are against group teaching because arranging students into an incorrect group often happens with inexperienced teachers, and it can result in inappropriate strategies (Hartman, 1977, p.32). That is why interviewing and evaluating students before starting courses is the primary stage for grouping children. As a matter of fact, considering “special planning and techniques” in preparation is the foundation of group lessons (Robison, 1967, p.13).

    Briefly, group instruction “provides a general music background and prepares children for private lessons on piano” (Schaum, 1991, p.125). In addition, there are more and more private teachers to teach group lessons because “students who beginning in a class usually continue to study privately after completing the available class work, and eventually study longer than students who begin their study privately” (Robinson, 1967, p. 14). In conclusion, group instruction is more socially beneficial, creative, and feasible than individual instruction.

Final Comparison/Contrast of Both Solutions

Teaching “young children requires a “heaping cup of patience”” whether teachers favor one-on-one instruction or group teaching. Because young pupils cannot pay attention for too long, teachers of both types of instruction must prepare activities to “cope with very short attention spans” during piano lessons (Schaum, 1991, p.110). In practical aspects, both approaches have advantages; however, these advantages are different in many ways. In the first instance, group instructors “facilitate” rhythmic appreciation and hearing development (Enoch, 1977, pp.8-9). On the other hand, private lessons provide “the most appropriate setting for students” who are preparing for professional piano players (Skaggs, 1981, 267). During one-on-one independent lessons, teachers can aim at personal pedagogy to train talented students; likewise, group instructors can also spend time to give individual guidance (Skaggs, 1981, p.267). Therefore, individual and group instructions are practical, yet favorable learning climate fosters creativity and makes class teaching more feasible. Beside this, to compare with private instruction, group teaching has dual economic effectiveness: “to the teacher, group work is a time-saver; to the parent it is a money-saver” (Diller, 1957, p.25). For instance, teachers do not feel tired from saying the same program over and over again to each student, and can reduce teaching hours after children finish school. Beside this, teaching a group lesson is as one private class; when several pupils share the fee, some families are able to afford the tuition which is considerably lower than private lessons (Skaggs, 1981, p.267). Consequently, group instruction can be available to all students, not only to students who can afford private lessons. It is clearly evident that group teaching is more cost-effective than private lessons. Last, though both of the teaching approaches are valuable to motivate children to like the instrument and keep playing the piano, the students who are in individual teaching risk losing interest in playing the piano. In conclusion, in the early stage of learning the piano, group instruction appears to be more beneficial than individual instruction.

Conclusion

        Piano teaching is an art that requires specific procedure, especially for beginners. In the very beginning of learning the piano, students must learn basic skill, musicianship, and theory to enable them to have a musical foundation. After these drills of music background, youngsters can advance to intermediate stage easily to learn music in private lessons. However, it is a debatable issue whether teachers should teach the piano in private instruction or group instruction. As a matter of fact, youngsters can be taught and the results are more effective in group instruction according to evidence which has been proven. Nevertheless, the beneficial effect of individual teaching cannot be disregarded. Therefore, the piano teaching which combines both private and group teaching may produce double effective results. To conclude, the purpose of piano teaching is that children are able to like music and keep playing the piano and then enjoy music in their life.

References

Bastien, W. J. (1988). How to teach piano successfully (3^rd ed.). San Diego: Neil A. Kjos Music Company.

Broughton, J. (1956). Success in piano teaching. New York: Vantage Press.

Carré, F. J. (1957). The psychology of piano teaching. New York: Belwin, Inc..

Clark, F. (1992). Questions and answers: Practical advice for piano teaching. Northfield: The Instrumentalist Company.

Daniel, R. (2004, March). Innovations in piano teaching: a small-group model for the tertiary level. Music Education Research. Retrieved July 23, 2005,. from University of Northern Colorado Web Database Access (Academic Search Premier).

Diller, A. (1957). The splendor of music. New York: G. Schirmer, Inc..

Hartman, N. (1977). Common errors made by group teachers. In Y. Enoch & J. Lyke (Eds.), Creative piano teaching (pp.31-37). Champaign: Stipes Publishing Company.

Lewis, B. M. (2001, March 13). Piano pedagogy. Retrieved July 23, 2005, from http://www.serve.com/marbeth/pedagogy.html

Lyman, P. J. (1999, September 1). Ten simple truths of effective group piano teaching. Piano Pedagogy Forum, 2(3). Retrieved July 23, 2005, from http://www.music.sc.edu/ea/keyboard/PPF/2.3/2.3.PPFgp.html

Lyke, J. (1977). An introduction to teaching. In Y. Enoch & J. Lyke (Eds.), Creative piano teaching (pp.2-11). Champaign: Stipes Publishing Company.

Lyke, J. (1987). Modes of Instruction: Private/group or both. In J. Lyke & Y. Enoch (Eds.), Creative piano teaching (pp.12-18). Champaign: Stipes Publishing Company.

Robinson, H., & Jarvis, L. R. (Ed.). (1967). Teaching piano in classroom and studio. Washington D. C.: Music Educators National Conference.

Schaum, W., & Cupp, J. (3^rd Ed). (1991). Keyboard teaching with greater success and satisfaction. Milwaukee: Schaum Publications, Inc..

Skaggs, G., H. (1981). Group piano teaching. In D. Agay (Ed.), Teaching Piano (pp.265-276). New York: Yorktown Music Press, Inc..

Piano players who have formal musical training often have problems which result in frustration. It is a possibility that players may practice for a long time but have the same troubles repeatedly. The players may query: How to memorize more easily and more completely? Which exercises yield the best results? Why are some editions of piano scores better than others? How can the fourth and fifth fingers be strengthened? These are perennial questions of practical importance to students, teachers, and performers. Therefore, piano players need effective methods to solve their problems and help them practice more efficiently. Piano pedagogy is the term that describes the method of teaching players how to play the piano with standard procedures that solve the above problems.

     The simple definition of piano pedagogy is the teaching of playing the piano. When talking about teaching music, the first aspect of piano pedagogy is realizing what the goal of piano pedagogy is. Players always want to have musicianship-- the ability to play music effectively (stylistically, musically, etc.)(Zinn, 2003). Actually, musicianship is essentially the final common pathway of all of the interventions in piano pedagogy; in piano lessons, teachers continually address the issues of musicianship inherent in teaching.

Perceiving the elements of piano tones is the fundamental part of musicianship. To illustrate, pianists need to have the abilities of controlling the rhythm-tempo, the surface noise, the dynamics, the pedals, and the articulation. Teaching all five of these elements is very important to piano pedagogy. Another part of musicianship is that possessing the capability of playing by ear. The human ear is the most sensitive, perceptive, and complex sense, especially for the pianist. Therefore, players are encouraged to practice or perform with the principle of playing by ear in order to modify the sound and regulate the pedal slightly. Piano pedagogy is not only teaching students to play the piano but also guiding students to interpret the music by themselves.

     In piano lessons, the basic starting point of piano pedagogy is technique. Many players often play a lot of piano. Specifically, the players think that playing the piano loudly, like using their entire energy, is good technique so that they make brightly harsh sounds although playing fast; however, it is a totally incorrect opinion. In piano pedagogy, piano teachers spend a lot of time explaining about sitting and hand positions, the use of the fingers, the hand, and the arm, combination touches, and methods of body relaxations, as all of these affect the final tones that are produced. It is not easy to strike keys whether in passages of single notes, double notes, octaves, etc. As a matter of fact, all technique may be summed up in one word─mechanism. Leopold Godowsky, a great composer and pianist in 19^th century, believes that “every pianist’s technique is as individual as his interpretation.” (Broughton, 1956). It means that the technique of each player is not the same because every player’s figure, which includes height, weight, and the size of hand, is different from other players. In some cases, even though players grab technique exercises from theory books, it is not enough; the players have to figure out which technique suits them by practicing. In addition, if finger dexterity is overstressed or wrong positions last too long, players may hurt their muscles. Consequently, piano pedagogy provides systematic procedures and methods to help students play both the correct notes and also to interpret the music.

     The last part of piano pedagogy is interpretation. No performance is ever the same as any other performance. It is an interesting and stimulating experience to hear a concert by one who is a master of technique. Many audiences are amazed and satisfied by the player’s dexterity; in the meanwhile, some critics may criticize this type of performance or the style of music. In other words, interpretation is personal. After practice of technique has been done, the last stage is to play pieces with interpretation. First, players have to analyze compositions. Then, they need to search out information about the composers of the pieces in order to understand the era of the composers and comprehend why the composers wrote the pieces. Each era has its own stylistic distinctions, such as ornamentation and tempo. In fact, the process of the studying is to link the motives of the composers and the players’ own feelings. Moreover, the process can help players easily imagine what the composers want to express. In playing classical music, one has to observe and respect the style of musical eras. As long as players perform music according to correct musical style, the players can play with their unique technique and imagination. The music which has been created is interpretation. In Piano pedagogy, it is important for teachers to suggest and correct the personal music concepts of the students; even more so, piano pedagogy is to encourage students to play music in their own style.

     In conclusion, unlike the space arts, painting, sculpture, and architecture, music is an art of the moment of time. Players cannot grab the substance of music but can create a beautiful melody. However, it is impossible to perform great pieces without the foundation of diligent practice. Mary Baker Eddy, American musical educator in 19^th century, said,“ Is a musician made by his teacher? No, he makes himself a musician by practicing what he was taught. The conscientious are successful.”(Broughton, 1956). In short, teachers continually strive to create meaningful ways to help students better comprehend and communicate the music they perform. The goal of piano pedagogy is to help students discover that the concepts they are learning in practicing or theory books relate to the fundamental expressive choices they will make in interpreting a new piece of music.

References

Broughton, J. (1956). Success in piano teaching. Reprint. New York: Vantage Press, Inc.

Cisler, V. (January 1, 2005). Piano pedagogy forum, v.8, No.1. Retrieved April 3, 2005, from http://www.music.sc.edu/ea/Keyboard/PPF/PPFcisler.html

Lewise, B. M. (2005, January 19). Martha Bath Lewis’s homepage. Retrieved April 3, 2005, from http://www.serve.com/marbeth/index.html

Newman, W. S., Loesser. A,& Allcott, V. J. (1984). The pianist’s problems. Reprint. New York: Da Capo Press, Inc.

Zinn Marcie. (September 8, 2003). Evidence-based solutions for pianists and teachers. Retrieved April 3, 2005, from http://www.pianoweb.net/index.shtml

Rubinstein, B. (1973,June 14). Outline of piano pedagogy. Reprint. New York: Carl Fischer, Inc.

Holding a recital is a good opportunity for a performer who has

received music formal training. I generalize six stages that players can earn experience from the process of preparing a recital. By accumulating the experience through multiple recitals, a player will create music as much as she likes no matter on which occasions.

The first stage of preparing a recital, StageⅠ- , selects recital pieces. A complete recital has programs which includes at least one piece from each of the four musical periods: Baroque, The Classical Era, The Romantic Era, and The Contemporary Era. I believe that you are already nervous enough about the idea of playing in public, so you should select a recital piece that you are already learned and which you enjoy playing. Also, you would generally feel comfortable with the piece and because you like it you will be willing to perfect it so that you can play with confidence. In addition, don’t choose too long pieces to play; forty-five minutes to one hour is about maximum for everyone.

Next, the player enters StageⅡ- music preparation and practice. During

practice processes at home before the recital, it must have plenty of possibilities of making errors. These are opportunities to gain experience in working yourself out of problems. There are different methods in practice below. First, you had better use a metronome to play sections only up to performance tempo for tempo stability. Then, use various rhythms to play on problem spots repeatedly. Next, you should emphasis on playing the first few measures in your head before beginning. Furthermore, you would emphasis on transition sections. Specifically, you familiar with key, tempo, and meter changes, introduction of second theme, and one movement into another. Moreover, you also emphasis on other potentially weak spots like page turns, da capos, etc.

After practice musical technique, the player passes through StageⅢ- music memory. In a formal recital, it is necessary to memory all pieces so that the player pays attention to the musicality of the pieces. However, memorizing music is not an easy thing to do because it requires using specific techniques and doing a lot of practice. First one way, naturally, you work in form and analysis is necessary. Likewise, a good player practices the piano while studying the analysis of a piece. You must understand how the theme develops by compare and contrast. What is more, knowing basics of keyboard vocabulary and common cadences are essential, as large variety of arpeggios and scales. Another way to memorize music is familiar with hand position of movement. Finger muscle memory especially is one of important parts not to omit. You have to force yourself to think about every note and change in hand, wrist, and arm position. You can play the piece very slowly; play with the right or left hand entirely staccato, and play without regard to dynamic changes; that is, play it piano. According to the both ways, your brain does work before your hands instead just playing notes.

When you have prepared the music programs, you pass through Stage Ⅳ- prepare for recital attire and advertise the recital. At first, ladies should wear a dress; gentlemen should wear a coat and tie instead of shorts, jeans, or sweatshirt. Try out your clothes ahead of time by playing your pieces in them. Your clothing should allow sufficient movement for arms and shoulders. Steer clear of sleeves without cuffs which may slip down your arm and cover your wrist and heel of your palm, thus making playing more difficult. Moreover, players avoid wearing capes, feather boas, sequins on the bodice, bracelets, or shoulder-touching earrings in order to not break your attention when doing cross-hand playing. Besides these, you don’t wear a pair of new shoes and make sure your shoes don’t squeak or slip off the pedals. Next, when you’ve reserved your performing hall, you had better rapidly design posts, consult with printing offices, and communicate with sound and video recording companies for advertise your recital.

Before holding a recital, the player should expect what catastrophes may happen and have planed for deal with them-StageⅤ. There may be unexpected noise like people whispering or cough and movement like squirming in seats; these could possibly make the performer to feel nervous or be interrupted. As a result, at least two or three weeks before a recital, the performer have to train herself to keep playing until end even if she make an error during practice. Besides, the performer needs to identify several points in a piece to which the player can jump in case of a problem. Performing for tape recorders or camcorder is another good exercise. Playing for friends and family members is a practice as well. Those plans and practice ways are suggestions for a successful recital.

Before a recital, the performer surely has jitters. That is StageⅥ- handle nervousness before a recital. Undoubtedly, anyone who will perform before a recital must feel nervous. As a matter of fact, jitters are good things to help your body ready to play. The performer has to have the attitude that you are willing to be sharing your music with audience. Then, wears the performance dressing and shoes to do rehearse stage walk and playing in the certain time of the recital before the last few days. The practices help pre-accommodate the emotion and circumstance of the recital.

Finally, the player enters the last stage-StageⅦ- on recital day. The recital day is important, the performer has to maintain calm in both psychology and physiology. Therefore, do not perform for anyone, record playing, or practice too much. After getting up and eating a regular breakfast, then you use rhythms on particular problem sections and practice from the beginning to the end with very slow speed. Next, wear all your attire and rehearse in the performing hall. Meanwhile, be familiar with the atmosphere and acoustics. After that, you can either take a nap if you have extra time or ready to dress and make up. You also prepare light and nutritious meals to support the energy of the day and finish eating at least two hours before the recital. At the beginning of the recital, you stride across the stage with your smile and confidence. You sit down on the bench and adjust it. Then you raise your hands and place them on the keyboard and begin to play. When you enjoy the music you are playing, you can hear the dynamics, phrase shaping, articulation, and other details instead caring about audience’s opinion.

By preparing all details of a recital completely and rehearsing carefully, the

player can enjoy in playing the piano in a performance. Besides this, performing experiences are one of the elements needed to become a great pianist. As the seven process of preparing, the performer not only has learned a lesson but also has had a successful recital. What is more, she will have more confident and enthusiastic in music.

     The invention of the piano was a turning point in history. The piano changed the face of Europe’s music. Over the past 300 years, if there were not the piano, great composers didn’t wrote well-known piano works.

Keyboard instruments have existed since the middle ages. The earliest pianos were designed in the tradition of harpsichords and clavichord. During the baroque period, keyboard instruments were used to accompany singers or other instruments. However, the harpsichord and the clavichord are very quiet instruments, and are not useful for performance in large room. Around the turn of 18^th century, composers and musicians need a keyboard with a large dynamic range that could play very loud or very soft, and that could change the dynamics smoothly and subtly. After that we named the keyboard instrument “pianoforte,” (soft-loud).

In the classical period, the piano became very popular as both a household and concert instrument. Some famous composers like Mozart and Beethoven do special works for the piano. They could feature the piano as a solo instrument with a symphony orchestra. The pianos of the 19^th century did have a common positive factor. They were louder, more expressive and responsive to the touch than any other instrument of the era. After 19^th century the specialist in teaching was more common. In 20^th century, some compositions require players to use new and complex techniques such as pedaling (half or quarter), and various methods of producing tones by reaching inside or underneath the piano to pluck or strike the strings.

Today, people often ask which the best piano. History tells us that it depends on which type of music I am playing. Piano playing technique has changed through the years with changes in piano types and musical styles. Piano players have to appropriately adjust the factors of touch, fingering, phrasing, and interpretation when playing music of 18^th, 19^th, and 20^th Centuries on the modern piano. In addition, the pianists should use relaxant techniques in controlling the physical motions instead of harming their bodies. Therefore, the piano performance for me is the specialized field worthy to study.

August 31, 2002, was the day that I held my first piano recital. The dream of students who learn musical instruments is to hold a recital. I am glad that I had this experience because it has changed my life.

I have played the piano for 19 years. I began playing the piano when I was five years old. Unlike most people though, learning the piano was a difficult process for me. Luckily, my mother has given me powerful resources; she has encouraged me to study music until now.  

Before deciding to hold this recital, I didn’t have enough confidence. I didn’t dare to stand up on the stage of a performing hall. When I played the piano in a practice room, I always cared about the opinions of other people. I usually thought the technique of the player who played in the practice-room beside me was better than mine. I worried that I would possibly make mistakes when I was playing. I even had the terrible idea to give up playing the piano. However, I have stood by my decision to learn music diligently.

When I graduated from the university, my piano professor suggested that I hold a piano recital. At first, I didn’t consider this carefully, but I decided that I should challenge myself before starting a new job. Then, I decided to hold my recital in a hall which contained one thousand people in the audience. I spent only two months in preparation. I chose one piece from each of the four musical periods: Baroque, The Classical Era, The Romantic Era, and The Contemporary Era.

During these two months, I concentrated on practicing and rehearsing. I felt strong pressure. Fortunately, the members of my family shared responsibility for the details of preparation. One of my friends designed the poster for me. My piano professor advised me on the details of programs. My father consulted with printing offices. My mother reserved the performing hall. My older brother communicated with the sound and video recording company. My parents advertised the concert by visiting, telephoning friends, and posting everywhere. My close aunty came back from Vancouver to support me.

At the beginning of the recital, I walked through the backstage to the stage. I felt like I was a superstar. I stood in the front of the Steinway & Sons for a few moments. I couldn’t believe that there were more than one thousand people coming to attend the recital. Some of them sat on the stairs because there were not enough seats. I wasn’t scared by such an amazing view. Eventually, I enjoyed performing the whole night. While I was playing the pieces of Bach, Scarlatti, Prokofieve, and Dohnanyi, it seemed like they came here and were in the audience to support me.

Finally, I held a successful recital. I was glad that my parents put a lot of energy and money into my recital. The recital not only belonged to me. It was an achievement for my family as well. After that, I became more enthusiastic and confident in playing music. Moreover, I had courage to study abroad. Undoubtedly, the recital changed my life. I have been studying at UNC for 6 months, but I am still taking English courses. I have to remember the success from the recital and keep working hard in order to enrich the specific knowledge in the music field. Also, I hope to use my confidence and courage to have a positive experience studying at UNC.

     Pianos today have an incredible range of sound. With its 88 keys, the piano has one of the widest ranges of any instrument. Today, the piano is probably the biggest investment and the most favored instrument in homes. It is also one of the most versatile instruments, capable of playing Baroque and Classical music as well as pop, rock, jazz, and new age music. The well-developed sound of the piano today can be traced to at least two causes: players, composers, and performers have demanded more and more strength of sound. In addition, the setting in which the piano is played has gone from small, intimate court occasions to gigantic concerts in huge halls.

      The sound of earlier pianos was quiet and soft, suitable for small gatherings. The earliest pianos were designed in the tradition of harpsichords and clavichords. During the Baroque period, 17^th century, keyboard instruments were used to accompany a few singers or other instruments. However, because the harpsichord and the clavichord are very quiet instruments and the harpsichord being plucked had no dynamic capabilities at all, they were not useful for performance or with large groups of instruments in large rooms. Around the turn of the18^th century, as audiences grew, composers and musicians needed a keyboard with a large dynamic range that could play very loudly or very softly, and that could play and be heard with large orchestras and ensembles. What evolved in the keyboard instruments was a change from an action that gently plucked the strings to hammers that strike the keys. With this dramatic change in the ways strings were vibrated to produce sound, there came a new capability: the possibility of these hammers striking the strings with various intensities producing sounds from very loud to very soft. Therefore, the instrument that evolved was called the “pianoforte” which literally means “soft-loud” in Italian. Over the years, this name has been shortened to the modern term, piano.

      A second factor in the development of the piano’s sound today is that the settings in which players perform as well as explorations in new ways to utilize the piano have expanded tremendously. In the 20^th century, some compositions required players to use new and complex techniques such as half and quarter pedaling, and various methods of producing tones by reaching inside or underneath the piano to pluck or strike the strings. Some composers even put objects directly on the strings to produce new sound effects. After all, piano techniques are very important in determining a piano’s tone because the pianist controls the rhythm, the surface noise, the dynamics, the pedals, and the articulation. In addition, piano players today need to keep pace with large halls, greater orchestras, and most recently, developments in electronic and synthesizer music.

     These two demands have produced and developed the sound. The intensity, and the versatility of the piano today and have led to the popularity of the piano. This has created a demand for increasing numbers of teaching specialists, who are cognizant of the innovation of techniques and unique ways of producing sounds.

     One of the effects is that since the Classical period, the piano has become very popular as a concert instrument. In this musical period, the piano was louder, more expressive and responsive to the touch than any other instrument. Some famous composers like Mozart and Beethoven could feature the piano as a solo instrument with a symphony orchestra.

     Another effect is the growth in the number of piano teachers as piano ownership has become more common and as parents value the importance of piano lessons for their children. Owing to the development of the piano sound, more and more people have been attracted to learn how to play the piano. Therefore, the need for specialists in piano pedagogy has increased immensely.

     The last effect is that piano performance today requires more techniques to play the piano. Indeed, piano playing technique has changed through the years with changes in piano types and musical styles. Piano performers have to adjust appropriately the factors of touch, fingering, phrasing, and interpretation when playing music of different centuries on the modern piano.

     In conclusion, piano performance today is more than just playing the notes written. It requires knowledge of the history of the piano and the characteristics of different musical periods. It challenges composers and performers to explore new and different ways of utilizing the piano and of producing sounds. It continues to expand the settings and occasions in which pianos are used, now including accompanists to movie, TV scores, and recordings as well as live performances. In short, if it were not for the development of the piano, most people today could not enjoy the well-known piano works by great pianists.