Music

This passage discusses the creation of the first piano.

Lexile Level: 530L

Categories: Art & Music


The first piano was made in 1709. A man named Bartolomeo Cristofori created the piano. He was from Florence, Italy. Cristofori had been a maker of harpsichords. A harpsichord is a musical instrument, kind of like a piano. It uses strings and a keyboard. A key on the keyboard is pushed and a string is plucked. The strings are tight. When pulled up and then let go, or plucked, they make a musical note. The piano also uses strings and a keyboard. In a piano, the strings are not plucked. The strings are hit by soft hammers. This way, a person can control how loud the musical note is. A person can also control how long the note lasts. The person playing the piano had more control over the music. By 1800, the piano had become more popular than the harpsichord. The piano remains popular today. It is used in all kinds of music.


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