Video:How the Piano is Used in Music
with Ingrid de BoerThe piano has been an influence in all forms of music, from orchestra, to jazz, to pop. Get a brief overview of the uses of piano in music in this how-to video from About.com.See Transcript
Transcript:How the Piano is Used in Music
Hello, I am Ingrid. I am a piano teacher. I am here for About.com at the Piano Workshop in Riegate and I would like to tell you about how the piano is used in music.
History of the Piano
The piano has developed in strength and size over the years. About the mid-1800s the body and the sound of them is becoming bigger and bigger. In works of, for instance, Liszt, and later on Rachmaninoff, for instance, they really, really take the use of the instrument to basically its maximum. They are exploring all the limits of the piano.
The other thing that starts changing is the use of pedals, which a lot of the older instruments did not have, but the more modern pianos gradually got pedals. And especially the use of the left pedal was taken to extremes by people like Debussy and Ravel. It gives the piano sometimes nearly mysterious character.
Piano in 20th Centure Music
Then near the sort of late 1800s, early 1900s, jazz starts to make an appearance in music. The pianos then obviously into the 20th century started coming into many, many, many households. Victorian families, Edwardian families, lots and lots of people tended to have an instrument in the house. And then later on in the 20th century it starts being used in big bands. Obviously it is being used widely with orchestras as well, in piano concertos. And then eventually, sort of from 50s, 60s onwards the piano starts making an appearance in a lot of pop bands.
This is Ingrid and I am here for About.com at the Piano Workshop in Reigate.