Piano

Percussion INSTRUMENT

INSTRUMENT INFORMATION

The piano was invented around the year 1700 in Italy, by Bartolomeo Cristofori. It was a newer, more versatile, version of other previous keyboard instruments, such as the harpsichord. The piano has 88 keys, laid out in a repeating pattern of black and white, with the lowest pitches starting on the farthest left going up to the highest pitch on the farthest right. A pianist plays the piano using all of their fingers on both hands, either separately to create single pitches, or simultaneously to create different combinations of pitches. Each key is connected to a hammer inside; when a key is pressed or struck, the hammer strikes a set of strings inside the body of the piano that then vibrate to create the different pitches or notes. The piano was the first keyboard instrument that could produce both soft and loud sounds, which led to its original name, the “pianoforte,” combining piano, the musical word for soft, and forte, the musical word for loud.

MEET THE INSTRUMENT

In the following video (1:56), Isabelle O’Connell presents the piano, and details how this instrument is constructed and how it makes sound. This video can be enjoyed along with your children in class:

After watching the video, you can engage the children in discussion about what they remembered or noticed about the piano. Children may share ideas about other instruments that it reminds them of, or other music or sounds that they have heard before. Some questions that may initiate a discussion:

• Do you remember some of the names of the parts of the piano?

• What did Isabelle do to make sound on the instrument?

• What is the piano made of?

• Does this remind you of any other instruments that you have seen before?

MUSIC

In the following videos, Isabelle performs several pieces on the piano. You may choose to play these videos together in the same class session, or play them over several days to create multiple music experiences for the children.

With each experience, you can watch and listen along with the children. While listening, you may notice that the children move their bodies along with the music, and naturally show what they hear through bouncing, clapping, dancing, patting their legs, or almost any other movement that you can imagine! This is part of their music learning, and you can encourage them to move while they listen.

After you watch and listen to each video, depending on the age of the children, you may initiate a discussion about what they heard and saw. Children often feel more comfortable contributing if the questions are specific; abstract questions (such as “how did it make you feel?”) may be difficult for the young child to answer. Some questions that you may consider are:

• Was the music fast or slow? Loud or soft? Smooth or choppy? (etc.)

• Did this music remind you of other music or sounds that you’ve heard before?

• What kinds of movements did you make when you were listening?

And, after you have listened to all three pieces, the children may be able to make comparisons:

• What was the same about these pieces of music? What was different?

ABOUT THE MUSICIAN