What did the piano look like 300 years ago? What about 500 years ago?

I’ll give you a hint: it looks nothing like the modern piano– it was a different instrument altogether.

So what happened? How did the piano start out and how did it come to be the modern piano? I’ll answer these questions below.

Here’s the smart guide to the piano’s history over the years, complete with amazing visuals.

(Feel free to share with everyone you know.)

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Grace Miles | April 14, 2012
Filed Under: Resources, Teaching Toolkit, Theory | Tags: History, infographic, piano |

History notes for Bartók, 20th Century Composer: complete with Bartók’s life, works, contributions, influences, and musical styles.

• Bartók (1881 – 1837) was born in Sînnicôlau Mare (Hungary). When Czechoslovakia was formed, Bartók and his mother were on opposite sides of the border.
• Bartók’s father died when Bartók was young, thus he was raised by his mother, who first taught him piano.
• From 1899 – 1903, Bartók attended the Budapest Academy.
• In 1905, Bartók began collecting folk music with Zoltán Kodály, a Hungarian composer. This collection of folk music was published in 1907.
• In 1908, Bartók taught at the Budapest Academy, although the main task of his life was to collect, analyze, catalogue folk music.
• Bartók married in 1911, but was divorced at after 11 years, to marry Ditta Pastorzy, his piano student, immediately after. The couple had a son, for whom Bartók composed Mikrokosmos.

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Grace Miles | March 6, 2012
Filed Under: Theory | Tags: 20th century composer, 20th century era, History |

Intervals make up a melody; an interval is the distance from one note to another.

Distance and Quality

Intervals describe how far away one note is from another and what a chord sounds like. A major interval is always one step larger than a minor interval.

1. An interval’s distance is described with a number that indicates the distance from one note to another. According to the diatonic scale, taking every scalic step into consideration. (E.g. D up to E is a 2nd.)
2. An interval’s quality specifically classifies each interval. (Although an interval may have more than one name.)

E.g. C to E flat (going up) is a Minor 3rd because a 3rd is the distance from C to E flat from the bottom up, and Minor is the quality of the interval. C to E (going up) is a Major 3rd because a 3rd is the distance.

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Grace Miles | December 20, 2011
Filed Under: Resources, Theory | Tags: ear training, intervals |

• Schumann (1810 – 1856) was born in Zwickau, Germany. HIs father was a book seller and publisher who died when Schumann was 16, soon after his sister commited suicide.
• At age 18, Schumann’s mother allowed him to quit law and pursue musical studies with Wieck, who had a 9 year old daughter, Clara. She was a child prodigy who performed throughout her life, including Variations on a Theme by Schumann. The two admired Schubert and was saddened by his death.
• In 1830, Schumann was inspired by Paganini’s playing, and resolved to become a virtuoso pianist.
• Schumann began the ‘Journal for New Music’ when he in 1834, and promoted neglected works and composers, e.g. Chopin and Brahms. He wrote articles for the journal for the next ten years.
• Schumann inflicted irreversible damage to his fourth finger, and his dreams of becoming a virtuoso were shattered. Luckily, his composing provided as a source of income.

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Grace Miles | December 20, 2011
Filed Under: Theory | Tags: History, romantic composer, romantic era |

• Felix Mendelssohn (1809 – 1847) was born in Hamburg (Germany) and died in Leipzig (Germany). Mendelssohn’s family was prominent; his father was a banker and his mother was an amateur musician. Mendelssohn’s music education began with his sister Fanny, who taught him how to play the piano, and studied music and composition as a child.
• Mendelssohn composed his first piece at age 11, and at age 12, he was considered a fellow musician, no longer a student, by his theory teacher Carl Zelter, who recognized his tremendous abilities as an artist. Thus, Zelter introduced Mendelssohn to Goethe, the poet, in Weimar. Mendelssohn returned to visit Goethe twice after that, with his sister Fanny, and dedicated his Piano Quartet in B minor to Goethe.
• At age 16, Mendelssohn and his family moved to Berlin; Mendelssohn attended the University of Berlin in 1827. At age 20, Mendelssohn conducted Bach’s St Matthew’s Passion, with 400 singers– this was the first performance of the piece since Bach’s death, and renewed interest in his works.
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Grace Miles | December 20, 2011
Filed Under: Theory | Tags: History, romantic composer, romantic era |