Piano Keys Royalty-Free Stock Image

Closeup photo of a piano keyboard - The piano is an acoustic, stringed musical instrument invented in Italy by Bartolomeo Cristofori around the year 1700. The word piano is a shortened form of pianoforte, the Italian term for the early 1700's versions of the instrument, which in turn derives from gravicembalo col piano e forte and fortepiano. The Italian musical terms piano and forte indicate "soft" and "loud" respectively, in this context referring to the variations in volum produced in response to a pianist's touch or pressure on the keys: the greater the velocity of a key press, the greater the force of the hammer hitting the strings, and the louder the sound of the note produced and the stronger the attack. The first fortepianos in the 1700's had a quieter sound and smaller dynamic range.