According to different classification systems, pianos can fall into different groups: drums, strings, keyboards. The classification of musicologists Kurt Sachs and Erich von Hornbostel has been officially adopted in Russian and European instrumentology. They are based on two criteria: the source of the sound and the method of sound production, on the basis of which the piano is also classified.
Instructions
Step 1
Consider the piano for the first classification of Sachs - the source of the sound. The sound of a piano is produced by striking the strings with a hammer system. The strings are stretched with pegs on a cast iron frame. A wooden deck adds resonance and loudness to the sound of the string. In pianos it is placed horizontally, in pianos it is vertical. Therefore, the source of the sound itself is the string. And the piano falls into the class of string instruments, otherwise chordophones.
Step 2
Pay attention to the way you get the sound out of the piano. A whole system of hammers is responsible for this, striking the strings with the help of a special mechanism. In this way, the piano is subdivided into a subclass of simple stringed instruments such as cymbals. In cymbals, the performer also hits the strings with hammers or sticks.
Step 3
As can be seen from the modern structure of the instrument, the sound itself occurs in the piano from the impact. Therefore, many attribute the piano to a group of percussion instruments, along with drums, timpani, darbukas. And the presence of strings is already categorized as subclasses. But this is not essential. Stringed percussion instrument or percussion stringed instrument.
Step 4
Further analysis of piano mechanics will show that the hammer is struck mechanically in the piano. The performer does not directly strike the strings with sticks, but uses the keyboard. The pianist presses a key, which, in turn, connects the hammer to work. On this basis, keyboard instruments are generally distinguished into a separate category. There are wind keyboard instruments, electronic. The accordion and organ have a keyboard. But they have a completely different principle of sound production. The presence of a whole group of instruments with a keyboard allows us to speak about the legitimacy of such a division, as P. Zimin did in his system. According to this classification, the piano can be called a percussion keyboard instrument of the string type.
