The Great Piano Debate

[`Kel`]

Piano...

Is it more a stringed intrument or a percussion instrument and why?

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I thought I would be mean and but this debate in its own forum. blaugh  

[Girlie320]

I don't think that it is a percussion instrument at all. I think it is a string instrument. If you look at what part that it typically plays in an orchestra, you will see that is it part of an orchestra and then it guides the violins, cellos, basses, and violas. Hence why it has strings!  

[wolfbane_eyes]

Stringed.

Look at the inside, it's like a harp. When I think of percussion I think drums, cymbals, and a lot of banging. I know, I used to play percussion. But with the piano, you can easily form cords and sustain notes. Not so easy of a drum. Also, you don't see very many percussion concertos, now, do we? heart  

[moon_child113]

The piano is FORMALLY classified as a Percussion instrument because it involves "mallets" (internally) and because you are "striking it to create sound not bowing or plucking.
Personally, I think it could be either but is more likely to be seen as within its own catagory "Keyboard instruments."  

[Aria di Bellezza]

I played piano for 11 years, and i'm 13...................

the piano is a hybrid.  

[Camusian_Night-terror]

Actually, I think they classify it under "Keyboard" with Harpsichord, Celesta, Organ, Virginal, Clavichord, etc etc.

And while it IS stationed behind the strings, when I saw it being used at the Symphony, last time I went (then again, their positioning was a bit odd) it was in front of the percussion and behind the strings, so yes, both.  

[Septomor]

I think there is some problem with calling it a Keyboard for the fact that that is not well defined itself. I would think under the circumstances that a marimba is a keyboard instrument as well then.

To be fair, there are a lot of percussion concertos now-and-days but really that's because percusive instruments have gained popularity since the 1850's when they gained an important role to affect the feeling of the piece. One of today's primary percusion composers is Manslanka.

And once again, it's more likely a string since that's what produces the sound. Sort of like a brass instrument which is suppose to have a brassy sound. It's really hard to describe, but I don't believe that it can be classified as percussion either way.  

[Extra Fancy Geo]

It makes logical sense to call it a percussion instrument, but it's a stringed instrument no doubt.  

[Le Cosmo]

>3>
I am positively, absolutely, not doubting that the Pianoforte is in fact a Percussive instrument.

If an old lady that was taught by Rachmoninov says that it is a percussion intrument, I know it is a percussion instrument.
Why do we use our fingers to play on it? If you had a Saxophone and you did not blow into it and you just used the keys, by golly it sounds percussive.

Rachmoninov > all of our thoughts.  

[Lord Eydvar]

If i remember correctly from the music dictionary its classified as a Keyed Percussion instrument.  

[flamingrice]

The piano is a string instument! Although it doesn't seem like it, the hammers that hit the strings when you hit a key on the piano makes the piano a stringed instrument. Who doesn't know that?!  

[xHajixbloodplus]

Neither. It belongs to the Keyboard instruments along with its other members. xp  

[Spainstateofmind]

Le Cosmo

>3>
I am positively, absolutely, not doubting that the Pianoforte is in fact a Percussive instrument.

If an old lady that was taught by Rachmoninov says that it is a percussion intrument, I know it is a percussion instrument.
Why do we use our fingers to play on it? If you had a Saxophone and you did not blow into it and you just used the keys, by golly it sounds percussive.

Rachmoninov > all of our thoughts.

I'm totally with him. Just because it has strings does not mean it is a string instrument. The type of instrument is defined by the manner in which it is played, and the piano's sound is produced by means of mallets, not plucking or bowing.

Besides, Sergei's word is law. 3nodding  

[sha__mean_aka_nice224]

i think that it is kinda both
like it can be a percussion because u are hitting it to play music
and it is stringed because it has strings in it  

[Lime Kiss]

If you took a small hammer and hit the strings of a harp, it would still be a stringed instrument.