Keyboard Instruments Review

Keyboard Instrument

Even non-musicians are familiar with keyboard instruments. Many people mistakenly believe that the harpsichord was the earliest keyboard instruments. Harpsichords were undoubtedly a precursor to the piano.

However, the pipe organ actually predates the harpsichord by some 1100 years. In fact, the pipe organ was the only keyboard instruments until the invention of the clavichord and the harpsichord.

The earliest pipe organs were massive structures. Even fewer people were trained to install and repair them. Pipe organs often contained multiple keyboards to operate the many pipes and produce the rich sounds that the instrument is associated with. Naturally, this was not the type of instrument that the average person played at home. Most pipe organs were located in churches and concert halls.

Eventually, more compact versions were invented. Pipe organs evolved into regular organs, which most people of today are familiar with. It first emerged as a “practice instrument.” Clavichords were smaller than today’s piano and may be compared to today’s smaller keyboard synthesizers, minus the need for electricity.

The harpsichord more closely resembled today’s piano. This may be part of the reason that people believe the harpsichord was the first keyboard instruments. Harpsichords, however, were much smaller (though larger than the clavichord). Like music trends always do, the harpsichord fell out of fashion upon the advent of the piano. The piano, though usually a bit larger, produced a cleaner sound.

The piano is by far the most common keyboard instruments today. Most every music student has at least some piano training. They are one of the easiest instruments to learn to play and provide a good musical basis for learning other instruments.***