the ancetry of the piano can be traced to the early keyboard intrument of the fifteenth and iteenth centurie --- the pinet, the dulcimer, and the virginal. in the eventeenth century the organ, the clavichord, and the harpichord became the chief intrument of the keyboard group, a upremacy they maintained until the piano upplanted them at the end of the eighteenth century. the clavichord＇ tone wa metallic and never powerful; neverthele, becaue of the variety of tone poible to it, many compoer found the clavichord a ympathetic intrument for intimate chamber muic. the harpichord with it bright, vigorou tone wa the favorite intrument for upporting the ba of the mall orchetra of the period and for concert ue, but the character of the tone could not be varied ave by mechanical or tructural device.
the piano wa perfected in the early eighteenth century by a harpichord maker in italy (though muicologit point out everal previou intance of the intrument). thi intrument wa called a piano e forte (ort and loud), to indicate it dynamic veratility; it tring were truck by a recoiling hammer with a felt-padded head. the wire were much heavier in the earlier intrument. a erie of mechanical improvement continuing well into the nineteenth century, including the introduction of pedal to utain tone or to often it, the perfection of a metal frame, and teel wire of the finet quality, finally produced an intrument capable of myriad tonal effect from the mot delicate harmonie to an almot orchetral fullne of ound, from a liquid, inging tone to a harp, percuive brilliance.WWw.hAOZuowEn.com
note:
muical intrument
1.the tring (弦乐)
1) plectrum: harp, lute, guitar, mandolin;
2) keyboard: clavichord, harpichord, piano;
3) bow: violin, viola, cello, double ba.
2. the wood（木管）-wind : piccolo, flute, oboe, clarinet, baoon, englih horn;
3. the bra（铜管）: french horn, trumpet, trombone, cornet, tuba, bugle, aophone;
4.the percuion（打击组）: kettle drum, ba drum, nare drum, catanet, ylophone, celeta, cymbal, tambourine.