By way of explanation for those unfamiliar with “ prepared piano ,” a definition may be helpful . Put simply by Dictionary . com , it ’ s “ a grand piano that has been altered for some modern compositions by having various objects attached to its strings to change the sound and pitch , and performance on which typically involves playing the keys , plucking the strings , slapping the body of the instrument , and slamming the keyboard lid .”
The keyword there is “ typical ” because preparations – the type of piano , playing technique , etc . – all vary dramatically depending on the player , the composition , and just how comfortable the piano ’ s owner is with the idea sticking things into their instrument .
Before we get into that , though , let ’ s quickly look at how the piano itself evolved . Buckle up , we ’ re going way back and moving way fast …
PHOTO : SUSANNA BOLLE / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
The piano ’ s oldest ancestor is generally considered the Chinese ‘ Ke ’ – a wooden box with a movable bridge on which strings were “ strung ” over ( circa mid-2000s BCE ). A thousand years and change later , Pythagóras is credited with inventing the monochord , which as Wikipedia has it , is ‘ at its least ... merely a string having a board under it of exactly the same length , upon which may be delineated the points at which the string must be stopped to give certain notes … allowing comparison .”
Jumping ahead to 1000 CE , keys were added to provide more accuracy for playing individual tones . Organs factor into this as well , but let ’ s keep things as simple as possible , shall we ?
By the 11 th century , the pace sped up substantially : first with the Middle Eastern dulcimer appearing in Europe ( a resonating box with strings stretched over it that ’ s played with a small hammer ). Then , rather suddenly by comparison , over the next , 300-ish years we got the harpsichord , clavicytherium , and the clavichord . Without getting into all the gory details , that led to Bartolomeo Cristofori ’ s invention of the “ clavicembalo col piano e forte ” around 1700 CE ( i . e . a harpsichord that can play soft and loud noises owing to the fact the strings were hammered , not plucked ).
50 CANADIAN MUSICIAN