Piano Fun Facts

Did you know...

  • The first piano was invented by Bartolomeo Cristofori in Italy in 1709.
  • The first pianos were too expensive for even the very wealthy to own. For nearly a century, only aristocrats and royalty owned pianos.
  • The word "piano" comes from the Italian "pianoforte," which means "soft-loud," referring to the instrument's ability to produce a wide range of dynamics.
  • Studies show that learning piano enhances a child's language building skills and overall academic achievement.
  • The piano is considered both a string and percussion instrument because it produces sound by striking strings with hammers.
  • There are 18 million non-professional piano players in the U.S. alone.
  • A typical piano has about 12,000 parts, 10,000 of which are moving.
  • The world's largest playable piano, built in New Zealand in 2000, has 156 keys and weighs 1.4 tons.
  • The world's most expensive piano was a crystal-encrusted grand piano designed by Heintzman, which sold for over $3 million in 2015.
  • What’s the longest piano concert ever? Polish musician Romuald Koperski holds the record: 103 hours and 8 seconds.

Learn to play the piano at any age at Kaufman Music Center’s Lucy Moses School! We make it easy and fun to get started with group classes or private lessons with some of NYC's best teachers.

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