Hi.

So yeah, well it's not mine, but I've only just noticed that the piano my parents have had for over 30 years starts on an A.

I pointed this out to my Dad and he seemed very unimpressed by my observation and said he thought they all start on an A. Every keyboard and piano I have ever seen always starts on a C.

So is this particularly unusual?

Thanks.

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An Eagle for an Emperor, A Kestrel for a Knave.

Quote Rhys Llewellyn:

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Every keyboard and piano I have ever seen always starts on a C.

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Really? Try "piano" in Google image search.

Now if it started on H, that would be unusual...

Quote The Elf:

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If this is yours then we might be looking at a temporary ban.

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Samplecraze
Stretch That Note

Ok, so not that rare then :P

I just wanted to know a little info on why it's changed and which came first etc...

I'll go research for myself.

(You get different starting notes for different keyboard sizes - usually C for 61, D for 76, A for 88.)

If starting on A is good enough for Steinway see picture here it's good enough for me!

Standard 88-note pianos go from A to C. Keyboards masquerading as pianos (and some compact real pianos) can be shorter. Synths are often much shorter.

Quote Zukan:

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If this is yours then we might be looking at a temporary ban.

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I dread to think what you'll do to me if I manage to scrape up the cash to upgrade to a PC3X!

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An Eagle for an Emperor, A Kestrel for a Knave.

Quote The Elf:

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Quote Zukan:

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If this is yours then we might be looking at a temporary ban.

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I dread to think what you'll do to me if I manage to scrape up the cash to upgrade to a PC3X!

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I would hate to have to be accountable for my actions.

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Samplecraze
Stretch That Note

I'd always had it in my head that pianos started on an A and ended on a C, but I've no idea why that would be. It would make more sense for them to run C-C I suppose!

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Personally I find it difficult to get by without the low C, which is why I always use an Imperial Grand.

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Samplecraze
Stretch That Note

Quote Jennifer Jones:

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I'd always had it in my head that pianos started on an A and ended on a C, but I've no idea why that would be. It would make more sense for them to run C-C I suppose!

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Why?

Quote The Elf:

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Quote Zukan:

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If this is yours then we might be looking at a temporary ban.

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I dread to think what you'll do to me if I manage to scrape up the cash to upgrade to a PC3X!

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They seem very reasonably priced for what they are - I might have to get one

The 76 note version has a keyboard going from E and ending on a G

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musics

Quote BJG145:

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Personally I find it difficult to get by without the low C, which is why I always use an Imperial Grand.

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Indeed this is one of the only acoustic pianos that do not start on A. The "smaller" Bösendorfer Model 225 starts on low F. And some old pianos have 85 keys (A to A) instead of 88 (A to C), but they still start on A.

The fundamental of the Imperial low C is lower than 20Hz: about 16Hz. But thanks to some psychoacoustic and cultural factors you still hear it as a low C, which is quite welcome as you do not have a transpose button unless you midify it.

-j

The current 88 note range starting on A became the standard late in the 19th century I think. They started out with many fewer keys. I dare say wikipedia will have an article detailing the development of the instrument.

Quote damoore:

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The current 88 note range starting on A became the standard late in the 19th century I think. They started out with many fewer keys. I dare say wikipedia will have an article detailing the development of the instrument.

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Indeed it does - here's a link for you:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_keyboard


Martin

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YewTreeMagic