<P> The piano is an acoustic , stringed musical instrument invented in Italy by Bartolomeo Cristofori around the year 1700 ( the exact year is uncertain ) , in which the strings are struck by hammers . It is played using a keyboard , which is a row of keys ( small levers ) that the performer presses down or strikes with the fingers and thumbs of both hands to cause the hammers to strike the strings . The word piano is a shortened form of pianoforte , the Italian term for the early 1700s versions of the instrument , which in turn derives from gravicembalo col piano e forte and fortepiano . The Italian musical terms piano and forte indicate `` soft '' and `` loud '' respectively , in this context referring to the variations in volume ( i.e. , loudness ) produced in response to a pianist 's touch or pressure on the keys : the greater the velocity of a key press , the greater the force of the hammer hitting the strings , and the louder the sound of the note produced and the stronger the attack . The first fortepianos in the 1700s had a quieter sound and smaller dynamic range . </P>
<P> The piano is an acoustic , stringed musical instrument invented in Italy by Bartolomeo Cristofori around the year 1700 ( the exact year is uncertain ) , in which the strings are struck by hammers . It is played using a keyboard , which is a row of keys ( small levers ) that the performer presses down or strikes with the fingers and thumbs of both hands to cause the hammers to strike the strings . The word piano is a shortened form of pianoforte , the Italian term for the early 1700s versions of the instrument , which in turn derives from gravicembalo col piano e forte and fortepiano . The Italian musical terms piano and forte indicate `` soft '' and `` loud '' respectively , in this context referring to the variations in volume ( i.e. , loudness ) produced in response to a pianist 's touch or pressure on the keys : the greater the velocity of a key press , the greater the force of the hammer hitting the strings , and the louder the sound of the note produced and the stronger the attack . The first fortepianos in the 1700s had a quieter sound and smaller dynamic range . </P>
who invented the piano and when was it invented
who invented the piano and when was it invented
Bartolomeo Cristofori around the year 1700
Bartolomeo Cristofori around the year 1700