"Acoustic Piano"?
Moderators: Feg, Gill the Piano
"Acoustic Piano"?
I know what is meant by the term, but wouldn't "piano" do just as well. We can always say "electric keyboard" if that's what we mean, or even, as I tend to say, "Clavinova", whatever the make. (Much as people say "Hoover" even if it's a Sebo or whatever.)
Again, I repeat that I'm not criticising those who do say "acoustic piano"; it's just that it makes me cringe!
Re: "Acoustic Piano"?
I have to say that the term "piano" is used by non-musicians very casually. As I play at various church settings, I have heard the term "piano" used to refer to any of the following things: small digital keyboard, clavinova, electronic organ, Electone... Because it has black and white keys people casually refer to keyed instruments as pianos.
I suppose with the establishment of the digital piano over the last 20 years or so, the need to clarify "piano" has become more necessary as I have learned to do from experience. Even when establishing the instrument is a "digital piano", I still have problems getting an exact representation of what some folks mean.
So while I know what you means, Descombes, I find that the same issue arises in the digital instument kingdom too!
Re: "Acoustic Piano"?
I suppose, from a classically trained musician's perspective, I would say that "organ" means a church/pipe/proper organ. All others need to be qualified: Hammond, cinema, electronic, Wurlitzer (but they have pipes, so there goes my previous definition!) But others would see things differently.
So it's not just pianists who have these problems.
(PS Glad I found my posting, which I thought must have been deleted for being provocative, until I found it had been moved!!)
Re: "Acoustic Piano"?
In all the time I have been a Global Moderator, I think I've only ever had to remove a controversial post (not including SPAM) three times. Your's wasn't in that bracket, just in the wrong placeDescombes wrote:Glad I found my posting, which I thought must have been deleted for being provocative, until I found it had been moved!!

I find particularly in church settings, the church minister will often misuse terms like "keyboard" when they really mean "stage piano" or the likes of what I mentioned earlier because it's not something they really ever have to manage or deal with. I ALWAYS ask for the brand and model so that I know for sure what I will be playing when I arrive.
I remember being asked to play at a church meeting being held in hotel and I was told not to worry about bring an instrument with me because someone was bringing a "good keyboard" with them. When I arrived, to my horror, they brought in this 73 keyed thing with those thin, sythnesisor keys you would get on a portable keyboard in a primary school - not even a sustain pedal. Needless to say, it made me sound as if I hadn't played a musical instrument in ten years! ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARE!

Re: "Acoustic Piano"?
My teacher calls my digital piano a ‘keyboard’ even though she knows it’s not a keyboard, I guess a digital piano is really just a pimped up keyboard

- Barrie Heaton
- Site Admin
- Posts: 3984
- Joined: 30 May 2003, 20:42
- Location: Lanc's
- Contact:
Re: "Acoustic Piano"?
The piano is part of the keyboard family the church and theater organ are also part. I was told by Henry Willis the 4th they are Pipe organs not church organs but the difference between a pipe and theatre organ is the belle and wissells and horns you get on the theater organ
Barrie
Web Master UK Piano Page
Re: "Acoustic Piano"?




One of these builders was Gottfried Silbermann, better known as an organ builder. Silbermann's pianos were virtually direct copies of Cristofori's, with one important addition: Silbermann invented the forerunner of the modern damper pedal, which lifts all the dampers from the strings at once
______________________________________________________________________________________
Phone book
sea freight
-
- Junior Poster
- Posts: 8
- Joined: 30 Apr 2009, 12:33
- Contact:
Re: "Acoustic Piano"?
How did the name "piano" ever extend itself to these electronic devices? Just because they have black and white keys, does not make them a piano.
Pipe Organs have black and white keys also, but you never hear anyone referring to them as pianos.
Piano Tuner
-
- Moderator
- Posts: 4208
- Joined: 25 Oct 2003, 19:39
- Location: Thames Valley
Re: "Acoustic Piano"?
