If the question, “Is piano a string or percussion instrument?” is asked, it seems to have an obvious answer. Percussion instruments are drums, aren’t they? But the answer might not be quite as simple as you might think.
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So, perhaps we should clarify what kind of instrument a piano is. Technology and the digital age have brought us digital pianos and keyboards that replicate the piano. Some of them are excellent-sounding.
This Yamaha Digital piano is a good example. You can even get a digital Baby Grand. Furthermore, there are plenty of digital keyboards with very good piano sounds we are all familiar with. However, those instruments are not what we’re discussing here. We are talking about “Acoustic Pianos,” such as this Suzuki CTP-88 88-Key Acoustic Piano.
What Makes The Sound?
Next time you are near one, take a moment to look inside and see what makes an acoustic piano work. You will see a rather large board known as the soundboard. Attached to the soundboard are strings.
Just like any instrument that has strings, whether it is a guitar or a violin, strings can lose their tension and go out of tune. The piano is no different. And, like all instruments we call “string” instruments, the piano must be tuned occasionally.
However, unlike the guitar, violin, and other stringed instruments, piano strings aren’t plucked with fingers or stroked with a bow. To get the sound, the strings of the piano are hit.
Hammers
Each string has a small hammer with a rounded felt top. When a key is pressed, the hammer strikes the string to create the sound. So, does the hammer striking a string mean that the piano is a percussion instrument?
Most people consider the piano a string instrument, simply because it has strings. But, the action that produces the sound is percussive in that it requires an object striking the string to create that sound. However, there is another classification it fits other than string or percussion. We will look at a third option a bit later.
What Is A String Instrument?
Let’s get a bit more specific and try to define “What is considered a string instrument?” Some string instruments we are very familiar with, and there is no question about how we define them. Guitars, Bass Guitars, the Cello, and Violin, even the Harp, are easily grouped under the heading of string instruments.
Those are all predominantly Western instruments. But there are string instruments from other parts of the world. The Sitar and the Sarod from the Indian continent, and, from Africa, the Kora and certain Lutes.
What Do They Have in Common?
What all of these, and many others, have in common, is how they produce their sound. They generate the sounds by being plucked either with fingers or an aid like a plectrum, or they are bowed. You can get instruments that visually bear no resemblance to each other that are still string instruments. The Harp and the Violin, for example.
What Is A Percussion Instrument?
In general, the definition of a percussion instrument is something you hit or shake. That is rather a simplistic view, but that is the action taken to create the sound.
We would normally associate percussion instruments as meaning drums, timpani, bongos, congas, maracas, and other “shakers.” But you must also include xylophones, glockenspiel, vibraphones, and even tubular bells.
Pitched Percussion
It is quite clear from that very brief list that there are different kinds of percussion instruments. One such kind is “pitched” percussion. That means they are tuned to certain notes and will provide extra harmonic variance to the music. These will include the xylophone and vibraphone, but also timpani which can be tuned to a pitch.
Some pitched percussion instruments will be given melodic responsibilities within a piece of music and will lead a certain section. That especially applies to the glockenspiel and xylophone.
Unpitched Percussion
Percussion instruments like maracas and other percussion instruments that are not tuned to a pitch are known as “unpitched.” They are employed purely for rhythmical purposes. It is time to decide where the piano fits as an instrument.
So, Is Piano A String or Percussion Instrument?
Most people will say string because the principal sound comes from vibrating string over a soundboard. The soundboard creates the timbre of the piano and generates its volume.
And, just like other stringed instruments, the tension applied, and the thickness of the string will determine the pitch. Usually, the lower the note, the thicker the string.
Other ‘Piano-Like’ Instruments?
There are other instruments that you might consider the same as the piano, such as the Harpsichord. That instrument was first created in the 1700s, and its basic format was the forerunner to the piano.
However, the action for creating the sound is different between the instruments. As we have seen, piano strings are hit with small hammers. The harpsichord strings have a plucking mechanism to create the sound.
Physically, they look very similar, but the sound creation action is different. There is no doubt the harpsichord is a string instrument as the strings are plucked and not struck. So, where does that leave the piano?
Is The Piano A Percussion Instrument?
The piano has things in common with other stringed instruments. The strings themselves and the soundboard are the most relevant. However, there is a major difference between the piano and percussion instruments that must be considered.
As we have seen, pianos create their sound with a hammer striking the strings. The strings are not bowed or plucked; they are hit with small hammers or mallets. That is what defines a percussion instrument. The action of creating sound by striking something.
Therefore, the piano fits this definition. The strings vibrate to make the sound, but it is the means of making them vibrate that puts the piano in a percussive environment. So, am I saying the piano is a percussion instrument? Well, actually, no, I’m not.
The Third Option
I mentioned earlier that there might be a third option. We have identified that the piano has strings that vibrate using the soundboard to create the sound. As is the case with other stringed instruments. However, we have also seen that the strings are not plucked or bowed but struck with small hammers. The act of striking something defines a percussion instrument.
But there is a third option…
The acoustic piano could be considered neither string nor percussion, and that might place it in the category of a “chordophone instrument.”
Under the Hornbostel-Sachs method of categorizing instruments, the piano fits neatly into that description. These days, you may hear the piano grouped under another heading – “keys.” That is also accurate as it has 88 of them. But, because it is essentially a hybrid between string and percussion, it could belong in the category of a chordophone instrument.
Is Piano A String Or Percussion Instrument? – Conclusion
Does it really matter? In some respects, it does. But, at the end of the day, it is just a wonderful instrument upon which some of the great works of the masters have been composed.
If you are considering learning to play the piano, you won’t make too many better decisions in life. But you may need some early help to start. In this case, two good references are Alfred’s Basic Adult All-In-One Piano Course and Beginner Piano Lessons for Kids Book. Good luck, and keep at it. You won’t be disappointed.
Until next time, let the music play.
