Why do pianos sound so drastically different from most other string instruments?
In: Engineering
Pianos, or pianofortes as they’re sometimes called, are percussion instruments, not strummed, plucked, or bowed instruments. The unique sound comes from the fact that the strings are hit with felted hammers and then muffled with a damper (stops the string vibration).
Unlike the harpsichord, the pianoforte has a series of dampers that can be used to adjust volume and vibration time of the strings. This is where it gets its name, which means “quiet loud” in Italian.
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