The Piano is a strange instument...

[Ludvig_Van_Me]

........It's a sort of...Xylophone/harp Hybrid thingy.



Imagine if you have never seen inside a piano before and you saw someone playing it, you would wonder how a great sound is made just from pressing the keys.


Every other instrument wears it's heart on it's sleeve, as they are not as mechanical and are easy to see how they work, wind intruments are straight forward, same as for the string instruments.....Well I suppose the piano is a stringed instrument as well but ya know.


Piano is in a world of it's own.

[DarkWind]

It is an odd instrument, very mechanical. Probably one of the very few instruments that can not produce an easily variable tone, such as the way you move a bow on the violin or your breath on woodwinds and brass. Yet, it has proved one of the most popular instruments, if not THE most popular, since it's easily playable by amateurs, all they need to know is how to press down a key. However, to make a piano sing, that is truly a feat that few can accomplish!

[chromatickler]

and of course the limitless possibilities of speed 

[julie391]

the piano is wonderful - the delicacy of a harp - the thunder of drums.

it is a world in and of its own - this is why i love it.

i agree it hasnt got the greatest expressive subtleties by far, but the piano's virtues come into play when many notes are played, not few.
this is where i kind of agree with chromatickler.