Why does the piano start on an A and end on a C?

[captainbooboo]

Hello! Would anybody please know why the piano starts on an A and ends on a C? Theoretically, it could start on A and end on A. Or start on C and end on C. Or any note of the piano, for that matter. If anyone could please offer some suggestions why this is, it would be much appreciated. Thank you!

[mjames]

I don't know man. That's just the way it is? Why stress over it? Just play your baby and move on. 

[francisco40295]

That's a horrible answer dude, if you don't know, like me, then don't answer it. I think it's a great question, and it mus date back to the times of Cristofori

[gregh]

The A minor scale goes from A to A, so they naturally started at A. But manufacturing technology was not highly advanced in those days, so by the time they finished, C major was in vogue.


...



(I had just assumed that nobody could possibly take my answer seriously, but then I remembered that this is the internet, where every post needs three or four disclaimers. Then when someone thinks I'm being serious, I can tell them to go back and read the disclaimer.)

[timothy42b]

The first pianos started on C and ended on C.

Those lower notes were added later.

Have you ever noticed that the numbering system changes at C?  A0, B0, C1.  It drives me nuts setting out handbells, having to remember that A6 is higher than C6. 

There is a long thread that describes the history of the scale in more detail, do a search. 

[captainbooboo]

The A minor scale goes from A to A, so they naturally started at A. But manufacturing technology was not highly advanced in those days, so by the time they finished, C major was in vogue.


...



(I had just assumed that nobody could possibly take my answer seriously, but then I remembered that this is the internet, where every post needs three or four disclaimers. Then when someone thinks I'm being serious, I can tell them to go back and read the disclaimer.)

Thank you! That's awesome...

[captainbooboo]

The first pianos started on C and ended on C.

Those lower notes were added later.

Have you ever noticed that the numbering system changes at C?  A0, B0, C1.  It drives me nuts setting out handbells, having to remember that A6 is higher than C6. 

There is a long thread that describes the history of the scale in more detail, do a search. 

That's great. Thank you so much!

[mjames]

That's a horrible answer dude, if you don't know, like me, then don't answer it. I think it's a great question, and it mus date back to the times of Cristofori

  You're such a bummer

[xdjuicebox]

Probably because any note under A0 is undiscernible, and any note above the highest C isn't either

[j_menz]

Probably because any note under A0 is undiscernible, and any note above the highest C isn't either

They're quite discernible on those pianos equipped with them.

[ranniks]

My piano starts with an A and ends with one. That's an acoustic piano with 85 keys.

[gregh]

They're quite discernible on those pianos equipped with them.

That makes me wonder now how low a bass guitar goes compared with a piano. Some bass work I've heard seems almost infrasonic, but it still adds its own character to the music.

[awesom_o]

Hello! Would anybody please know why the piano starts on an A and ends on a C?

Not all pianos start on an A and end on a C! Only most of them.

[g_s_223]

That makes me wonder now how low a bass guitar goes compared with a piano. Some bass work I've heard seems almost infrasonic, but it still adds its own character to the music.

A 5-string electric bass is typically tuned B/E/A/D/G. The lowest note is one tone above that of the piano, however am electric bass usually has a really strong fundamental which gives it a real sense of weight. Also the upper harmonics, albeit weaker, seem more in tune.

Maybe this is why the enharmonicity of baby grands sounds so bad.

[j_menz]

A0 is about 27 Hz, human hearing typically goes down to 20Hz (individual results may vary).  So there's a few more notes that would be musically audible.

There's also the "feel" that really low notes have, and the effect of their overtones.

[captainbooboo]

Okay. Cool... Thanks for all the great ideas. You all are so helpful! 

[gregh]

There's also the "feel" that really low notes have, and the effect of their overtones.

I used to work with some deaf people who enjoyed Metallica concerts. They couldn't hear it, but they could FEEL the music.

[larrys]

That's a horrible answer dude, if you don't know, like me, then don't answer it. I think it's a great question, and it mus date back to the times of Cristofori

Well back in the days of Cristofori the keyboards were smaller, 6 octaves or less, and gradually over time the range was increased to the current 7 1/4 octaves.

[captainbooboo]

gregh, that's very interesting. Thank you!

larrys, that's also helpful. Someone must have decided around the Cristotfori time that the piano was too small, and the size of the piano has gradually increased after that.

 

[gregh]

A 5-string electric bass is typically tuned B/E/A/D/G. The lowest note is one tone above that of the piano, however am electric bass usually has a really strong fundamental which gives it a real sense of weight. Also the upper harmonics, albeit weaker, seem more in tune.

Maybe this is why the enharmonicity of baby grands sounds so bad.

It occurs to me also that a highly distorted guitar or bass, especially if you pluck it with the thumb, has very little of the percussive sound that a piano has. There's practically no decay, so the instant the note sounds it is no louder than it is several second later, so there isn't a distinct attack that says "New note!"

[timothy42b]

gregh, that's very interesting. Thank you!

larrys, that's also helpful. Someone must have decided around the Cristotfori time that the piano was too small, and the size of the piano has gradually increased after that.

 

No.  check a clothing museum for the sizes of antique clothes and gloves.  Better nutrition and living conditions mean we are much larger than our ancestors from a couple centuries back.  Their fingers were actually much smaller.