Why does a Piano have 88 keys?

Summary

Episode Summary: "Why Does a Piano Have 88 Keys?"

Release Date: June 30, 2025
Podcast: Who Smarted? - Educational Podcast for Kids
Host/Author: Atomic Entertainment / Starglow Media

---

Introduction: Journey to the Birth of the Piano

In this enlightening episode of "Who Smarted?", listeners embark on a time-traveling adventure to the year 1709 in Italy to meet Bartolomeo Cristofori, the ingenious inventor of the piano. The narrator sets the stage with a playful tone, engaging young minds by questioning their favorite musical instruments before revealing today's focus on the piano, aptly dubbed the "king of musical instruments."

Notable Quote:
"Today, I'm traveling back in time to Italy in the year 1709 to visit the inventor of the piano, Bartolomeo Cristofori." [00:03]

---

The Anatomy of the Piano: Keys and Colors

The conversation delves into the piano's structure, starting with the fundamental question: "How many keys are on a piano?" Bartolomeo Cristofori proudly declares, "There are 88 keys total." The narrator further probes, "Do you know how many keys are white and how many are black?", to which Cristofori responds, "There are 52 white ones and 36 black ones. The white keys play what are called the natural notes, and the black ones play sharp and flat notes." This distinction not only aids in the playability of the instrument but also in its visual appeal, as Cristofori explains the evolution from earlier keyboard instruments where key colors were reversed, making them harder to distinguish.

Notable Quotes:
"There are 88 keys total." – Bartolomeo Cristofori [03:32]
"There are 52 white ones and 36 black ones." – Bartolomeo Cristofori [03:40]

---

From Harpsichord to Piano: Evolution of Sound

Cristofori elaborates on his transition from crafting harpsichords to inventing the piano. Unlike the harpsichord, where pressing a key results in a plectrum plucking a string, leading to uniform note sounds, the piano utilizes hammering mechanics. When a piano key is pressed, a hammer strikes the string, allowing for dynamic expression based on the force applied. This innovation enables musicians to control not just the loudness but also the duration of each note.

Notable Quotes:
"When you press a key on a harpsichord, it activates a lever that causes something called a plectrum to pluck one of the strings, like so." – Bartolomeo Cristofori [05:25]
"When you press a piano key, it lifts something called a hammer... That’s only half the story." – Bartolomeo Cristofori [05:51]

---

The Piano as a Percussion Instrument

A highlight of the episode is the classification of the piano. Despite having strings, the piano is categorized as a percussion instrument because of its hammering action. Cristofori emphasizes, "The harder you press a piano key, the louder the sound it makes." This capability to vary volume with touch was a groundbreaking advancement over the harpsichord, allowing for more expressive performances.

Notable Quote:
"The harder you press a piano key, the louder the sound it makes." – Bartolomeo Cristofori [07:18]

---

The Mechanics Behind the Magic: String Tension and Durability

Exploring the physical aspects, Cristofori reveals that each piano string is under immense tension—168 pounds per string, totaling 20 tons for all 230 strings. This high tension necessitates a robust frame, typically made of cast iron, to prevent the wooden structure from collapsing. Despite this, early pianos remained heavy and expensive, limiting ownership to the affluent.

Notable Quotes:
"Each of these strings is strung unbelievably tightly into the piano. They each have about 168 pounds of tension." – Bartolomeo Cristofori [07:44]
"Oh, it definitely would if the strings were stretched across a super sturdy cast iron frame." – Bartolomeo Cristofori [08:23]

---

Pedals: Enhancing Expressiveness

The episode also covers the three fundamental pedals of the piano:

1. Sustaining Pedal (Right): Raises all dampers, allowing notes to resonate indefinitely.
2. Sostenuto Pedal (Middle): Sustains only the notes being played when the pedal is pressed.
3. Soft Pedal (Left): Shifts the hammer to hit fewer strings, producing a quieter sound.

Cristofori explains how these pedals expand the piano's versatility, enabling musicians to sustain notes, selectively sustain, and modulate volume seamlessly during performances.

Notable Quotes:
"Most times when you hit a key, its hammer hits two or three strings at the same time to give you a louder and richer sound." – Bartolomeo Cristofori [09:46]
"The soft pedal... creates a quieter sound." – Bartolomeo Cristofori [09:46]

---

Expanding the Piano's Range

Cristofori proudly states, "By adding another 30 keys or so to my piano's keyboard, I increased that to seven octaves." This extensive range surpasses that of contemporary instruments like the guitar and violin, offering composers a broader palette for musical expression.

Notable Quote:
"I increased that to seven octaves. That's a lot for music composers to work with." – Bartolomeo Cristofori [10:21]

---

Making Pianos Accessible: The Upright Piano Revolution

Addressing the exclusivity of early pianos, the narrator introduces John Isaac Hawkins, who in 1800, developed the upright piano. Unlike Cristofori's grand pianos with horizontally aligned strings, the upright piano features vertically arranged strings, significantly reducing its footprint and making it more affordable. Although not as sonorous or swift in playability as grand pianos, the upright variant democratized piano ownership, allowing a broader audience to enjoy and play this majestic instrument.

Notable Quote:
"An upright piano is a much smaller and lighter version of your piano, Bartolomeo... the strings run vertically up and down, which saves a ton of space." – Narrator [14:44]

---

Innovations and Extremes in Piano Design

The episode concludes with fascinating anecdotes about piano innovations:

• Largest Piano: Invented by Adrian Alexander Mann in New Zealand, this colossal piano measures 19 feet long, weighs 3,000 pounds, and stands as a testament to human ingenuity and musical passion.
  Notable Quote:
  "It's 19ft long twice as long as a regular grand piano, and it weighs 3,000 pounds." – Narrator [15:36]

• Most Expensive Piano: Crafted from crystal, this luxurious piano was showcased once at the 2008 Olympic Games in China and is valued at a staggering $3.2 million.
  Notable Quote:
  "This special piano has only been played once, at the 2008 Olympic Games in China, and it's valued at $3.2 million." – Narrator [16:04]

• Player Piano: An automated marvel, the player piano operates without human intervention, programmed to play intricate pieces flawlessly.
  Notable Quote:
  "It's called a player piano, and it's programmed to play without anyone pressing the keys." – Narrator [16:32]

---

Conclusion: The Enduring Legacy of the Piano

"Who Smarted?" successfully demystifies the complexities behind one of the world's most beloved instruments. Through engaging dialogue and insightful explanations, young listeners gain a comprehensive understanding of the piano's history, mechanics, and cultural impact. The episode not only highlights Bartolomeo Cristofori's monumental contribution but also celebrates the ongoing innovations that keep the piano relevant and revered in today's musical landscape.

Notable Quotes:
"I say the more people playing my piano, the better." – Bartolomeo Cristofori [15:26]
"You haven't seen nothing yet." – Narrator [16:29]

---

Credits

This episode, titled "Piano," was written by Steve Maestro Melcher and voiced by Chris 88 Kizokawa, Adam Tempo Davis, Max Crescendo Kamaski, and Jerry Colbert. Technical direction and sound design were handled by Josh Baby Grand Hahn, and it was recorded and mixed at the Relic Room Studios. The associate producer was Max Kamasky, with the theme song by Brian Staccato Suarez featuring lyrics by Adam Tex Davis. "Who Smarted?" is a proud production of Atomic Entertainment.

---

Transform your child's love for music and history into an engaging learning experience with "Who Smarted?" Discover more adventures in learning and laughter with future episodes!

Transcript

[Narrator]

Hey, smarty pants, quick question. What's your favorite musical instrument? Hmm. I heard guitar, drums, flute, violin, oboe, saxophone, trumpet, harp, and others. Did someone say accordion? Well, no offense to the accordion, but today's episode is about what some people refer to as the king of musical instruments. You might be taking lessons on this or have one in your home. Have you keyed in to what I'm talking about, smarty pants? Did you say the piano? Today, I'm traveling back in time to Italy in the year 1709 to visit the inventor of the piano, Bartolomeo Cristofori. According to my map, this should be his house. That and the fact there's two piano movers carrying a piano inside.

[Vinny]

Yo. Hey, careful, Vinny. If we scratch the wood on this thing, Signore Cristofori's gonna be really mad.

[Lenny]

Sorry, Lenny, but this thing's heavy.

[Bartolomeo Cristofori]

You're doing great, guys. Only three more floors to go.

[Narrator]

Hi, you must be Bartolomeo Cristofori. I'm the trusty narrator from whosmarted. Is this a bad time? I can see you're in the middle of moving your piano.

[Bartolomeo Cristofori]

Yes, I'm Bartolomeo Cristofori. Ciao. Trust in editor. Ciao. Who Smarted? I'm sorry, moving what?

[Narrator]

Your piano.

[Bartolomeo Cristofori]

Oh, you mean my gravinchimbalo called piano e forte? That's Italian for harpsichord with soft and loud notes.

[Narrator]

Oh, right. That's right. Pianos wouldn't be called pianos for another hundred years or so. Though before that, they did shorten it from whatever you just said to pianoforte.

[Bartolomeo Cristofori]

Interesting. My distinguished guest from the future, I'd love to hear more about what became of my invention.

[Narrator]

Oh, and I have plenty of questions for you, Bartolomeo. Like, how was the piano invented? What are the different kinds of pianos? And how does a piano make the sounds it does? Sounds like it's time for another whiff of history and science.

[Vinny]

On who's smarted, who's smarted, who's smart? Is it you? Is it me? Is it science or history? Listen up, everyone. We make smarting lots of fun. On who's Smarted.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Hi, I'm Adam Gidwitz, host of Grim Grimmer, Grimmest. On every episode, we tell a grim fairy tale. Not the cute, sweet versions of the fairy tales that your children have heard so many times. No, we tell the real grim fairy tales. They're funny, they're weird. Sometimes they're a little bit scary. But don't worry, we rate every episode Grim, Grimmer or Grimmest. So you, your Child, your family can choose the episode that's the right level of scary for you. Tune in to Grim, Grimmer, Grimmest, and our new season, available now.

[Narrator]

I have to say, Bartolomeo, my first thought when I look at your piano is that it looks hard to play. There's so many keys, smarty pants. Do you know how many keys are on a piano?

[Podcast Host]

Call it out.

[Bartolomeo Cristofori]

There are 88 keys total.

[Narrator]

Well, a lot of smarty pants knew that. But do you know how many keys are white and how many are black?

[Bartolomeo Cristofori]

There are 52 white ones and 36 black ones. The white keys play what are called the natural notes, and the black ones play sharp and flat notes. And if you think my piano looks hard to play, you should have seen the keyboard instruments that came before it.

[Narrator]

Oh, yeah.

[Bartolomeo Cristofori]

For one thing, they had the colors reversed. Most keys were black with white ones sprinkled in. But it was too hard to tell the keys apart, and the musicians kept making mistakes. So I thought this was the better way to go.

[Narrator]

What made you want to invent a new instrument in the first place?

[Bartolomeo Cristofori]

Well, you see, I'm an expert maker of the harpsichord, which is one of the many keyboard instruments that have been around for hundreds of years. But I knew I could make my new piano, as you call it, even better, and not just by switching the key colors.

[Narrator]

How is Bartellemeo's piano better than the harpsichord, smarty pants? Is it, A, you can control the loudness of the notes, B, you can control how long the notes last, or C, you can play a wider range of notes? Trick question. It's all three.

[Bartolomeo Cristofori]

Correct. My stroke of genius with the piano was going with hammering instead of plucking.

[Narrator]

Excuse me.

[Bartolomeo Cristofori]

Allow me to show you with this harpsichord.

[Narrator]

Would this be easier to explain if I shrunk us to 2 inches tall and we went inside the harpsichord?

[Bartolomeo Cristofori]

Yes, of course it would, but that would be impossible. Oh, we're tiny. How did you.

[Narrator]

It's a podcast. We can do anything. Please continue.

[Bartolomeo Cristofori]

As I was saying, when you press a key on a harpsichord, it activates a lever that causes something called a plectrum to pluck one of the strings, like so. But a pluck is a pluck is a pluck. So every time you press that key, it sounds exactly the same. But on a piano, however, teleporting to.

[Narrator]

Your piano.

[Bartolomeo Cristofori]

When you press a piano key, it lifts something called a hammer, which is basically a small piece of wood covered by felt. When the hammer hits the string above it, it makes the sound of a particular note. But that's only half the story. When you press a key, it opens also lifts the damper, which is another felt covered piece of wood that sits resting on top of the string.

[Narrator]

And what does the damper do? Any guesses, smarty pants?

[Bartolomeo Cristofori]

When you take your finger off the key, the damper goes back to resting on the string, which stops the string from vibrating. And that stops the sound.

[Narrator]

So the hammer creates the sound and the damper silences it?

[Bartolomeo Cristofori]

Exactly. Exactly.

[Narrator]

Hmm. Question, smarty pants. You just heard that the sounds a piano makes come from strings. So is the piano a stringed instrument like a violin, or is it a percussion instrument like a drum?

[Bartolomeo Cristofori]

It might seem obvious, but it's actually a little tricky because the whole hammer business, the piano is considered a percussion instrument, not a string instrument, which surprises a lot of people. But here's the key thing. Get it? The key thing.

[Narrator]

I got it.

[Bartolomeo Cristofori]

The harder you press a piano key, the louder the sound it makes. That ability to control the volume of every note is a huge advancement over the harpsichord. Vinnie, you mind hitting middle C as hard as you can?

[Narrator]

That's loud. All right.

[Bartolomeo Cristofori]

Yep. How awesome is that?

[Narrator]

How does such a thin string make such a loud noise?

[Bartolomeo Cristofori]

Each of these strings is strung unbelievably tightly into the piano. They each have about 168 pounds of tension. That's about three times tighter than the strings on a tennis racket. And when you consider a piano has a total of 230 strings, it equals 20 tons of tension overall. That's like having a team of four elephants pulling on its strings all at once.

[Narrator]

Yikes. I'm surprised a wooden piano can withstand that much tension. You'd think it would rip apart and collapse.

[Bartolomeo Cristofori]

Oh, it definitely would if the strings were stretched across a super sturdy cast iron frame. Unfortunately, having that frame in there makes the piano a little on the heavy side.

[Narrator]

How much do you think an early piano weighed, smarty pants? £100? £500 or £1,000?

[Lenny]

I got this. A thousand pounds. Oof. My poor back.

[Narrator]

Bartolomeo, you also mentioned your piano can control how long a note lasts. How do you think a piano does that, smarty pants? With a button, a pedal, or a switch? If you set a pedal, you nailed it.

[Bartolomeo Cristofori]

Ah, yes, Mr. Narrator. My piano actually has three pedals. The pedal on the right is called the sustaining pedal. By pressing that one, it raises all the dampers off the strings. So any notes you play last as long as the strings keep vibrating. Leni, an example, please.

[Vinny]

You got it, boss.

[Bartolomeo Cristofori]

The middle pedal is called the sostenuto pedal. It does the same thing as the sustaining pedal, but only for notes you're playing when you press the pedal and the pedal on the left is the.

[Narrator]

Soft pedal, what does that do?

[Bartolomeo Cristofori]

Most times when you hit a key, its hammer hits two or three strings at the same time to give you a louder and richer sound. Leni. But when you press the soft pedal, the hammer shifts over to one side so it hits fewer strings, which creates a quieter sound.

[Narrator]

Wow. I can see why people loved your new piano, Bartolomeo. And we haven't even gotten to the thing that makes it the king of instruments. Its range, AKA the number of different notes it can play.

[Bartolomeo Cristofori]

See, the guitar and violin can only play notes in a four octave range. And the harpsichord only has 60 keys and a five octave range. By adding another 30 keys or so to my piano's keyboard, I increased that to seven octaves. That's a lot for music composers to work with. Besides, notes, any higher or lower would be hard to hear with the human ear.

[Narrator]

Well, trust me, Bartolomeo, your piano is going to change music forever. Of course, there's another big change that happens.

[Bartolomeo Cristofori]

Oh, what is it?

[Narrator]

Well, right now, your piano is very big and very expensive. In fact, only royalty and the fabulously wealthy can afford one. But a revolutionary invention is coming that will make it possible for regular, everyday people to own a piano.

[Bartolomeo Cristofori]

Oh, I'd love to know what it is.

[Narrator]

Oh, I'll let you and the smarty pants know right after this quick break.

[Podcast Host]

Hey, smarty pants.

[Narrator]

You know how much we love sharing.

[Podcast Host]

Super cool facts here on who Smarted, right?

[Narrator]

Well, I've got another super cool fact for you.

[Podcast Host]

The podcast Snoop and Sniffy is absolutely awesome. Now get this. Snoop and Sniffy are these brilliant dog detectives who help kids like you level up your sleuthing skills. We're talking problem solving, deductive reasoning, the whole nine yards. And they do it by going on the most hilarious crime solving adventures you've ever heard. One day, they're meeting magic cockapoos. Magic cockapoos, Smarty pants. The next, they're rumbling with something called the Barking Bandit.

[Narrator]

They explore ghost trains.

[Podcast Host]

They time travel. I mean, there is never a dull.

[Narrator]

Mystery with these two furry detectives.

[Podcast Host]

So here's what I want you to do. Help everyone's favorite dog detectives crack their cases each week by listening to Snoop and Sniffy. You can find them on Apple, Spotify, @gokidgo.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Narrator]

Trust me on this one, Smarty Pants.

[Podcast Host]

Your brain is going to love the.

[Narrator]

Workout on Snoop and Sniffy.

[Podcast Host]

Hey, smarty friends.

[Narrator]

Trusty here.

[Podcast Host]

I grew up on the Smurfs Saturday mornings, cereal in hand, glued to the screen.

[Narrator]

So, yeah, I cannot wait for this.

[Podcast Host]

Smurfs is back. And this time it's bigger, bolder, and bursting with magic. Blue magic. When Papa Smurf is taken by two seriously evil wizards, it's up to Smurfette, voiced by Rihanna, to lead the rescue mission into the real world. Along the way, the Smurfs discover that saving the universe means trusting something they've never relied on before.

[Narrator]

Magic. The music. All new.

[Podcast Host]

Rihanna. Cardi B, DJ Khaled. Yes, please. And the cast is stacked. James Corden, Danielle Levy, Sandra oh. Octavia Spencer, Kurt Russell, John Goodman. Honestly, it's wild. It's got everything. Laughs, heart, music, and that classic Smurf spirit that I've loved forever. It's perfect for the whole family or anyone who remembers what it felt like to believe in a little blue world full of hope. Just like I did. Smurfs hits theaters July 18th. I'll be there. Hope you will, too.

[Narrator]

Now back to who smarted back in the day of Bartolomeo Cristofori, inventor of the piano. Actually, owning a piano was only for the the super wealthy. That's because early pianos were not only super expensive, they were also enormous.

[Lenny]

Oh, my aching back.

[Narrator]

But in 1800, a man named John Isaac Hawkins would invent a new style of piano that would allow almost anyone to own one. Was this new piano called the miniature piano, the upright piano, or the el cheapo piano. If you said the upright piano, you're right on.

[Bartolomeo Cristofori]

What's an upright piano?

[Narrator]

An upright piano is a much smaller and lighter version of your piano, Bartolomeo, which today we call a grand piano. It's basically the equivalent of a grand piano standing on its end, because instead of the strings running horizontally like yours, they run vertically up and down, which saves a ton of space.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Hmm.

[Bartolomeo Cristofori]

Does it sound as good?

[Narrator]

Well, no. And you can't play it as fast as you can a grand piano. That's why grand pianos are the ones played in concerts. But someone who isn't a piano expert might not notice the difference.

[Bartolomeo Cristofori]

I say the more people playing my piano, the better.

[Narrator]

Believe it or not, not only did they make a smaller version of your piano, but one inventor made a much bigger one.

[Vinny]

A bigger piano.

[Lenny]

They can get someone else to carry it.

[Narrator]

A piano tuner in New Zealand named Adrian Alexander Mann built the largest piano in the world. It's 19ft long twice as long as a regular grand piano, and it weighs 3,000 pounds.

[Lenny]

My back hurts just looking at it.

[Narrator]

And then there's the most expensive piano in the world.

[Bartolomeo Cristofori]

Ooh, I can see through it. Is it made of glass?

[Narrator]

Nope. Crystal. This special piano has only been played once, at the 2008 Olympic Games in China, and it's valued at $3.2 million.

[Bartolomeo Cristofori]

Mine don't seem as expensive anymore. Mr. Narrator these future pianos sure are amazing.

[Narrator]

You haven't seen nothing yet.

[Bartolomeo Cristofori]

Um, is that piano playing by itself?

[Narrator]

Yep. It's called a player piano, and it's programmed to play without anyone pressing the keys.

[Lenny]

Uh, any chance it can move itself, too? Ouch.

[Narrator]

A super shout out to super smarty fan Samara in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We hear you think who Smarted is so, so funny.

[Podcast Host]

Which makes us very happy. Keep on smarting and smiling with us, Samara.

[Narrator]

This episode Piano was written by Steve Maestro Melcher and voiced by Chris 88 Kizokawa, Adam Tempo Davis, Max Crescendo Kamaski and Jerry Colbert. Technical direction and sound design by Josh Baby Grand Hahn, who Smarted is recorded and mixed at the Relic Room Studios. Our associate producer is Max Kamasky. The theme song is by Brian Staccato Suarez with lyrics written and performed by Adam Tex Davis, who Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Colbert. This has been an Atomic Entertainment production.