The History of the Piano (Raz kids level Q)

According to the text, the first widely used keyboard was the ____.

• digital keyboard

• piano

• harpsichord

• clavichord

Which of the following shows how the harpsichord is different from the clavichord?

• The harpsichord had wire strings; the clavichord did not.

• The clavichord hard wire strings; the harpsichord did not.

• The clavichord had keys that hit strings; the harpsichord had keys that plucked the strings.

• The harpsichord had keys that hit strings; the clavichord had keys that plucked the strings.

What is the purpose of a damper?

• The damper hits the string from below to make the string vibrate.

• The damper stops the string from vibrating and ends the note.

• The damper plucks the string to create a better sound.

• The damper helps the strings produce louder sounds.

Which words from the text help readers understand the word composer?

• showed his version

• written many pieces

• the Italian words

• hit strings hard

Why were wing-shaped grand pianos made longer and larger?

• to create richer, warmer tones

• to give the notes a purer sound

• to make room for more strings

• to allow players to experiment with new styles

As the piano became more popular, piano companies began ___.

• covering hammers in felt to make the sound quieter in people's homes

• replacing metal soundboards with wooden ones to make the sound both soft and loud

• making less expensive pianos so more people could buy them for their homes

• writing more musical pieces for people to play on the piano in their homes

What caused the drop in piano sales in the early twentieth century?

• the creation of ragtime, a jazz form of piano music.

• Piano makers started building self-playing pianos.

• People were able to listen to recorded piano music in their homes.

• the addition of pedals at the bottom of the piano

How is a digital keyboard different from a digital piano?

• The digital keyboard played itself when the pedals were pumped; the digital piano could not play itself.

• The keys of a digital piano are weighted; the keyboard keys are not.

• There are eighty-eight keys on a keyboard but only sixty-one on a digital piano.

• The digital piano can make the sounds of other instruments; the digital keyboard cannot.

Which instrument would a traveling band most likely want to use?

• digital keyboard

• grand piano

• self-playing piano

• digital piano

What was the author's purpose for writing this book?

• to explain the history of how to build a piano

• to describe the types of pianos and how they have changed

• to answer a question about how to play the piano

• to inform readers of the different people who have played the piano