The 

piano is an acoustic, stringed musical instrument invented in Italy by Bartolomeo

Cristofori around the year 1700 (the exact year is uncertain), in which the strings are struck by
wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with
dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboard, which is a row of
keys (small levers) that the performer presses down or strikes with the fingers and thumbs of both
hands to cause the hammers to strike the strings.

The word piano is a shortened form of pianoforte, the Italian term for the early 1700s versions of
the instrument, which in turn derives from gravicembalo col piano e forte(key cymbal with quieter
and louder)[1] and fortepiano. The Italian musical terms piano and forte indicate "soft" and "loud"
respectively,[2] in this context referring to the variations in volume (i.e., loudness) produced in
response to a pianist's touch or pressure on the keys: the greater the velocity of a key press, the
greater the force of the hammer hitting the strings, and the louder the sound of the note
produced and the stronger the attack. The name was created as a contrast to harpsichord, a
musical instrument that does not allow variation in volume; compared to the harpsichord, the first
fortepianos in the 1700s had a quieter sound and smaller dynamic range.[3]

A piano usually has a protective wooden case surrounding the soundboard and metal strings,

which are strung under great tension on a heavy metal frame. Pressing one or more keys on the
piano's keyboard causes a wooden or plastic hammer (typically padded with firm felt) to strike the
strings. The hammer rebounds from the strings, and the strings continue to vibrat