keyboard
instrumentsKEE-bord
A family of instruments played using a set of keys arranged in a standard pattern.
Keyboard instruments produce sound when a player presses keys arranged in the familiar pattern of white and black keys spanning the chromatic scale. The piano is the most prominent keyboard instrument, using hammers to strike strings. The organ produces sound through pipes (pipe organ) or electronic circuits (electric organ). The harpsichord plucks strings rather than striking them, giving it the bright, articulate tone associated with baroque music. The clavichord strikes strings with metal tangents, producing a quiet, intimate sound. Modern electronic keyboards include the synthesizer, electric piano, Rhodes, clavinet, and mellotron. Keyboard instruments are uniquely self-sufficient, capable of playing melody and harmony simultaneously, making them essential for accompaniment, composition, and solo performance across classical, jazz, pop music, and rock.