According to Softschools.com, “The piano is a musical instrument of the string family. The earliest piano was called the 'pianoforte' (Italian term) which is derived from the word 'fortepiano' which is another Italian term for soft (piano), and loud (forte). This term refers to the ability of the instrument to sound loud or soft depending on the musician's playing. The piano is the most commonly played instrument by musicians in the world, and it is used in a variety of music styles including classical, pop, jazz, rock, blues, folk, country, and many more.”