are piano keys really made of ivory?
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The earliest pianos built 300 years ago had keys that were made entirely of wood. But then ivory became a preferred material due to its polished appearance, durability and texture. Ivory from elephant tusks is no longer used to make piano keys and there is a global ban on trade of ivory.
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Ivory from elephant tusks is no longer used to make piano keys and there is a global ban on trade of ivory. Unfortunately, illegal poaching of elephants continues today. Ivory typically comes from the tusks of elephants. ... However virtually all pianos made since the 1970s use plastic for their keytops or keys.
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The answer is: it depends. Old pianos can continue to sound wonderful for many years with regular maintenance and care, but even pianos that have deteriorated can often be restored to their former glory, and in many cases made to sound even better than when they were new.
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Traditionally, longer keys were played more often than shorter keys, so they were conventionally covered with strips of ivory as it's such a hard-wearing material. The shorter keys weren't played as much, therefore were made from simple dark wood, such as sugar pine, spruce or basswood and were called 'black notes'.
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The actual name ivory tends to be a little misleading, because we naturally think of ivory to have a very warm tone. Ivory just means a soft white.
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Digital pianos have 88 keys with 6 octaves just like there are on acoustic pianos. This way they are able to create sound range just like that of a real piano. On the other hand, electronic keyboards have 61 or 76 keys with 4 to 5 octaves, or sometimes even less.
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Keyboards with hammer action replicate the same playing characteristics of acoustic pianos. Like an acoustic piano, the bass keys are heavier while the treble keys have a lighter touch. Weighted keys are completely balanced with the same heaviness from top to bottom of the keyboard.
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Pianos are acoustic string instruments that produce sound when their internal hammers strike metal strings, creating vibrations. Casio keyboards produce sound when a pressed key closes a circuit and activates a sensor.
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The main differences between a piano and a keyboard are: A 'piano' is an acoustic instrument with weighted keys whereas a 'keyboard' is an electric instrument (requiring a power source) with unweighted (lighter) keys than a piano. ... But pianos need to be tuned regularly, which can be expensive.
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Pianos all use the same width keys, and many keyboard keys are identical or slightly narrower in width. This slight change in width won't take too much getting used to if you're going to switch back and forth from one size of keys to another. Range. The standard piano has 88 keys, as do many electric keyboards.
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Pianos requiring an exterior restoration, such as French polishing the woodwork, in addition to the interior restoration will usually fall between $3,000 – $5,000. Pianos that need a total restoration including interior, exterior and structural including re-stringing, will generally be upwards of $5,000.
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Artificial material like resins or plastics will show a completely different reaction. They will simply absorb the ultraviolet light and appear dull. Ivory piano keys were always made with three separate pieces of ivory. Two of the pieces form the top layer that the fingers hit when playing the piano.
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Ivory has been valued since ancient times in art or manufacturing for making a range of items from ivory carvings to false teeth, piano keys, fans, dominoes and joint tubes. ... The national and international trade in ivory of threatened species such as African and Asian elephants is illegal.
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The keyboard itself is the actual instrument, whereas a synthesizer by itself is not actually an instrument. Keyboards look like an acoustic piano with their black and white keys but have a different source for the sound. ... They also make great beginner instruments, especially for children.
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In actuality these old instruments may be worth very little at all. Most antique, upright pianos are worth $500 or less in very good condition. This is because a piano is actually a machine. ... Even when fully restored the piano won't play like a new piano, nor will it have the clear sound.
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The Ivory Keys are used to unlock the box in the White House pictured above. It requires eight of them to open in total, and we do know what's inside the locked box but we'll leave that till the end of the guide so we don't spoil it.
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Ivory is a hard, white material from the tusks (traditionally elephants') and teeth of animals, that consists mainly of dentine, one of the physical structures of teeth and tusks. The chemical structure of the teeth and tusks of mammals is the same, regardless of the species of origin.