Piano - Improve Your Musical Ability
Back in the days of the 1800s people would play piano by the light of a candle. It was not only dangerous but made it very hard to read the music and to see the keys. Another issue the player had to deal with was the glare that came from the glowing candle, reducing their sight of the music and potentially causing a headache. An inventor looked at this issue and placed a cover on the back of a candle that reduced the glare and focused the light from the candle onto the piano keys and the sheet music in front of the player. The piano lamp was born.
It was not long after that event that electricity and the light bulb were developed. While far safer than a candle, the light bulb created a glare that was worse than before when using a candle. The same idea to place a cover on the light came about and the cover was positioned on the bulb to reflect the light onto the music and not into the eyes of the person playing it.
A candleabra is a very fancy lamp. A candleabra typically has multiple lights and is most recognized when sitting atop a grand piano. Most candleabras are expensive and have prices that range from $200 to $1000. While certainly attractive, the candleabra is still a piano lamp and has a purpose in lighting music while not creating glare for the musician. Each piano type has a style of piano lamp to go along with it whether the piano is a console, studio, grand or upright. There are piano lamps that are completely adjustable from the floor that will serve the need for all types of pianos.
Sitting on top of the piano is the most common location for piano lamps, however, some of them are floor based. Floor based piano lamps have the benefit of being arranged to focus light from just about any angle. All piano lamps have the cover in common, the ability to reduce glare is what makes them a piano lamp. Musicians will often purchase a piano lamp as a way to highlight their piano and make it more of a showcase in their house. The lamps are very good looking and also very useful.
Piano lamps come in many different styles and are made of many different materials. Brass and chrome are the most popular materials used to make a piano lamp but many enameled surfaces are used in the manufacturing process to allow for more affordability and style.
The shelf style (sits on top of the piano) piano light is usually height adjustable, and many feature a weighted base to allow for increased stability. Many times the base is made of a high quality material such as marble, to add beauty to the lamp as well as a great weight which serves the function. A very practical feature of a piano lamp is a counter-weighted arm, which most piano lamps have, preventing the lamp from getting top heavy regardless of its positional setting.
Battery operated and plug-in are the two types of piano lamps. Clip-on piano lamps are manufactured by a handful of companies and they will clip directly to a sheet music stand. Most piano lamps have1 or 2 light bulbs that are 40 watts or less. Most major furniture stores and internet specialty shops sell piano lamps, making them readily available. The price of a piano lamp can range between 40 and several hundreds of dollars.
Since they were first invented, piano lamps have eliminated the need to have candles provide light and a soft mood for piano concerts and recitals. The modern piano lamp is much less dangerous and even more elegant than the most beautiful candleabras of yesterday.