A typical piano has 88 keys spanning just over seven octaves. There are other, smaller keyboards or synthesizers that have fewer keys – most come in increments of 25, 32, 49, 61 or 72 keys.

This can improve the touch and responsiveness of the keys, making playing the piano a more enjoyable experience. Finally, there’s the maintenance angle. Regular cleaning of the keys is part of general ...

So, piano manufacturers designed new pianos with more keys, so that composers like Haydn and Mozart could write more challenging material for a fuller keyboard. By the time Romantic composers like ...