Yet other inventions and improvements are sure to come, for we are
never content with "good enough."

The student of these lessons may, in his practice, discover defective
mechanical action and by his ingenuity be able to improve it; he may
likewise see where an improvement can be made in acoustic
construction; where a better scale can be drawn; or where different
and perhaps new materials may be used for the component parts of the
instrument. The possibilities are numerous along these lines, and in
addition to bestowing a favor upon the general public, the man who has
the originality to produce something new, places himself beyond want.

The inevitable inference is that the piano is an evolution of the harp
principle. This instrument was known centuries previous to the
Christian era. From the best history obtainable, we learn that about
three hundred years ago, the first effort was made to interpose a
mechanical contrivance between the performer and the strings whereby
it would only be necessary to strike the keys to produce tone from the
strings, thereby decreasing the difficulty in finding the strings and
picking them with the fingers, and greatly increasing the
possibilities in musical rendition.

History gives credit to Italy for the first productions of this kind,
about 1600 A.D., when the faculty of music was beginning to manifest
itself more boldly. Scientists saw that wonderful developments were
possible, and we have reason to believe that experiments were made in
England, France, Germany and all civilized countries about this time,
for the production of the instrument which we call, in this day, a
Pianoforte. (_Piano e forte_: soft and loud.)