Editing Piano (section)

==Role==
{{see also|Social history of the piano}}
[[File:Moritz von Schwind Schubertiade.jpg|thumb|240px|The piano was the centrepiece of social life in the 19th-century upper-middle-class home ([[Moritz von Schwind]], 1868). The man at the piano is composer [[Franz Schubert]] (1797–1828).]]

The piano is a crucial instrument in many Western musical genres. Pianos are used in soloing or melodic roles and as [[accompaniment]] instruments. Pianos can be played alone, with a voice or other instrument, in small groups (bands and chamber music ensembles) and large ensembles (big band or orchestra). A large number of [[composer]]s and [[songwriter]]s are proficient pianists because the piano keyboard offers an effective means of experimenting with complex melodic and harmonic interplay of chords and trying out [[polyphony|multiple, independent melody lines that are played at the same time]]. Pianos are used by composers doing [[Film score|film]] and television scoring, as the large range permits composers to try out melodies and bass lines, even if the music will be orchestrated for other instruments.

[[Bandleader]]s and choir conductors often learn the piano, as it is an excellent instrument for learning new pieces and songs to lead in performance. Many [[conducting|conductors]] are trained in piano, because it allows them to play parts of the symphonies they are conducting (using a [[piano reduction]] or doing a reduction from the full score), so that they can develop their interpretation. The piano is an essential tool in [[music education]] in elementary and secondary schools, and universities and colleges. Most music classrooms and many practice rooms have a piano. Pianos are used to help teach music theory, music history and [[music appreciation]] classes, and even non-pianist music professors or instructors may have a piano in their office.