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Saturday, October 4, 2008

Piano Lamp - Save Your Eyes and Play Better Music

By Chuck Stewart

It was not long ago that people would play the piano in the evening by candlelight. Playing with a candle to light the music and keys was dangerous, it could start a fire, and proved to difficult on the eyes, The glare that came from the reflection off of the music went right into the eyes of the player and sometimes caused headaches. A lamp expert reviewed this problem and came up with the idea of placing a shade or cover over the back of the candle to reduce the glare and focus the light on the music. On that day the piano lamp was created.

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.

There have been some ultra-fancy piano lamps that are called candelabras. These are multi-light arrangements that typically sit on top of grand pianos. They are very formal and a little bit on the expensive side, costing $200 to $1,000 dollars depending upon the style you are interested in purchasing. The candelabra is attractive, as most piano lamps are, but the primary function of the lamp is still to display light on sheet music and the piano keyboard. They are not limited to use with grand pianos. Piano lamps fit well with console, studio and upright pianos.

While most piano lamps sit directly on top of the piano, several models are vertical lamps that raise from the floor. These models have advantages in that they can be arranged to display light from many angles at just about any height that the player wishes to have it be displayed. The common theme among different models of piano lamps is that they are all hooded to reduce the direct glare into the eyes of the player while lighting the keys of the piano. Many players purchase a piano lamp to further display their piano as a showcase of their house. They can be beautiful as well as being very functional.

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 piano lamp known for the best stability is the shelf style which sits on top of the piano. The base is typically made of some very heavy material such as marble to add weight to the base and to provide a great look. Counter-weighted arms are a very practical feature of a piano lamp since they prevent the lamps from tipping over no latter what the position of the arm is during use.

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.

From their very inception, piano lamps have replaced the need to use candles to provide light and add a nice mood to a piano recital or concert. Modern piano lamps are much safer and can be even more beautiful than the nicest candelabras from times of old.

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