A piano can be defined as a musical instrument with strings that get hammered via a manual keyboard; sounds can be altered through the use of pedals or how lightly or forcefully one taps the keys. The word "piano" is short for "pianoforte,". The piano is regarded as the most popular instrument around the world because it is incredibly versatile and can be used in multitudes of musical genres. Modern day standard pianos typically feature seven full octaves and 88 keys on the keyboard. Today's standard piano is the evolution of several piano-like instruments over time.