Back in the days of the 1800s people would play piano by the light of a candle. It was not only dangerous but made it very hard to read the music and to see the keys. Another issue the player had to deal with was the glare that came from the glowing candle, reducing their sight of the music and potentially causing a headache. An inventor looked at this issue and placed a cover on the back of a candle that reduced the glare and focused the light from the candle onto the piano keys and the sheet music in front of the player. The Piano Lamp was born.
When electricity and the light bulb came along it was not long afterward that the same issue with an electric light bulb arose. The light bulb was safer than the candle, to be sure, but the glare in the eyes of the piano player was rough on the eyes. The cover was placed on the front of the light bulb to reduce the glare and the piano lamp light fixture was a staple for anyone serious about playing a piano.
Candleabras are ultra-fancy piano lamps. They are made up of multiple lights and sit on the top side of a grand piano. Candleabras are expensive, with prices ranging from $200 to $1,000. The primary function of the candleabra is to act as a piano lamp and relfect the light onto the music. Grand pianos are not the only piano that a piano lamp has been designed for. Studio, console and upright pianos each have specific type of lamps that go with them. Some models can be arranged to display light from many angles and heights.
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 shelf style (sits on top of the piano) piano lamp is usually height adjustable, and many feature a weighted base to allow for increased stability. Many times the base is made of a high quality material such as marble, to add beauty to the lamp as well as a great weight which serves the function. A very practical feature of a piano lamp is a counter-weighted arm, which most piano lamps have, preventing the lamp from getting top heavy regardless of its positional setting.
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.
Since they were first invented, piano lamps have eliminated the need to have candles provide light and a soft mood for piano concerts and recitals. The modern piano lamp is much less dangerous and even more elegant than the most beautiful candleabras of yesterday.
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