A small piano-like musical instrument. Most modern toy pianos use round metal rods to produce sound, a design first patented by Alice Violet Bennett in 1930. Some new toy pianos are electronic.
Toy pianos come in many shapes, from scale models of upright or grand pianos to toys which only resemble pianos in that they possess keys. Toy pianos are usually no more than 50 cm in width, and made out of wood or plastic. The first toy pianos were made in the mid-19th century and were typically uprights, although many toy pianos made today are models of grands.
Although originally made as a child's toy, the toy piano has been used in serious classical and contemporary musical contexts.