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.

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.

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.

Many models of piano lamps are vertical and raise directly from their base on the floor. The advantage a floor based piano lamp has is that it can display light in about any angle imagined. A common characteristic among piano lamps is that they all are covered to reduce the glare and reflect light onto th eplaying surface of the piano. Piano Lamps are beautiful and are often used to showcase the pianos of musicians. The functional lamps can accentuate the beauty of any music room.

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.

The two types of piano lamps are plug-in and battery operated. There are a few companies who make piano lamps that clip on directly to sheet music stands. Electric piano lamps typically have one or two light bulbs of 40 watts or less. Piano lamps can be purchased at most major furniture stores and through the internet. Piano lamps can range in price from a low of forty dollars to a high of 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.