Since their earliest inception there have been many significant advances in the development of pianos. The grand pianos of today bear very little resemblance to the earliest examples, particularly those pianos which incorporate electronic or digital technology. The appearance and the sound produced by pianos have evolved a great deal over the years. The early half of the nineteenth century saw many significant changes which eventually lead to the development of modern pianos.

One of the most significant innovations which made pianos more accessible and affordable to many people was the invention of the upright piano, which took up considerable less room than traditional pianos allowing many people to have a piano in their home.

Modern innovations such as the introduction of digital pianos have made the piano an even more accessible instrument. Modern digital pianos take up very little space, are relatively inexpensive compared to traditional grand pianos and require very little maintenance due to the lack of strings, and thus requirement for tuning.
Many people argue that traditional grand pianos have reached the pinnacle of their development citing the excellent quality of many modern grand pianos as highlighting that there is no requirement for further development.