Tracing the roots of the piano to the very beginning of consciousness, when man first became aware of sound.
Early 1100s, Hurdy-Gurdy

Hurdy-gurdy, (organistrum), a medieval stringed instrument comprised of melody and drone strings, a keyboard (made of tangents), and a resin-coated wheel (performing much like a bow), refined with many variants throughout Europe to be performed by a single player, producing a constant drone and capable of sounding two or more simultaneous notes.
Page Sources
SOURCES
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[1]
Anagoria. "Hurdy Gurdy, 1700." Photograph. Original in the Germanic National Museum, Nuremberg. Commons Wikimedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 1 May 2013. Web. 18 June 2015. GFDL, and CC BY 3.0.
[2]
HudryGuigui. "'Omen' – Guilhem Desq (Hurdy Gurdy)." Online Video Clip. YouTube. YouTube, 23 June 2013. Web. 14 Oct. 2015. Standard YouTube License.
[3]
rayjayvids. "HURDY GURDY Demonstrated & Played by Matthias Loibner." Online Video Clip. YouTube. YouTube, 8 July 2011. Standard YouTube License.
[4]
HurdyGuigi. "'Break Your Crank' – Guilhem Desq (Electric Hurdy Gurdy)." Online Video Clip. YouTube. YouTube, 19 June 2015. Web. 14 Oct. 2015. Standard YouTube License.