Click on a term to learn more about it.
A
Action complicated system of levers that works to throw the hammer at the string
Agraffe brass guides that are screwed into the cast-iron frame, the agraffes space and level the strings on the end closest to the keyboard
B
Baby Grand a grand piano between four-feet nine-inches and five-feet four-inches in length
Back Check small leather-covered block affixed to the back of each key which catches the hammer as it rebounds from the string
Backstays metal rods that brace the pedal support structure
Balancier see "Repetition Lever"
Bass Leg supporting leg on the bass (left) end of the keyboard
Bentside the portion of the rim on the treble (right) side that is curved, giving the grand piano its distinctive shape
Braces wooden posts that support the interior structure of the piano
Bridge strip of wood which transmits the vibrations of the strings to the soundboard
Bridge Pin metal pin driven into the top of the bridge which aligns the string as it crosses the bridge
Bushings felt lining that cushions the moving parts of the action
C
Capo d'Astro a metal bar cast into the frame which presses down on the treble strings as they leave the tuning pins, defining one end of their speaking length
Capstan Screw metal screw attached to the back of the key that adjusts the height of the action
Case wooden cabinet that houses the playing mechanism and strung back of the piano
Cast-Iron Frame the metal plate which the strings are held over, designed to withstand the high tension of the strings
Cheek curved end point of the rim on both the straight and bent sides
Cheekblock see "Keyblock"
Clavichord ancestor of the modern grand piano that was able to gradually change dynamics, but could not produce a loud sound
Concert Grand nine to twelve foot grand piano built for the concert or performance hall
Cross-Strung the practice of using two bridges, so that the bass strings pass over the tenor and treble strings
Crown the slight upward curve of the soundboard that pushes up to resist the downbearing of the strings
D
Damper small felt-padded block that rests on the string, stopping it from vibrating
Damper Pedal the pedal on the right, which raises all of the dampers, allowing the sound to be sustained
Double Escapement the process which allows action to reset when the key is partially released, so that the hammer can quickly repeat the strike of the string
Drop Screw small screw that extends from the bottom of the hammer flange which stops the upward motion of the repetition lever
Duplex Scaling a design which allows portions of the string that are not struck by the hammer to vibrate sympathetically with the section that has been struck
E
Escapement - the process which allows the hammer to disengage from contact with the rest of the action, so that the hammer moves towards the string on its own inertia - double escapement allows the action to reset when the key is partially released, so that the hammer can quickly repeat the strike
F
Fallboard see "Keyboard Cover"
Felt material used to cushion parts of the playing mechanism, and damp the vibrations of portions of the strings
Ferrule bottom portion of the leg of the piano
Flanges small hinges in which a moving parts of the playing mechanism rotate
Front Half portion of the lid that folds over when closed
G
Grand Piano piano in which the strings and soundboard are in a horizontal position, distinguished by its wing-shaped case, derived from the shape of the harpsichord
H
Half Prop part of the lid prop that is used to keep the lid partially open
Hammer part of the action which strikes the string with a felt head, causing the strings to vibrate
Harp see "Cast-Iron Frame"
Harpsichord an ancestor of the modern grand piano which was capable of producing a loud sound, but could not gradually change dynamics
Hitch Pin metal pin driven into the cast-iron frame upon which the end of the string opposite the tuning pin terminates
I
J
Jack part of the action that, when lifted by the key, propels the hammer toward the string - a key part of Cristofori's escapement action
K
Keybed part of the inner structure of the piano on which the keyframe and keyboard rest
Keyblock removable wooden blocks that hold the keyboard tightly in place
Keyboard the 88 keys of the piano and the keyframe which they are mounted upon
Keyboard Cover moving part of the case that closes to protect the keys
Keyframe wooden frame on which the keyboard and action rest
Keys weighted wooden levers which are activate by the pianist, each key controls its own action and damper assembly
Keyslip long wooden strip that runs the length of the keyboard beneath the keys, and covers the keyframe
Knuckle leather covered part found on the bottom of the hammer which is lifted by the jack, causing the hammer to strike the string
L
Leads small lead weights inserted into the keys in order to balance the action
Let-Off Button part of the action that causes the jack to rotate out from beneath the hammer knuckle - a key part of Cristofori's escapement action
Lid wooden cover that folds down to protect the inside of the piano
Lid Prop wooden stick that is raised to hold the lid open
Living Room Grand a six or seven foot grand piano
Lyre wooden posts which are attached to the bottom of the case and support the pedals
Lyre Box see "Pedal Box"
M
Music Desk part of the case that holds the printed music upright
Music Shelf bottom portion of the music desk which the base of the music rests upon
N
Nameboard part of the case that bears the name of the piano manufacturer - it is usually part of the keyboard cover
O
Overstrung see "Cross-Strung"
P
Parlor Grand see "Living-Room Grand"
Pedal Box wooden box that houses the three pedal feet
Pedal Support Structure part of the case designed to support the pedals
Pedals there are usually three pedals which can be activated to affect the tone of the piano
Pinblock block of laminated wood which holds the tuning pins
Plate see "Cast-Iron Frame"
Point Leg supporting leg on the end opposite the keyboard
Q
R
Rails rails support a common body of parts in the playing mechanism of the piano, such as the keys or dampers
Repetition Lever a key part of the double escapement action, the repetition lever compresses the repetition spring, which forces the hammer upward when the key is partially released
Repetition Spring a key part of the double escapement action, the repetition spring is compressed by the repetition lever, and forces the hammer upward when the key is partially released
Ribs wooden support strips found on the bottom of the soundboard
Rim curved wooden portion of the casework that gives the grand piano its familiar and distinctive shape
Roller see "Knuckle"
S
Sostenuto Pedal the middle pedal, which acts as a selective damper pedal
Soundboard the large wooden board that is linked to the strings by the bridges - the vibrations of the strings are transferred to the soundboard, which amplifies the sound.
Spine the straight portion of the rim found on the bass (left) side of the piano
Spoon a small metal support affixed to the wippen which supports the jack
Strings high-tensile steel wires held at high tension across the frame
Stringing the process of spacing installing the strings across the frame
Sustain Pedal see "Damper Pedal"
T
Tail the part of the rim at the opposite end of the keyboard - it is curved to match the bentside
Treble Leg the supporting leg on the right (treble) side of the keyboard
Tone Collector the metal plate that unifies the braces of the back frame into a common vibrating area
Tuning Pin a pin driven into the pinblock to which one end of the string is attached - the pin can be turned to adjust the pitch of the string
U
Una Corda Pedal the left pedal, which shifts the action and keyboard to the right, so that the hammers strike fewer strings
V
Voicing adjusting the timbre of the piano by manipulating the felt of the hammer head
W
Web holes in the cast-iron frame which allow more sound waves to radiate from the soundboard, and allow access to the pinblock and tuning pins
Wippen the part of the action that is lifted by the key
Wrest Pin see "Tuning Pin"
Wrest Plank see "Pinblock"
X
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Z
A
Action complicated system of levers that works to throw the hammer at the string
Agraffe brass guides that are screwed into the cast-iron frame, the agraffes space and level the strings on the end closest to the keyboard
B
Baby Grand a grand piano between four-feet nine-inches and five-feet four-inches in length
Back Check small leather-covered block affixed to the back of each key which catches the hammer as it rebounds from the string
Backstays metal rods that brace the pedal support structure
Balancier see "Repetition Lever"
Bass Leg supporting leg on the bass (left) end of the keyboard
Bentside the portion of the rim on the treble (right) side that is curved, giving the grand piano its distinctive shape
Braces wooden posts that support the interior structure of the piano
Bridge strip of wood which transmits the vibrations of the strings to the soundboard
Bridge Pin metal pin driven into the top of the bridge which aligns the string as it crosses the bridge
Bushings felt lining that cushions the moving parts of the action
C
Capo d'Astro a metal bar cast into the frame which presses down on the treble strings as they leave the tuning pins, defining one end of their speaking length
Capstan Screw metal screw attached to the back of the key that adjusts the height of the action
Case wooden cabinet that houses the playing mechanism and strung back of the piano
Cast-Iron Frame the metal plate which the strings are held over, designed to withstand the high tension of the strings
Cheek curved end point of the rim on both the straight and bent sides
Cheekblock see "Keyblock"
Clavichord ancestor of the modern grand piano that was able to gradually change dynamics, but could not produce a loud sound
Concert Grand nine to twelve foot grand piano built for the concert or performance hall
Cross-Strung the practice of using two bridges, so that the bass strings pass over the tenor and treble strings
Crown the slight upward curve of the soundboard that pushes up to resist the downbearing of the strings
D
Damper small felt-padded block that rests on the string, stopping it from vibrating
Damper Pedal the pedal on the right, which raises all of the dampers, allowing the sound to be sustained
Double Escapement the process which allows action to reset when the key is partially released, so that the hammer can quickly repeat the strike of the string
Drop Screw small screw that extends from the bottom of the hammer flange which stops the upward motion of the repetition lever
Duplex Scaling a design which allows portions of the string that are not struck by the hammer to vibrate sympathetically with the section that has been struck
E
Escapement - the process which allows the hammer to disengage from contact with the rest of the action, so that the hammer moves towards the string on its own inertia - double escapement allows the action to reset when the key is partially released, so that the hammer can quickly repeat the strike
F
Fallboard see "Keyboard Cover"
Felt material used to cushion parts of the playing mechanism, and damp the vibrations of portions of the strings
Ferrule bottom portion of the leg of the piano
Flanges small hinges in which a moving parts of the playing mechanism rotate
Front Half portion of the lid that folds over when closed
G
Grand Piano piano in which the strings and soundboard are in a horizontal position, distinguished by its wing-shaped case, derived from the shape of the harpsichord
H
Half Prop part of the lid prop that is used to keep the lid partially open
Hammer part of the action which strikes the string with a felt head, causing the strings to vibrate
Harp see "Cast-Iron Frame"
Harpsichord an ancestor of the modern grand piano which was capable of producing a loud sound, but could not gradually change dynamics
Hitch Pin metal pin driven into the cast-iron frame upon which the end of the string opposite the tuning pin terminates
I
J
Jack part of the action that, when lifted by the key, propels the hammer toward the string - a key part of Cristofori's escapement action
K
Keybed part of the inner structure of the piano on which the keyframe and keyboard rest
Keyblock removable wooden blocks that hold the keyboard tightly in place
Keyboard the 88 keys of the piano and the keyframe which they are mounted upon
Keyboard Cover moving part of the case that closes to protect the keys
Keyframe wooden frame on which the keyboard and action rest
Keys weighted wooden levers which are activate by the pianist, each key controls its own action and damper assembly
Keyslip long wooden strip that runs the length of the keyboard beneath the keys, and covers the keyframe
Knuckle leather covered part found on the bottom of the hammer which is lifted by the jack, causing the hammer to strike the string
L
Leads small lead weights inserted into the keys in order to balance the action
Let-Off Button part of the action that causes the jack to rotate out from beneath the hammer knuckle - a key part of Cristofori's escapement action
Lid wooden cover that folds down to protect the inside of the piano
Lid Prop wooden stick that is raised to hold the lid open
Living Room Grand a six or seven foot grand piano
Lyre wooden posts which are attached to the bottom of the case and support the pedals
Lyre Box see "Pedal Box"
M
Music Desk part of the case that holds the printed music upright
Music Shelf bottom portion of the music desk which the base of the music rests upon
N
Nameboard part of the case that bears the name of the piano manufacturer - it is usually part of the keyboard cover
O
Overstrung see "Cross-Strung"
P
Parlor Grand see "Living-Room Grand"
Pedal Box wooden box that houses the three pedal feet
Pedal Support Structure part of the case designed to support the pedals
Pedals there are usually three pedals which can be activated to affect the tone of the piano
Pinblock block of laminated wood which holds the tuning pins
Plate see "Cast-Iron Frame"
Point Leg supporting leg on the end opposite the keyboard
Q
R
Rails rails support a common body of parts in the playing mechanism of the piano, such as the keys or dampers
Repetition Lever a key part of the double escapement action, the repetition lever compresses the repetition spring, which forces the hammer upward when the key is partially released
Repetition Spring a key part of the double escapement action, the repetition spring is compressed by the repetition lever, and forces the hammer upward when the key is partially released
Ribs wooden support strips found on the bottom of the soundboard
Rim curved wooden portion of the casework that gives the grand piano its familiar and distinctive shape
Roller see "Knuckle"
S
Sostenuto Pedal the middle pedal, which acts as a selective damper pedal
Soundboard the large wooden board that is linked to the strings by the bridges - the vibrations of the strings are transferred to the soundboard, which amplifies the sound.
Spine the straight portion of the rim found on the bass (left) side of the piano
Spoon a small metal support affixed to the wippen which supports the jack
Strings high-tensile steel wires held at high tension across the frame
Stringing the process of spacing installing the strings across the frame
Sustain Pedal see "Damper Pedal"
T
Tail the part of the rim at the opposite end of the keyboard - it is curved to match the bentside
Treble Leg the supporting leg on the right (treble) side of the keyboard
Tone Collector the metal plate that unifies the braces of the back frame into a common vibrating area
Tuning Pin a pin driven into the pinblock to which one end of the string is attached - the pin can be turned to adjust the pitch of the string
U
Una Corda Pedal the left pedal, which shifts the action and keyboard to the right, so that the hammers strike fewer strings
V
Voicing adjusting the timbre of the piano by manipulating the felt of the hammer head
W
Web holes in the cast-iron frame which allow more sound waves to radiate from the soundboard, and allow access to the pinblock and tuning pins
Wippen the part of the action that is lifted by the key
Wrest Pin see "Tuning Pin"
Wrest Plank see "Pinblock"
X
Y
Z
