The document discusses the anatomy and mechanics of a piano. It explains that pressing a key activates a hammer that strikes a steel string, causing it to vibrate against the soundboard and produce sound. The soundboard helps project the string's vibrations through the air. Releasing the key stops the sound, while the pedals allow the sound to continue. Each of the piano's 88 keys corresponds to a different string, allowing it to play different notes. Understanding how the parts work together based on physics helps explain how a piano is able to produce music.

1. The Anatomy of a
Piano

2. To the untrained eye, all those parts
and mechanisms that come along with
a piano can be quite intimidating.
Breaking down the piano piece by
piece will help you understand more
about the piano and about how it
works.

4. The sound is, of course, the most
important thing when talking about a
musical instrument. There’s just a bit
more to it than tapping a key, which
activates a hammer, that makes a steel
string vibrate.
The sound is created along with the
soundboard, which is the surface the
strings vibrate against. The
soundboard helps to accentuate the
acoustics of the strings to the
surrounding air, resulting in better
sound quality.
When one taps down on a key,
produces a sound, and releases that
same key, the sound is stopped. The
pedals at the bottom of the piano will
allow the sound to continue even
when the key is released.

5. From the outside of the piano, there are 52 white
keys and 36 black keys. Each plays a different
note, or sound, and each key corresponds to a
single steel string.
Each string is different so each key produces a
different sound.
The outer casing of the piano, normally made out
of wood, protects the inner mechanisms of the
piano.

6. There are a few different types of pianos, from the
grand piano to the straight vertical, however they all
use essentially the same mechanisms.
The principle, rather, is the same; pressing down on a
key, activating a hammer, which vibrates a string
against a soundboard. Once one understands the
functions of the parts in a piano and the underlying
physics that goes along with them, one will
understand exactly how a piano works.
Opening up the piano to see what’s inside will
hopefully be a lot less overwhelming!

7. Toll Free: 877-712-2440
Corporate Office
2460 Dutton Mill Road,
Aston, PA 19014
PA : 610-485-4758
Fax : 610-485-2403