Piano Practice Edinburgh Practice
piano keys twisted


Terminology

  

Action This is the part of the piano that contains the mechanism that transmits the energy from the key to the string.
Action Parts These are the individual components of the mechanism.
Action Work This is replacement of worn parts and repair work undertaken on the mechanism of the piano.
Baby Grand This is a very small grand piano.
Case This is the wooden outside of the piano that contains the keys, action, frame and strings.
Case Work This is work done on the case to restore a good finish. It can involve repairs to veneer, french polishing or lacquering.
Casters These are the pianos wheels.
Concert Pitch This is the standard frequency that most instruments are tuned to.
Dampers These are the action parts that stop the strings from sounding when you release the keys.
Drop Action This is a type of piano whose action is partly lower than the keys. This enables the piano to be less high than it would otherwise be, while retaining tonal quality.
Fine Tuning This is a very accurate tuning of a piano.
Frame This is the structure that supports the tensionof the strings. It is usually made of cast iron, but in older pianos it can be made of wood.
Grand Piano This is a piano that lies horizontally on three legs. It is usually of higher quality than an upright but takes up more ground space.
Hammers These are the felt covered wedges of wood that strike the keys when the piano is played.
Humidifier This is a tube containing moisture retaining material that, when saturated, will prevent a piano from being damaged by dry air. It is fitted in the piano, or under it in the case of a grand piano.
Humidity It is important that a piano is kept in as stable an environment as possible. Too much moisture in the air is very detrimental to a piano's well beingas is central heating or radiators.
Keys These are the black and white parts of the piano that you strike when playing it.
Lyre This is the harp shaped cage that holds the pedals and mechanism of a grand piano.
Music Desk This is the part of the piano that holds the music.
Overdamper This is a type of piano that has dampers that are mounted above its hammers. It is an older and inferior mechanism to the underdamper.
Overstrung This is a type of piano that has strings that run in two slightly different directions. This not only allows for longer bass strings creating a bigger bass tone, but also acts as cross-bracing, resulting in a more stable piano than a straightstrung piano.
Pedals These are found under the keyboard and you depress them with your foot. The right one releases the dampers from the strings allowing them to ring after releasing the keys. The left one reduces the volume of the piano.
Piano Stool This is a seat specifically made for use while playing the piano. It is sometimes height adjustable and sometimes contains a compartment for keeping sheet music in.
Pitch This term refers to note frequency. A note with a high pitch is a high note, a note with a low pitch is a low note.
Repetition This refers to how quickly a note can be repeated.
Regulation This refers to the adjustment of the mechanism in order to maximize the smooth working of the piano.
Semi-tone This is the smallest step between two notes on the piano.
Soundboard This is a sheet of wood that is highly reverberant found behind the strings in uprights, under the strings in grands. It amplifies the sound of the strings.
Straightstrung This refers to a piano that has strings that all run parallel to each other. It is generally inferior to the overstrung design that superceded it.
Strings These are the wires that are struck to create notes when the keys are played.
Underdamper This is a type of piano mechanism where the dampers are spring loaded and located underneath the hammers. It supercededthe overdamper mechanism and results in much quicker stopping of string sound when keys are released.
Upright This is the type of piano that stands up, usually located against a wall.