How it works
What are the parts of a piano? Outside, the lid, fallboard, keys, rim and pedals. Inside, a soundboard under a cast-iron plate, the strings stretched from tuning pins to hitch pins, and the hammers, dampers and action that play them.
Read the full guide
Parts of a piano inside
Each string runs from a tuning pin at the front, held in the wooden pinblock, through an agraffe, over the bridge on the soundboard, to a hitch pin at the back. The plate carries the great pull of all the strings, and the soundboard turns their vibration into sound.
Parts of a piano key and hammer
A key is a lever on a balance point. Press it and the action throws the hammer up to strike the string, while the damper lifts off. Let go, and the damper drops back and stops the note.
- Three pedals, left to right: una corda softens, sostenuto holds only the notes already down, sustain lets everything ring.
Questions and answers
What does each piano pedal do?
The left, una corda, shifts the action so the hammers strike fewer strings, softening the sound. The middle, sostenuto, holds only the notes already down. The right, sustain, lifts every damper so all notes ring on.
What is the metal frame inside a piano?
The plate, a cast-iron frame over the soundboard. It holds the combined tension of all the strings, which a wooden frame alone could not.
What is the cover over the piano keys called?
The fallboard, or key cover. It folds down over the keyboard of a piano not being played.