frame (1)
lid, front part (2)
capo bar (3)
damper (4)
lid, back part (5)
damper mechanism (6)
sostenuto rail (7)
pedal mechanism, rods (8, 9, 10)
pedals: right (sustain/damper), middle (sostenuto), left (soft/una-corda) (11)
bridge (12)
hitch pin (13)
frame (14)
lid, front part (2)
capo bar (3)
damper (4)
lid, back part (5)
damper mechanism (6)
sostenuto rail (7)
pedal mechanism, rods (8, 9, 10)
pedals: right (sustain/damper), middle (sostenuto), left (soft/una-corda) (11)
bridge (12)
hitch pin (13)
frame (14)
Today, the grand piano is recognized worldwide as the most advanced and most recent development in the long line of piano design evolution. Each individual aspect of the grand piano’s design, down to the keyboard’s double-escapement action that allows each key to fire rapidly in quick succession, has its own history and explanations behind its origin. This section will trace these histories to illuminate the reasons why each particular feature -- the hammering action, the iron-cast frame, the copper coils around the lower bass strings, etc. -- ultimately made it into the grand piano’s design.
As mentioned in the previous section, Cristofori’s pianoforte was the first piano design to incorporate a hammering action, rather than the plucking mechanism of previous designs. The concept of a keyboard that plucked strings when its keys were pressed was introduced as part of the clavichord design. This feature managed to remain an integral part of the piano’s design for nearly a hundred years, but composers eventually wanted to break free of the ‘twang’ sound and single-volume output that resulted from plucking strings. Alas, the hammering escapement action of Cristofori’s pianoforte design produced a much warmer timber and also allowed for dynamic variation of notes, which made for more pleasant and more expressive music. Cristofori’s original design lacked an escapement action, which prevented the keys from firing until the hammer had settled back into place, but this feature was added to his improved design in 1720.
For another hundred years, this design retained its place in typical piano designs until certain composers of the Romantic era, namely Franz Liszt, expressed a desire to include more notes in their compositions. In 1823, an inventor named Sebastien Erard took these composers’ concerns to heart and ultimately conceived of the double-escapement action, which allowed keys to fire even more rapidly than was possible with a single-escapement action. Below, the elaborate design of a double escapement action is illustrated:
As mentioned in the previous section, Cristofori’s pianoforte was the first piano design to incorporate a hammering action, rather than the plucking mechanism of previous designs. The concept of a keyboard that plucked strings when its keys were pressed was introduced as part of the clavichord design. This feature managed to remain an integral part of the piano’s design for nearly a hundred years, but composers eventually wanted to break free of the ‘twang’ sound and single-volume output that resulted from plucking strings. Alas, the hammering escapement action of Cristofori’s pianoforte design produced a much warmer timber and also allowed for dynamic variation of notes, which made for more pleasant and more expressive music. Cristofori’s original design lacked an escapement action, which prevented the keys from firing until the hammer had settled back into place, but this feature was added to his improved design in 1720.
For another hundred years, this design retained its place in typical piano designs until certain composers of the Romantic era, namely Franz Liszt, expressed a desire to include more notes in their compositions. In 1823, an inventor named Sebastien Erard took these composers’ concerns to heart and ultimately conceived of the double-escapement action, which allowed keys to fire even more rapidly than was possible with a single-escapement action. Below, the elaborate design of a double escapement action is illustrated:
A few years later in 1826, another musician inventor by the name of Jean-Henri Pape replaced the leather heads covering each hammer with felt ones, which allowed a much wider dynamic range of sound to be produced as hammers became heavier and string tension increased. Moreover, the higher tensions of the strings could not be supported by a wooden frame, and so this also created a preference for iron-cast frames to provide structural support. These evolutionary changes were all inspired by a unifying desire from composers for a more powerful and sustained sound from the piano, but they were all precipitated by the industrial age and the influx of natural resources, including cotton and iron, that was brought about in its wake.
Using these resources, piano manufacturers also began wrapping copper coils around the lower bass strings of the piano to give them more mass while still retaining their flexibility, producing lower-frequency notes with higher sound intensity. However, composers soon found that these powerful bass notes overpowered the notes in the tenor and treble registers of the piano, and so they deviated from the custom of having each hammer strike a monochord, or single string, in order to increase the dynamic range of the higher notes. Eventually it became commonplace for hammers in the tenor register of the keyboard to strike a bichord, or two strings of equal length, and for hammers in the treble register to strike a trichord, or three strings of equal length. These major technical innovations were crucial in giving the grand piano the loud and robust sound it produces today.
As the lower strings became more massive and the number of higher strings increased, the sound board within the piano’s frame became too crowded. To address this situation, manufacturers not only began constructing their pianos with larger frames and bodies, but they also started utilizing a technique called ‘over-stringing’ where the lower strings are stretched above and across the higher strings to conserve space. Pictured below is a grand piano that demonstrates over-stringing of the lower notes, an iron-cast frame, copper coils around the lower notes, and bichords and trichords in the upper registers.
Using these resources, piano manufacturers also began wrapping copper coils around the lower bass strings of the piano to give them more mass while still retaining their flexibility, producing lower-frequency notes with higher sound intensity. However, composers soon found that these powerful bass notes overpowered the notes in the tenor and treble registers of the piano, and so they deviated from the custom of having each hammer strike a monochord, or single string, in order to increase the dynamic range of the higher notes. Eventually it became commonplace for hammers in the tenor register of the keyboard to strike a bichord, or two strings of equal length, and for hammers in the treble register to strike a trichord, or three strings of equal length. These major technical innovations were crucial in giving the grand piano the loud and robust sound it produces today.
As the lower strings became more massive and the number of higher strings increased, the sound board within the piano’s frame became too crowded. To address this situation, manufacturers not only began constructing their pianos with larger frames and bodies, but they also started utilizing a technique called ‘over-stringing’ where the lower strings are stretched above and across the higher strings to conserve space. Pictured below is a grand piano that demonstrates over-stringing of the lower notes, an iron-cast frame, copper coils around the lower notes, and bichords and trichords in the upper registers.
Throughout the Romantic era, while the entire world and culture of music was experiencing a concentrated period of tumultuous evolution, inventors and piano manufacturers would add their own features to the piano’s design to produce the specific sound they desired. One of these features was the ‘una-chorda’ (literally ‘one chord’), which was a foot pedal designed by Cristofori to soften the piano’s sound by shifting the action so that it strikes only one string of the bichord or trichord above each hammer.
Other composers were inspired by the idea of a foot pedal that could affect the piano’s sound, and so many experimented with their foot pedal designs. In addition to the una-chorda, the most enriching and useful designs were the ones that are still seen in grand piano’s today -- the sustain pedal, also called the damper pedal, and the sostenuto pedal. The sustain pedal, which allows the piano’s strings to vibrate even after their respective keys have been released, was originally developed by inventor Gottfried Silbermann, but his design was operated by the player’s hand instead of his or her foot. Although it is still not completely certain who conceived of the first foot pedal to perform this function, credit for this development is generally given to German builder Johann Andreas Stein. Not much is known about the history of the sostenuto pedal, but functions as a sustain pedal for keys that are held before the pedal is pressed down.
Other composers were inspired by the idea of a foot pedal that could affect the piano’s sound, and so many experimented with their foot pedal designs. In addition to the una-chorda, the most enriching and useful designs were the ones that are still seen in grand piano’s today -- the sustain pedal, also called the damper pedal, and the sostenuto pedal. The sustain pedal, which allows the piano’s strings to vibrate even after their respective keys have been released, was originally developed by inventor Gottfried Silbermann, but his design was operated by the player’s hand instead of his or her foot. Although it is still not completely certain who conceived of the first foot pedal to perform this function, credit for this development is generally given to German builder Johann Andreas Stein. Not much is known about the history of the sostenuto pedal, but functions as a sustain pedal for keys that are held before the pedal is pressed down.