PIANO-PORTB. 



PIANO-FORTE. 



(/I* JV Ver further information as to the square piano-fort*, w refer 

 to tlx diagranM. The square piano-forte has neither the touch, the 

 too*, aor tht appearance of either the grand or the upright. 



, Key ; , Hopper, by which the nope of the hunmf r U effected ; , String ; 

 rf, IrUh damper; it, Crank damper; *, Under hammer; /, Hammer; 

 t. Check. 



The grand piano-forte, as above observed, wag the invention of 

 Schroder or Christofali, manufactured by Backers, and retains the 

 shape of the instrument from which it was taken, the harpsichord. 

 Here again we have two instrument* alike in /rm, but unlike in 

 almost every other circumstance ; for their action, their tones, and the 

 style in which they are played upon, are all entirely different The 

 action of the harpsichord was simply a key and what was called ijaclc, 

 a piece of pear-tree with a small uioveable tongue of holly, through 

 which a cutting of crow-quill was passed to touch the string when the 

 jack was in action ; the tone produced by this contrivance was a kind 

 of tcrafcA with a sound at the end of it. 



Ifarprithord Jack, 



Pis. 4. 



\J 

 a. Jack; >, Tnngnt; r, Quilt; d, BrUtl-*pring ; e. Cloth damper. 



The action of a grand piano- forte consisted of a Ivy, a lever, a hammer, 

 a button, a dark, and a damper, with rails and sockets to connect them. 

 By this combination of parts, every musical intention known or desired 

 at that time was perfectly attainable, and with admirable effects 

 by Mucart, Haydn, Cramer, and others. But we have now new 

 and more severe judges to encounter : former actions are no longer 

 sufficient ; new effect* are to bs given, and new powers are called for. 

 Fortunatr'y, the*) things hava been accomplished ; for new actions 

 have rin up in abundance, and we have only to choose between 



No musical instrument is so universally admired as the piano-forte. 

 Its compass, whether six octaves, six and a half, or seven, is sufficient 

 for all purposes of musical composition, and may really be considered 

 a miniature orchestra. The strings of the early piano-fortes were 

 partly of steel and partly of bnss the treble notes of steal, and the 

 lower notes of brass a few of which, in the bass, were over-lapped or 

 covered, rather open, with plated copper-wire to give them more 

 gravity according to the length attainable in the instrument. But 

 modern piano-fortes have steel wire throughout, with about an octave 

 in the bass closely lapjwd with unwashed copper wire. The strings 

 which are now used in piano-fortes are considerably larger than those 

 formerly used, to give durability and firmness. The once-famed 

 German wire ii now no more in esteem with English manufacturers, 

 from the bad quality of the muUl and the very imperfect manner in 

 which it was drawn ; when perfectly round, which it ought always to 

 be, it ws generally too soft; and when sufficiently bard, it was 

 scarcely ever well nunufautumd, from which circumstance it was con- 

 stantly false in vibratiin. Steel-wir* for piano-fortes, of very excellent 

 quality, is now made at Birmingham. Steps and pedals are more or 



lea* adopted In different countries. Steps can scarcely be said to be 

 ussd at the present day ; they properly belong to the middle age. of 

 piano-forte making, and wen placed in th instrument on the left 

 hand of the performer. The daniper-top and the buff step were lh 

 most common ; the damper-step raised the dampers from the strings, 

 which gave continuation to the tones ; and the buff-stop raised a piroe 

 of soft buff leather up to the strings, and gave the instrument somewhat 

 the tone of the harp. Pedals are much esteemed by some performers 

 and little by others ; in foreign piano-fortes we find many pedals, but 

 in the English we have scarcely ever more than two one for piano 

 effects, and the other for forte. This pedal, the forte, is an effective 

 pedal, and not at all injurious to the mechanism of the instrument ; 

 we cannot say as much of the piano pedal, for by passing the action 

 to one string, it is not only straining to the centres of the hammers, 

 but is also very apt to disturb the tuning of the unisons, by which an 

 instrument is often unfairly tested as regards its standing, and a more 

 frequent application to the tuner is required. In lieu of this pedal, 

 some makers have introduced a soft substance, wool or leather, 

 between the hammers and the strings, by which something like the 

 buff-stop is accomplished, but with more delicacy and vibiation in its 

 effects. The foreign name for this pedal is jru cClettt ; and to us it is 

 more agreeable, and U certainly less injurious to the action of the 

 instrument, than the more frequent piano pedal. 

 We will here give a few diagrams of grand actions. 



The Common Grand Piano-forit Action. 



a, Key; *, Lever; c. Button; d. Check; i, Damper; /, String; g. Ruler; 

 A, Damper ptdal lifter; i i i, Rail* sod sockets; i, Spring; I, hammer, 



Sroadwoo&i earlier and later firand Action*. 



The (haded parts are the new additions, the intention of which is to keep the 

 hammer at a certain dutancc from the firing vhen the flncor in on the k'y. 



<i, Key; t, Lever; c. Button ; rf, Check ; r, Damper; f, String; g. Crank far 

 damper; A, Damper pedal lifter; 1 1 t t, Uailn and sockets; k, Spring; 

 i, Hammer ; m n, Block pased through the hammer butt i o, Spring fixed 

 at the back of n, and pressing upon the front of it ; by which arrangement, 

 when the lever paws the notch, it is caught by m, and the hammer is sus. 

 tained t the given height ; p. Another spring, which regulates the action 

 of o, and determines the height it shall use. 



Collanfi Grand Action. 



a, Key ; 4, Hopper ; r, Button ; d, Hopper spring ; , Hummer ; f, flier k ', 

 I, Hammer rail ; h, Damper ; i i, Bail and socket ; k, Crank for damper ' 

 I, Damper pedal lifter. 



