MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. 
nei- as may at once establish a regular sys- 
tem, and enable the reader to proeeed with 
bis investigation in a familiar and satisfac- 
toi-y manner. The first step towards this 
important point is to form them into classes, 
as follow : 
First Class. Instruments of percussion, 
whether pulsatile, as a drum, or as a piano- 
forte ; or plectrated, as a guitar, or a harp, 
or a harpsichord, &c. 
Second Class. Instruments of inflation ; 
such as the organ, trumpet, flute, &c. 
Third Class. Instruments of collision ; 
such as the violin, and the celestina. 
Our plan will be, in the first instance, to 
describe those instruments which are now 
in general use, together with their modern 
varieties, and to point out the ancient in- 
struments from whieh they appear to have 
originated. Thus, considering it to be the 
principal, and most popular of the first 
class, viz. of percussion, we shall begin 
with 
The Grand Piano-Forte. This admirable 
instrument resembles the harpsichord in 
form, but its action and tone are far supe- 
rior. Its wires run longitudinally along the 
belly, or sounding board, supported at 
about two-thirds of an inch distance by 
small low curved battens of beech, or other- 
wood, on which are short pins firmly driven 
into the battens, for the purpose of keeping 
the wires perfectly parallel. These battens, 
which are called bridges, determine the 
lengths of the several wires; though the 
latter pass beyond them for some distance ; 
being looped on at their further ends to 
stout pins, driven firmly into a solid part of 
the frame-work, and coming over that 
bridge which is next to the keys, with 
which it is parallel, and winding on a set of 
iron pegs; which, being driven deep into 
a solid block of hard wood, are turned either 
right or left l>y means of a small instrument 
called a tuning-hammer, and are thus 
tightened or relaxed at pleasure. The 
shortest wires are the thinnest, these lie 
to the right, and give the upper notes. The 
largest wires are to the left, and give the 
lowest notes : those between them are lon- 
ger or shorter, according to their situation ; 
their several lengths increasing as they 
approach towards the left side of the instru- 
ment ; forming, by means of the bridges, 
which lay obliquely, a triangular figure. 
Each note has three wires, lying within, 
rather less than half an inch in breadth ; 
these are equidistant, and proceed to three 
rows of tuning pins, so that the tuner can- 
not mistake as to which of the three wire# 
he acts upon. The wires are chiefly im- 
ported from Germany ; our artisans not 
having as yet acquired the mode of giving 
them a due degree of temper. Those of the 
higher notes are of brass, and commonly be- 
gin with No. 8, 9, or 10, gradually increas- 
ing in thickness until they reach the extent 
of about four octaves, w'hen they give place 
to copper wires, which produce a deeper 
sound. A few years back, piano-fortes 
rarely exceeded four octaves and a half, or 
at most five ; but, latterly, they have been 
very generally manufactiu-ed with what are 
termed additional keys ; which extend the 
compass upwards from F in alt, to double 
C in alt. Mr. Kirkman, of Broad-street, 
Soho, further extended the compass down- 
wards, from double F to double C, giving a 
greater and a much richer scope of brass. 
But such additions necessarily increasing 
both the size of the instrument and its 
powers, disqualifies those so constructed 
from adaptation to small rooms. To remedy 
this, grand piano fortes have been made in 
a vertical form, so as to resemble book- 
cases, &c. ; they answer well, but in general 
overpower a weak voice : their convenience 
is obvious. 
The wires of the piano are made to sound 
by means of small wooden levers, called 
hammers, each of which has a rising projec- 
tion at its end, covered with many folds of 
leather, so as to produce a clear tone. 
These hammers are impelled upwards by 
means of the keys, which being depressed 
by the fingers, and balancing on small flat 
battens, on which they are arranged and 
kept steady by strong pins passing through 
near the points of equilibrium ; also having 
little knobs , of pump-leather standing on 
stems of w ire, at their inner ends, cause the 
levers to rise on the least touch of the fin- 
ger, with a smart troke, so as just to touch 
the three wires of their respective notes. 
The levers being fixed to a frame, parallel 
with the keys, by means of vellum hinges, 
return instantly to their places, and lay on 
a small parallel apron covered with baize, 
so that no rattling nor jingling results from 
their retrocession. These hammers may be 
distinctly seen when working, as they pass 
through a broad slit made in the sounding- 
board, the whole breadth of the instrument. 
At the inner extremities of the keys are 
small pieces of buff-leather, which take off 
the sound that would else proceed from 
their contact with the shafts-of the dampers ; 
which are contrivances for stopping the 
