The Evolution of the Piano 
mers and clampers are all essential. The arrange¬ 
ment of keys is the sacred tradition of centuries, for 
it presents the tone system, as it were, lengthways. 
Our keyboards are constructed entirely on the C 
major scale, the tones outside this scale being thrown 
on the black keys. Attempts have been made to 
form a regular chromatic scale of twelve keys and a 
new keyboard invented by Paulson Janko has been 
sanctioned by some of the piano houses of Berlin and 
Leipsic. 
When a man sets about making a piano he lays a 
sheet of paper the size of his projected instrument on 
a drawing table and outlines a plan. On that plan is 
shown every detail of the future instrument. In our 
best instruments there are as many as forty thousand 
different pieces and one instrument is months in the 
hands of the workmen after the seasoned wood 
leaves the lumber yards. The outside of a piano is 
usually veneered, concealing the solid wood which 
may be of mahogany, black walnut or oak. Stein¬ 
way build their pianos out of continuous layers of 
maple and oak bent into form by metal processes. 
In order to obtain suitable wood this firm possess in 
Astoria, opposite New York, great estates, the timber 
of which covers more than one hundred and fifty 
acres. This firm also owns saw mills, and large 
stores, and water basins for keeping the logs from 
cracking. This care, with the matchless wood, 
revolutionizes the system of building and allows the 
construction of cases in accordance with the laws of 
acoustics. Bechstein, for instance, in one of his 
latest models has twenty-two thicknesses of wood in 
the curved sides and end. He, too, has estates as 
well as factories and the wood passes through the 
yards to the dry room, in store cellar and finally in 
storehouse. Two important rooms are devoted to 
steam power where all the metal work is carried on. 
I bis firm largely supplies Europe and they make 
2500 pianos yearly. 
Up to 1820 pianos were made like spinets with the 
weakest part at the treble end. To obviate this a 
metal was added to the wood structure which was 
modified by successive makers. Jonas Chickering 
of Boston carried this invention further and patented 
a new iron frame for square pianos. Later came the 
grand piano of Henry E. Steinway combining the 
metal frame and overstringing. It is impossible to 
enumerate all the innovations. One can mention 
besides the iron frame and overstringing, the felting 
of the hammers, the third pedal and vertical stringing 
of upright pianos. 
It has often been asked if the lines and curves of 
pianos cannot be changed to make them more pleas¬ 
ing to the eye. While it is comparatively easy to 
design lines which will be agreeable it will readily be 
seen that the problems of stress and strain, tone and 
PIANO CASE BY WILL BRADLEY, OPEN 
263 
