{"id":8845,"date":"2022-09-14T11:54:15","date_gmt":"2022-09-14T18:54:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/?p=8845"},"modified":"2023-09-13T15:01:10","modified_gmt":"2023-09-13T22:01:10","slug":"how-pianos-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/how-pianos-work\/","title":{"rendered":"How Pianos Work"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>How does a piano work? It seems simple: press a key, the key moves a hammer, and the hammer hits a string, the sound of which gets amplified by a wooden soundboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But behind this process is a marvelously intricate and exceedingly complex machine. Pianos are ingenious instruments designed by ingenious craftspeople before the Industrial Revolution. In this article, we&#8217;ll explore what makes a piano, a piano.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><p><strong>Table of Contents:<\/strong><\/p><nav><ol><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#how-does-a-piano-work-piano-action\">How Does a Piano Work? Piano Action<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#strings\">Action<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#frame-and-soundboard\">Frame and Soundboard<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#pedals\">Pedals<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#how-digital-pianos-keyboards-work\">How Digital Pianos (Keyboards) Work<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<span class=\"blue-text-block\"><center><h2 style=\"font-size:22px\"><b>\ud83c\udfb9 Your Go-To Place for All Things Piano<\/b><\/h2><p>Subscribe to <i>The Note<\/i> for exclusive interviews, fascinating articles, and inspiring lessons delivered straight to your inbox. Unsubscribe at any time.<\/p><iframe class=\"email-form-include\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/weeklyemail\" frameborder=\"none\"><\/iframe><\/center><\/span>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-does-a-piano-work-piano-action\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>How Does a Piano Work? Piano Action<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the most important parts of a piano is its action. Piano action refers to the mechanism behind pressing down a key and making a sound. This is a very complex mechanism with <em>a lot <\/em>of moving parts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2022\/How%20Pianos%20Work\/piano%20action%20diagram.png\" alt=\"How does a piano work? Inside diagram of piano action mechanism.\" style=\"width:840px;height:541px\" width=\"840\" height=\"541\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Diagram of the action mechanism behind a single key. Source: Olek Ramesz &amp; Bechstein <a href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">(CC BY-SA 3.0)<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s a simplified explanation: the piano key is a lever. By pressing on it, the key activates parts called the <strong>wippen<\/strong>, the <strong>jack<\/strong>, and the <strong>hammer shank<\/strong>. At the same time, pressing the key lifts the damper off the string, so that when the hammer strikes the string, it resonates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"box-snippet\">\n<div class=\"shadow\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<div><i class=\"fas icon fa-piano\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"text-container\">\n<b>FUN FACT:<\/b> Grand piano action feels different from upright piano action because in grand pianos, the hammers return to rest by means of gravity. In upright pianos, hammers return to rest thanks to springs. Gravity makes key repetition more efficient in grand pianos.\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"escapement\" style=\"font-size:28px\">Escapement<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Escapement<\/strong> was a major innovation in the development of the piano. When the hammer shank moves up, there is a point when the jack &#8220;escapes&#8221; the hammer knuckle. This allows the hammer to hit the string from inertia alone. The hammer can then fall back from the string due to gravity and let it resonate. Without escapement, the hammer would stay on the string and muffle it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Double escapement<\/strong> was first implemented by French piano maker S\u00e9bastien \u00c9rard in the 1800s. Double escapement allows for faster repetition of a single key because it resets the action without releasing the entire mechanism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s easier to understand this if you watch it in action:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:10%\">\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:80%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How Do Pianos Work? - Piano Keys\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XthnCDTnAGw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:10%\">\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"box-snippet\">\n<div class=\"shadow\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<div><i class=\"fas icon fa-piano\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"text-container\">\n<b>FURTHER READING:<\/b> Special thanks to <i>The Piano Deconstructed<\/i> for explaining the action mechanism in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.piano.christophersmit.com\/actionDetail.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">exquisite detail<\/a>. Check out that website if you want to nerd out further on piano construction!\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"strings\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>Strings<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/18092845\/image-8-1024x682.png\" alt=\"Arm turning pinblock on exposed upright piano with tuner.\" class=\"wp-image-13180\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/18092845\/image-8-1024x682.png 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/18092845\/image-8-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/18092845\/image-8-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/18092845\/image-8-1536x1024.png 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/18092845\/image-8.png 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo Credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.freepik.com\/premium-photo\/piano-tuner-tuning-upright-piano-right-hand-piano-tuner-is-tuning-upright-piano_18270347.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">nMicrostock via Freepik<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The piano is, in some ways, both a percussion instrument and a string instrument. There are 88 keys on a piano, but more than 200 strings!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Why so many strings? The higher notes have more strings, and these strings are thinner. Meanwhile, as we move lower down the keyboard, we get fewer strings, and these strings are thicker. Low strings are wound with copper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In general, the longer and thicker a string is, the lower its pitch. Higher strings require duplicates and triplicates because they&#8217;re not as resonant, so they require an extra boost!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With so many strings, pianos hold a lot of tension. In fact, piano strings combine to produce 35,000 pounds of tension! So, how do pianos keep their shape without totally imploding? Answer: a cast iron frame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"box-snippet\">\n<div class=\"shadow\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<div><i class=\"fas icon fa-piano\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"text-container\">\n<b>FUN FACT:<\/b> The shortest strings at the treble end of the piano don&#8217;t even have dampers! They&#8217;re really not that resonant, so dampers aren&#8217;t even needed to dissipate the sound.\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"frame-and-soundboard\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>Frame and Soundboard<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.unsplash.com\/photo-1652528859820-ab1e3b41b60f?ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;ixid=MnwxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=2370&amp;q=80\" alt=\"Grand piano strings.\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, piano <strong>frames<\/strong> are made of cast iron. But there was a time, before metalworking was advanced enough, when they were made of wood. Cast iron was a major improvement that allowed for higher string tension and, consequently, more resonance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the end of the frame closest to the keyboard is the <strong>pin block<\/strong>. This is an area that supports the <strong>tuning pins<\/strong>, which are turned by a tuner to adjust the piano&#8217;s pitch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>soundboard<\/strong> is what amplifies the sound created by hammers striking on the strings. The larger the soundboard, the louder the piano. You can imagine the soundboard as a speaker; this means that for large pianos (grands and high-end uprights alike), you&#8217;re essentially playing a wall-sized speaker!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Soundboards are used in many instruments, such as in guitars and violins, where the body of the instrument acts like a soundboard. <a href=\"https:\/\/hub.yamaha.com\/pianos\/p-acoustic\/why-is-a-piano-soundboard-made-from-wood\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sitka spruce<\/a> is the preferred type of wood used for soundboards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:10%\">\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:80%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"SITKA | a piano documentary\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/FicGOcCCpw4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A fascinating documentary on the Sitka spruce soundboards used in Steinway&#8217;s pianos.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:10%\">\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>You can technically use a soundboard made of metal, and this would yield a louder sound. However, metal has a habit of amplifying everything, including the tinny and undesirable high overtones that sound when a metal string is struck. Wood is superior because it amplifies lower frequencies in the bass but <em>suppresses<\/em> higher frequencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"box-snippet\">\n<div class=\"shadow\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<div><i class=\"fas icon fa-piano\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"text-container\">\n<b>FUN FACT:<\/b> The holes in the piano&#8217;s cast iron frame are called the <b>web<\/b>. They allow more sound from the soundboard to resonate through. Yamaha has a neat <a href=\"https:\/\/hub.yamaha.com\/pianos\/p-acoustic\/why-is-a-piano-soundboard-made-from-wood\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">side-by-side<\/a> comparison of what happens when you block these holes with cardboard.\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"pedals\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>Pedals<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/17164845\/piano-pedals-labelled-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Three piano pedals labelled (left to right) una corda, sostenuto, damper\/sustain.\" class=\"wp-image-14623\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/17164845\/piano-pedals-labelled-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/17164845\/piano-pedals-labelled-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/17164845\/piano-pedals-labelled-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/17164845\/piano-pedals-labelled-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/17164845\/piano-pedals-labelled-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Many people have questions about piano pedals. And it&#8217;s a tad confusing because grands and uprights have different pedaling systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In a grand piano, the three pedals are the <em>una corda<\/em>, the <em>sostenuto<\/em>, and the sustain pedal.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In an upright piano, the three pedals are the <em>una corda<\/em>, the practice pedal, and the sustain pedal.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>&gt; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/how-piano-pedals-work\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">How Piano Pedals Work<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"una-corda\" style=\"font-size:28px\">Una Corda<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The <em>una corda<\/em> (&#8220;one string&#8221; pedal) is sometimes called the &#8220;soft pedal.&#8221; In a grand piano, pressing the <em>una corda<\/em> shifts the keyboard to the right. This causes the hammers to hit only two out of three piano strings, creating a slightly softer sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In an upright piano, the <em>una corda<\/em> pedal causes the hammers to shift closer to the keys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This pedal is used in many late Romantic pieces such as the so-called &#8220;impressionist&#8221; pieces by Debussy and Ravel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"box-snippet\">\n<div class=\"shadow\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<div><i class=\"fas icon fa-piano\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"text-container\">\n<b>FUN FACT:<\/b> The <a href=\"https:\/\/klavins-pianos.com\/products\/una-corda\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Una Corda<\/a> piano by Klavins is a unique designer piano that only has one string per note.\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"sustain-pedal\" style=\"font-size:28px\">Sustain Pedal<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>This is everyone&#8217;s favorite pedal! It instantly makes everything sound better by creating that dreamy, reverb effect we&#8217;ve come to associate with composers like Chopin. But pianists need to be cautious not to overuse it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pressing down the sustain pedal causes a rod to lift up all the dampers, allowing any string you hit to resonate even after you let go of the key. Letting go of the sustain pedal reapplies the dampers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Sound Instantly Better On The Piano (Sustain Pedal)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/J2JjkRpi35Y?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">How to use the pedal to sound instantly better. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/sound-better-at-the-piano\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Link to lesson.<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"sostenuto-pedal\" style=\"font-size:28px\">Sostenuto Pedal<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>The sostenuto pedal is similar to the sustain pedal. It also sustains notes\u2014but only select notes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you press a key and then press the sostenuto pedal, a rod inside the piano will raise and catch on to a piece of felt. This keeps that key&#8217;s damper off the string until the sostenuto pedal is let go.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How do piano pedals work? Anatomy of the Piano Episode 4\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hE8Pb5eDcXc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A demonstration of the mechanics behind all the pedals.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"practice-pedal\" style=\"font-size:28px\">Practice Pedal&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Available in upright pianos, the practice pedal causes a sheet of felt or wool to fall between the hammers and the strings, dampening the sound. This way, you can practice late at night without your neighbors complaining!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"box-snippet\">\n<div class=\"shadow\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<div><i class=\"fas icon fa-piano\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"text-container\">\n<b>FUN FACT:<\/b> Modern pianos have around 10,000 moving parts and each key has about 100 parts in its action mechanism. That&#8217;s a lot of parts!\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-digital-pianos-keyboards-work\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>How Digital Pianos (Keyboards) Work<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Acoustic pianos are fascinating, but more people are choosing to learn on digital pianos. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There was a time when these instruments were unanimously considered inferior to acoustics. But in recent years, technology has progressed significantly. Today, you can get a very high quality digital piano that closely resembles the real thing for a fraction of the price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/18093940\/image-3-1-1024x682.png\" alt=\"Hands wiring inside chips of a digital piano.\" class=\"wp-image-13185\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/18093940\/image-3-1-1024x682.png 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/18093940\/image-3-1-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/18093940\/image-3-1-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/18093940\/image-3-1-1536x1024.png 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/18093940\/image-3-1.png 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The inside of a digital piano is very different from an acoustic&#8217;s!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Digital pianos work like computers in that there is an input and an output. The input, in this case, is your finger pressing a key; and the output is sound that comes out of the speaker. Sensors pick up the information you input by playing, and some high-end keyboards can pick up on 1000 touch velocies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"box-snippet\">\n<div class=\"shadow\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<div><i class=\"fas icon fa-piano\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"text-container\">\n<b>FUN FACT:<\/b> Vintage electric pianos (e-pianos) like the Wurlitzer work differently from modern digital pianos. In the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tropicalfishvintage.com\/blog\/2019\/5\/27\/how-does-a-wurlitzer-electronic-piano-work\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wurlitzer<\/a>, pressing a key causes a hammer to hit a <i>reed<\/i> instead of a string. A pick-up then converts the reed&#8217;s vibration into an electrical signal that is then amplified through a speaker.\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"sampling-vs-modeling\" style=\"font-size:28px\">Sampling vs. Modeling<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The tone generator of a digital piano is what produces its sound. The two main ways digital pianos generate sound is by sampling and modeling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/13150045\/synths-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Synth keyboards in purple and blue lit studio.\" class=\"wp-image-15362\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/13150045\/synths-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/13150045\/synths-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/13150045\/synths-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/13150045\/synths.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sampling<\/strong> is when engineers record sound from an acoustic piano and then play those sounds when a key is pressed. The idea is simple (you&#8217;re essentially pressing a &#8220;play&#8221; button for a pitch every time you press a key), but technicians take great pains to acquire hundreds of recordings. Waveforms are then mapped and samples can also be modified to account for more realistic dynamics and tone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Modeling<\/strong> is when sound is synthesized by computers on the spot. While technology for modeling has been around for some time, it wasn&#8217;t until recently that sufficient computing power made it possible for synthesis to happen instantaneously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"box-snippet\">\n<div class=\"shadow\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<div><i class=\"fas icon fa-piano\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"text-container\">\n<b>FURTHER READING:<\/b> Merriam Pianos makes very detailed reviews on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriammusic.com\/pianos\/digital-pianos\/how-digital-pianos-work\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">digital pianos<\/a>, so make sure to check them out if you&#8217;re in the market for one. Recently, they also experimented with seeing whether a piano expert can <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/avrdiSfxvO0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hear the difference<\/a> between sampling and modeling.\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>We hope you now have an answer to the question, &#8220;How does a piano work?&#8221; If you want to learn more about pianos, check out these articles:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/history-of-the-piano\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">A Complete History of the Piano<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/who-invented-the-piano\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Who Invented the Piano?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/keyboard-vs-piano\/\">Keyboard vs. Piano: What&#8217;s the difference?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/how-to-become-a-piano-tuner\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Interview With a Professional Piano Tuner<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<iframe class=\"email-form-include-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/weekly-email\" frameborder=\"none\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How does a piano work? Take a peek under the lid for a fascinating tour of the piano&#8217;s intricate system of hammers and strings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":14737,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1132,1108],"tags":[1069],"class_list":["post-8845","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","category-musicianship","tag-gsotp"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8845","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/49"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8845"}],"version-history":[{"count":46,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8845\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15363,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8845\/revisions\/15363"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14737"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8845"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8845"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8845"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}