How Are Upright Pianos Created?

An upright piano has vertical strings.

Upright pianos get their name because their sound boards are strung vertically. There are five basic parts to a piano: the frame, soundboard, strings, action and pedals. There are several types of upright pianos: spinet, console, studio and professional. These differ in size, but are all created in a similar way.

Frame

The frame is made out of cast iron or any other very strong metal. It is actually the frame for the soundboard, and holds the soundboard in place in the body of the piano. The frame is usually the strongest part on the piano, but it cannot keep a soundboard in place properly if the soundboard has cracked.

Soundboard

A soundboard is made of a particularly resonant wood, often spruce. It can also be made of several layers of laminated wood. It is fitted with pins and tuning pegs that hold the strings. The taller the upright piano, the longer the soundboard will be, producing tones that are in some cases just as rich as the ones from a baby grand piano.

Strings

Piano strings are made from wound wire and are wrapped around string pins and tuning pegs embedded into the soundboard. The strings rest slightly above the soundboard, and their sound when struck is resonated by the soundboard. Once the soundboard is properly strung, it is bolted to the frame, and then the frame is bolted in a vertical position in the piano case.

Action

The piano action is the mechanism that causes the piano hammers to strike the strings. It includes the levers connected to the piano keys and hammers. An upright piano has around 5,000 to 6,000 moving parts. The taller upright pianos not only have bigger soundboards, but also more moving parts in their actions. Once all of the moving parts of an action are in place, it is mounted perpendicular to the piano strings on the soundboard so that the hammers strike the strings when a key is pressed.

Pedals

Upright pianos have three pedals: the una corda, the sostenuto and the damper to soften, sustain or dampen the sound produced. They are connected to the key bed via long wooden levers that shift the key bed to change the piano sound. The soundboard upper and lower covers, as well as the keyboard cover, are put in place once the pedals have been attached.

References

• Upright Pianos
• eBay Piano Buying Guide
• A History of the Piano