How Do Musical Keyboards Work?

The Keys

The process of making music from a musical keyboards starts with the stroke of its keys. The keys are manufactured to activate the instruments' intricate system of hammers.

The Hammer

Once the key has been pressed, its corresponding hammer is swung at a set of corresponding strings. The hammer is sensitive enough to adjust how hard it hits the string depending on the force in which the keys are played. This is how the keyboard is able to achieve dynamic variety ranging from very soft to very loud. It also allows the strings to be hit in a very legato way or a very staccato way depending on how the keys are played.

The String

Once the hammer has been activated, it hits a set of strings. Each note on the keyboard corresponds to these sets of strings. Starting at the far right of the keyboard, the strings are very thin and produce a higher pitch. The strings gradually get thicker as you move left across the keyboard. The pitch gets lower the farther you move left on the keyboard. The strings also are tightly wound around the instrument's pins. The tightness of these strings reflects the exact pitch that is played by the hammer when the string is struck.

The Soundboard

Once the string has been stuck, the note's sound is relayed through a soundboard. This soundboard projects the sound of the note out of the instrument so that the player and the audience can hear the exact pitches arranged together to make music.