The Legs
Treble, Bass, & Point
Three legs support the piano:
- The bass leg is the leg on the bass (left) side of the keyboard
- The treble leg is the leg on the treble (right) side of the keyboard
- The point leg is the leg on the end opposite the keyboard
The treble and bass legs are attached to the bottom of the
keybed,
and the point leg is attached to a small platform that is found under the
tail of the piano. The legs of the piano must be sturdy in order to support the full weight of the instrument – which can weigh over 1000 pounds. The legs are made of
solid wood - usually a hardwood such as birch or maple.
The Ferrule & Caster
On many pianos, the wood at the bottom of each leg is slightly flared out. This wider portion of wood is called the
ferrule. The wheels that may be attached to the
bottom of each leg are called
casters, and these allow the instrument to be moved with greater ease.
