The Modern Grand Piano
History, Physics, and Construction of the Piano
Many pianists seem to have no idea how the instrument functions - and several factors may contribute to this lack of knowledge. The action of the piano is almost completely hidden from the sight of the pianist - if the pianist can't even see the action, they probably do not spend much time thinking about how it works. The piano is also one of the most complicated musical instruments, which may contribute to why pianists do not understand how it works. "The Piano Deconstructed" will present information about the history, physics, and construction of the modern grand piano in order to educate musicians about how the instrument functions. For now, only the information on the construction is complete - I plan on finishing the other sections over the summer. My hope for this website is that, when complete, it will serve as a valuable resource for piano teachers and students (or anyone interested) who want to learn more about this wonderful instrument.
Navigating the Site
Each major division of the site begins with an interactive Flash animation. You can move your mouse over the picture in order to highlight the different parts of the piano, and then click on a highlighted part to learn more about it. New terms that are introduced on the page are denoted in small caps. Red highlighted links found in the text can be clicked to bring up a definition of the term, and then provide another link to more detailed information. The "Related Links" found at the left of each page contain links to the major sub-headings of the site that are related to the current topic. At the top of every page are a series of links showing the path back to the home page...
Download the Free Flash Player
In order to view many of the graphics on The Piano Deconstructed, you must have the current version of the Macromedia Flash player installed on your computer. The latest Flash player is available for free to download on the Macromedia website.