- When a key is pressed, it moves a lever called the key lever.
2. Hammer Activation:
- The key lever connects to a hammer mechanism. As the key lever moves, it causes a hammer to strike a metal string.
3. String Vibration:
- The hammer strikes the string, causing it to vibrate. These vibrations create sound waves.
4. Soundboard Amplification:
- Below the strings is a large, flat piece of wood called the soundboard. The vibrating strings transfer their energy to the soundboard.
5. Soundboard Resonance:
- The soundboard begins to resonate, amplifying the sound waves and radiating them into the surrounding air.
6. Overtones and Harmonics:
- In addition to the fundamental pitch of the struck string, other strings also vibrate sympathetically, producing overtones and harmonics.
7. Sustain Pedal (optional):
- If the sustain pedal is depressed, it lifts a damper from the strings, allowing them to continue vibrating and sustaining the sound.
8. Damper Action:
- When the key is released, a damper stops the string vibrations, preventing any unwanted sustain.
As a result of this chain of events, the initial key press sets in motion the transfer of energy from the hammer to the string, then to the soundboard, and finally into the air as audible sound waves.