How a grand piano is made?

A grand piano can cost as much money as a luxury car. Prices usually exceed €20,000 easily and of course these figures have their reasons. We’re talking about real technical wonders.

In order to understand the price of a grand piano, it is necessary to understand its manufacturing process and the complexity of the elements involved.

Over time, technical improvements have been made to the manufacturing process, but we could say that in general the main ideas are the same. Some things have changed, such as the material used to make the keys.

Previously ivory was used, but for obvious reasons of animal conservation this material was replaced by high quality synthetic plastic that simulates the same touch. Today both elephants and rhinos are in extreme danger of extinction. You can only find pianos with ivory keys in the second hand market and they will be from before the ban.

The creation of the basic structure

The first thing that is done when making the grand piano is the basic structure, for it maple wood is used and what will be the main wooden planks are molded. Which will be the thickness of the piano.

These plates are glued and then taken to a press. With special pressure moulds these sheets will be moulded to take on the shape and contour of the piano. Then they will remain glued under pressure for a certain time so that they form a viable structure.

After a long time of pressing the plates, they can be taken to a special room where the glue from the main frame will continue to dry and condition itself. He’ll spend about 30 days in this room. Afterwards, cross woods will be added to strengthen the structure and give it more consistency.

Resonator and Harmonic table

After creating the main wood structure you can start to put the elements that will create the sound, one of them is the tension resonator, which will go between the wood and the harmonic board.

And what’s the harmonic board? It is a metal plate that will serve as an amplifier of the sound produced by the strings that are activated when the piano keys are pressed. The vibration will reach this piece of metal through the bridges and the sound wave will be amplified by it.

Bridges and strings

Above the harmonic board will be the bridges, wooden supports that will serve to transfer the vibration of the piano strings to the harmonic board. They are located above the harmonic board and are two bridges.

Underneath the harmonic board a few wooden rods are placed so that it can resonate freely and after placing the two bridges over it the same ones are covered and the harmonic board with a cast iron plate. Which has to be placed in a special way for everything to work properly.

Then in the bridges the notches are made where the inserted strings will go, three strings in each notch, it is a high precision operation because the strings have to be able to vibrate freely.

External structure of the grand piano

Afterwards, rosewood is used for the outer wrapping of the piano, and cutters are used to polish external piano details and various curvatures in the shape of the casing and keyboard area.

Of course then all the wood is sanded so that it is perfectly flat and then the paint is applied and the polisher is passed.

The pegbox

The pegbox is the part that controls the tension of the strings and is closer to the keyboard, just behind. From the pegbox the ropes go to the bridges. In order to control this tension, the iron plate above the harmonic board is important.

The strings of the pegbox are tightened in a similar way to those of the guitar. But the tension supported by one of these pins is much higher (over 180kg), which is why a special tool is needed to tighten them.

Above the strings, between the pegbox and the bridges there are elements called mutes that stop the vibration when the key is released. If we use the pedal so that the note is held in time these mutes are not activated.

Keyboard and hammers

The hammers are usually made of a very resistant wood, Carpe wood. These hammers are launched when the key is pressed and they hit the corresponding string on the pegbox. That string vibrates and produces the note we want because it will be perfectly tuned for it.

The hammer will then return to its place. The hammers line up perfectly, just as the strings are each with perfect tension and pitch. The complexity of the mechanism is what makes maintenance and tuning have to be done by a professional. It is also true that the piano is usually tuned once or twice a year.

The keyboard and the hammers are then joined and connected in such a way that the corresponding hammer is activated when the key is pressed. Many tests are made in this process with different checks and weights so that the force with which the key will have to be touched is regulated.

Inside the key itself, lead pieces will be placed at different distances, so that the key has the perfect weight. This is what is called counterbalancing and is what defines the touch and weight of the key. Which is exactly what digital pianos have to imitate so that the pianist feels that he has a real keyboard in his hands.

Then various settings are made and the hammers are also tuned and connected with the keys. And we could say that the piano is finished.

Now have a look to this short video of how a high class Grand Piano is made:

If you liked it and you have been curious about this post we invite you to share it in your social networks and thus spread the knowledge about this wonderful instrument that is the grand piano.