Piano Index & Glossary

C
  • Cabinet -- The outside rim or case of the piano.
  • Capo d'astro bar -- The front termination point of the treble strings that is either cast into the iron plate or is attached. It also helps to keep the strings evenly spaced. Also called a V-bar.
  • Caring for your Steinway Brass Pedals
  • Caring for your Steinway Grand Piano
  • Case -- The outside cabinet of a piano.
  • Casters -- The wheels on the ends of the legs of the piano. Mostly decorative, they do allow for slight repositioning of the piano, but it is unwise to move the piano using the casters as they are too fragile.
  • Cast-iron plate -- The large piece of metal inside the piano that acts as a support for the strings and the tension produced.
  • Center pins -- The small hinge pins that join two moving parts like a hammer and its flange.
  • Chipping -- The process of gradually increasing the tension on the strings after new strings have been installed. The term comes from the apprentice technician using a small chip of wood to pluck the string as they gradually tighten the strings.
  • Climate and How Climate Affects Your Piano
  • Closson, Ernest (Author of The History of the Piano)
  • Coil of a string -- The piano wire wrapping around a tuning pin.
  • Compass -- The range (as in how many) notes of a piano. Usually the range is 88 keys. Some have 85 and some very early pianos might have even less.
  • Crown of the soundboard -- The crown is how much the center of the soundboard rises above being perfectly flat. The crown adds tension to the wood in order to make it more resonant.

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