Piano Index & Glossary

K
  • Key bushing -- Cloth that lines the holes in the key that guide the key in its vertical motion while minimizing its horizontal motion.
  • Key button -- A cap placed on the top of the key at its pivot point that contains the balance rail bushing.
  • Key dip -- The distance that the front of the key travels when it's depressed.
  • Key frame -- The structure that holds the entire set of keys.
  • Key lead -- Weights inserted into a key to improve its balance. It counterbalances the weight of the action on the back of the key.
  • Key level -- The uniform height of the keys across the keyboard.
  • Keybed -- The part of the piano's cabinet that the key frame rests on -- the cavity that the key frame fits into.
  • Keyblocks -- Sometimes called the cheekblocks, keyblocks are decorative wooden pieces placed at both ends of the keyboard in order to hold the keyframe in its proper position.
  • Keyboard -- The entire set of keys on any keyboard instrument.
  • Keys -- Wooden levers that are pressed downward in order to activate the action.
  • Keyslip -- The piece of wooden trim that is placed in front of the keyboard in order to hide the bottom of the keys.
  • Key stop rail -- A strip of wood inside the piano behind the fallboard placed across the tops of the keys that prevents them from rebounding higher than the key level, especially during fortissimo playing. The key stop rail is also used to keep the keys in position while the piano is on its side being moved..
  • Keytops -- The covering of the key, usually made of plastic, and with older pianos, with elephant ivory.
  • Knuckle -- A rounded piece of leather attached to the underside of the hammer shank that is pushed on by the jack as the hammer shank is being propelled toward the string.

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