Parts of a Piano: Labeled Diagram and What Each Part Does

A piano looks like one big piece of furniture, but it is really a string instrument and a percussion instrument at once: strings make the sound, and hammers strike them. Knowing the names of the parts helps in lessons ("keep your foot on the sustain pedal"), when you talk to a piano tuner, and when you compare an acoustic piano with a digital one. This guide starts with the parts you can see on the diagram, from top to bottom, then opens the case and explains what is inside.

The case and the top of the piano

• Case. The wooden cabinet that holds everything. On an upright piano it stands tall against the wall, with the strings running up and down inside it. It protects the delicate parts inside and helps project the sound.
• Lid. The hinged top of the case. On an upright, lifting it lets a little more sound out, and it is how a tuner reaches the inside. On a grand piano, the lid is the large wing-shaped top held open by a prop stick.
• Upper panel. The large flat front board above the keys. It can be lifted out by a technician to reach the hammers and the tuning pins.
• Music desk. Also called the music rest or music stand. The ledge or panel that holds your sheet music or lesson book at eye level.
• Fallboard. Also called the key cover or keyboard lid. The hinged cover that folds down over the keys when you are not playing. It keeps dust off the keys and stops little fingers from playing at bedtime. On the diagram it is folded open.

The keyboard

• Keys. A standard piano has 88 keys: 52 white keys and 36 black keys. From the lowest note on the left to the highest on the right, they cover a little over seven octaves.
• White keys. The white keys play the natural notes, named with the letters A, B, C, D, E, F and G, repeating all the way up the keyboard.
• Black keys. The black keys play the sharps and flats, the notes in between. They sit in alternating groups of two and three. That pattern is your map: the white key just to the left of any group of two black keys is always a C. The C closest to the middle of the keyboard is called middle C, and it is where most beginner books start.
• Key slip. The narrow wooden strip running along the front of the keys, below them. It covers the front edge of the keybed (the shelf the keys sit on).
• Cheek blocks. The two wooden blocks at each end of the keyboard. They frame the keys and help hold the fallboard and the keyboard in place.

The lower part of the piano

• Lower panel. Also called the bottom board or kneeboard. The large front panel below the keys, in front of your knees. Behind it, on an upright, are the lower ends of the strings and the rods that connect the pedals to the inside.
• Legs. The posts at each side that hold up the front of the keyboard. Many uprights stand on small wheels, called casters, so the piano can be rolled a short way for cleaning.
• Pedals. Most pianos have three pedals at the bottom center, played with your feet. They are explained in the next section.

What the three piano pedals do

From left to right, the pedals are the soft pedal, the middle pedal, and the sustain pedal. The right-hand sustain pedal is the one you will use most, by far.

• Sustain pedal (right). Also called the damper pedal. Pressing it lifts all the dampers off the strings, so every note you play keeps ringing after you let go of the key. It joins notes together smoothly and gives the piano its rich, singing sound. Lift your foot and the dampers drop back down, stopping the sound.
• Soft pedal (left). Makes the sound quieter and gentler. On a grand piano, it shifts the whole keyboard and hammers slightly to the side, so each hammer strikes fewer of its strings. That is why it is also called the una corda pedal, Italian for "one string." On an upright piano, it moves the hammers closer to the strings instead, so they strike with less force.
• Middle pedal. This one varies from piano to piano. On most grand pianos it is a sostenuto pedal: it keeps ringing only the notes you are holding down when you press it, while everything you play afterwards stops normally. On many uprights, the middle pedal is a practice pedal instead: it lowers a strip of felt between the hammers and the strings to make the piano much quieter, which is handy for practicing without disturbing the house. Some uprights use it to sustain only the low notes.

Beginners can ignore the left and middle pedals at first. The sustain pedal usually appears in lesson books once you can play with both hands.

The parts inside the piano

Lift the lid or remove the upper panel of an upright and you will see a very different instrument. These are the parts that actually make the sound.

• Action. The whole mechanism of small wooden levers, springs and felt that connects each key to its hammer. When you press a key, the action throws the hammer at the strings and lets it fall back instantly, so the string can ring. It is precise enough to let you play the same note quickly over and over, loudly or softly.
• Hammers. Small wooden hammers covered in thick, firm felt, one for each key. They strike the strings. The harder you press the key, the faster the hammer moves and the louder the note.
• Strings. A piano has more than 200 steel strings. Most of the high and middle notes have three strings each, tuned to exactly the same pitch, for a fuller sound. The low bass notes have two or one, and their strings are wrapped in copper wire to make them heavy enough to sound deep.
• Dampers. Felt pads that rest against the strings. When you let go of a key, its damper presses back on the strings and stops the sound. The very highest notes have no dampers, because their short strings stop ringing quickly on their own.
• Soundboard. A large, thin panel of wood, usually spruce, behind the strings on an upright (under them on a grand). Strings alone make very little sound. Their vibration passes through wooden ridges called bridges into the soundboard, and the soundboard moves the air, the way a speaker cone does.
• Pin block. Also called the wrest plank. A thick block of layered hardwood that holds the tuning pins. One end of each string is wound around a tuning pin, and the tight grip of the pin block holds it in tune.
• Plate. The heavy cast-iron frame, usually painted gold, that the strings are stretched across. All those strings pull with many tons of combined force, and the iron plate is what holds that tension.

A piano tuner adjusts the pitch by turning the tuning pins with a special tool called a tuning lever. Most piano tuners suggest having an acoustic piano tuned at least once a year, and more often if it is moved or played a great deal.

Upright piano or grand piano?

An upright and a grand have the same parts. The difference is the direction the strings run.

• Upright piano. The strings and soundboard stand vertically, so the piano fits against a wall. This is the piano most families and schools have, and it is the one in our diagram.
• Grand piano. The strings and soundboard lie flat, which is why a grand is long and wing-shaped. Its hammers strike upward and fall back by gravity, and its large lid opens to send the sound out into the room.

Digital pianos and keyboards: how the parts compare

Many students start on a digital piano or a keyboard, which are lighter, take up less space and never need tuning. They look like a piano from the front, but there are no strings, hammers or soundboard inside.

• Keys with sensors. Under each key is a sensor that measures how fast you press it. That tells the instrument which note to play and how loud. Keys that respond this way are called touch-sensitive (or velocity-sensitive).
• Weighted keys. A digital piano usually has 88 weighted keys, often with a "hammer action" that copies the feel of an acoustic piano: heavier in the bass, lighter in the treble. A portable keyboard usually has 61 lighter, unweighted keys, which are quick and easy to press.
• Sound and speakers. Instead of strings, a digital piano plays back recordings of real pianos through built-in speakers. Keyboards add many other instrument sounds and built-in rhythms.
• Volume knob and headphone jack. The big advantage for busy homes: turn it down or plug in headphones and practice at any hour.
• Pedals. Digital pianos often have a built-in set of pedals that work like an acoustic piano's. A keyboard has a jack on the back for a plug-in sustain pedal, a small foot switch that does the same job as the right pedal on a piano.
• Music rest. Most digital pianos and keyboards include a music desk that clips into the top.

Good to know: if you are planning piano lessons, many teachers suggest a digital piano with 88 weighted keys and a sustain pedal, because it feels and plays most like the acoustic piano you will see in a lesson or a recital. For a young beginner, or for someone who wants to explore sounds and play along with rhythms, a 61-key keyboard is a fun and affordable place to start.

Shop keyboards and piano gear

Browse our keyboards department for keyboards, synthesizers, stands and accessories. A height-adjustable piano bench helps any player, young or grown, sit at the right height, with forearms level with the keys, whether the instrument is an acoustic piano or a digital one. Playing other instruments too? See the parts of a guitar.

Frequently asked questions

What are the main parts of a piano?

On the outside: the case, lid, music desk, fallboard (key cover), keyboard and pedals. On the inside: the action, hammers, strings, dampers, soundboard, pin block and iron plate. The keys work the hammers, the hammers strike the strings, and the soundboard makes the sound loud.

How many keys does a piano have?

A standard piano has 88 keys: 52 white keys and 36 black keys. Some portable keyboards have fewer, most often 61.

What do the 3 pedals on a piano do?

The right pedal is the sustain (damper) pedal, which keeps notes ringing after you let go. The left pedal is the soft pedal, which makes the sound quieter and gentler. The middle pedal is usually a sostenuto pedal on a grand piano and often a quiet practice pedal on an upright.

What is the cover over piano keys called?

The fallboard, also called the key cover or keyboard lid. It is hinged so it can fold down over the keys when you are not playing.

How do you find middle C on a piano?

Find a group of two black keys near the middle of the keyboard. The white key just to the left of that group is C. The C closest to the center of the keyboard is middle C.

What is the inside of a piano called?

The moving mechanism is called the action: the keys, levers and hammers. The rest of the inside is the strings, dampers, soundboard, pin block with its tuning pins, and the cast-iron plate that holds the strings' tension.