lees adopted In different countries. Stops can scarcely be said to be used at the present day ; they properly belting to the middle ago of pinoo-forte making, and were placed in the instrument on the left hand of the performer. The damper-atop and the buff stop were the most common ; the damper-step raised the dampers fnon the strings, which gave continuation to the tones; and the buff-stop raised a piece of soft buff leather up to the strings, and gave the instrument somewhat the tone of the harp. Pedals are much esteemed by some performers and little by others; in foreign piano-fortes we find many pedals, but In the English we have scarcely ever more than two—one for piano effects, and the other for forte. This pedal, the forte, Is an effective pedal, and not at all injurious to the mechanism of the instrument; we cannot say as much of the piano pedal, for by passing the action to one string, it is not only straining to the centres of the hammers, but is also very apt to disturb the tuning of the unisons, by which au instrument is often unfairly tested as regards its standing, and a more frequent application to the tuner is required. In lieu of this pedal, some makers have introduced a eoft substance, wool or leather, between the hammers and the strings, by which something like the buff-atop is accomplished, but with more delicacy and vibration in its effects. The foreign name for this pedal is jeu ram* ; and to ue it is more agreeable, and is certainly less injurious to the action of the instrument, than the more frequent piano pedal.
We will here give a few diagrams of grand actions.
The grand piano-forte, as above observed, was the invention of Schroder or Christofali, manufactured by Backers, and retains the shape of the instrument from which it. was taken, the harpsichord. Here again we have two instruments alike in form, but unlike in almost every other circumstance ; for their action, their tones, and the style in which they are played upon, are all entirely different The action of the harpsichord was simply a key and what was called a jerk, a piece of pear-tree with a small moveable tongue of holly, through which a cutting of crow-quill was passed to touch the string when the jack was In action ; the tone produced by this contrivance was a kind of scrotela with a sound at the ond of it.
The action of a grand piano-forte consisted of a key, a lever, a hammer, a button, a cheek, and a damper, with rails and sockets to connect them. By this combination of parts, every musical intention known or desired at that time was perfectly attainable, and with admirable effects by llocart, Haydn, Cramer, sod others. But we have now new and more severe judges to encounter : former actions are no longer sufficient; new affects are to be given, and new powers are called for. Fortunate'y, these things have been accomplished ; for now actions have risen up in abundance, and we have only to choose between them.
No musical instrument is so universally admired as the piano-forte. Its compass, whether six octaves, six and a half, or seven, is sufficient for all purposes of musical composition, and may really be cousidered a miniature orchestra. The string* of the early piano-fortes were partly of steel and partly of brass—the treble notes of steel, and the lower notes of braes—a few of which, in the bass, were over-lapped or covered, rather open, with plated copper-wire to give them more gravity according to the length attainable in the instrument. But
modern piano-fortes have steel wire throughout, with about an octavo in the bass closely lapped with unwashed copper wire. The strings which are now used In piano-fortes are considerably larger than those formerly used, to give durability and firmness. The once-famed German wire Is now no more in esteem with English manufacturers, from the bad quality of the metal and the very Imperfect manner in which it was drawn ; when perfectly round, which it ought always to be, it was generally too soft ; and when sufficiently hard, it was scarcely ever well manufactured, from whloh circumstance it was con stantly false in vibration. Steel wire for piano-fortes, of very excellent quality, in now made at Birmingham. Steps and pedals are more or The shaded parts are the new additions, the intention of which is to keep the hammer at a certain distance from the string a hen the finger Is on the ksy. a, Key; b, Lever ; c, Button ; d, Check ; r, Damper; f, String; p, Crank for damper ; A, Damper pedal lifter ; i t i Bails and sockets ; k, spring; Hammer; us n, Block passed through the hammer butt; e, Spring fixed at the back of n, and pressing upon the front of it ; by which arrangement, when the lever puma the notch, it la caught by m, and the hemmer is sea. tamed at the given height ; p, Another spriog, which regulates the action of o, ond determines the height it shall rise.
Some of the above-named makers have patented still more recent actions for grand piano-fortes, as also have other makers not here named.
The upright piano-forte was, doubtless. taken from the upright harpsichord; it was the invention of an Englishman of the name of Hancock, a musical instrument maker resident in some part of West minster. lie was a man of much ingenuity, and produced several varieties in keyed instruments; amongst which we find the organised piano-forte, the portable grand piano-forte, and an instrument, also a piano-forte, in the shape of a spinnet. The portable grand, in its day, was a successful and desirable instrument, but lugs long since been superseded by instruments of the kind called kit grander, boudoir grands, packet grands, and semi grinds. The next novelty was the Invention of John Isaac Hawkins% who constructed an upright instrument with a detached sound-board in an iron frame ; and the whole was so arranged as to be able to meet the atmosphere with compensating powers. In the bass it had spiral or helical strings, by which length was gained ; and, in the treble. three octaves of equal tension were accomplished by a uniform size of wire. It was patented, but did not take with the public. sufficiently to coma into notice. Following Hawkins we had William Southwell. who patented an improvement in upright piano fortes, and gave It the name of the cobinet piano-forte. The name still remains amongst us, but the invention has long since been superseded and laid aside. The unique piano-forte was introduced about fifty years ago by Messrs. Wilkinson and Wornnm, and was the invention and patent of the latter. This instrument met the taste of the day for instruments of little altitude; It did not stand higher than three feet three inches, and the strings were all placed diagonally towards the Boor. The action was simple and effective, hut it is not now under manufacture.