Some piano-fortes have -seven octaves; but the usual number in the best instruments is six and rilialf; in others six, or five and a half. The strings of the early piano-fortes were of steel and partly of brass, the treble notes of steel, and the lower notes of brass ; a few of which, in the bass, were over lapped or covered, rather open, with plated copper wire, to gins them more gravity, ac cording to the length attainable in the instru ment. But modern pilule-fortes have steel t- wire throughout with about an octave in the s, bass closely lapped with unplated copper wire. d The strings which are now used in piano fortes are considerably larger than those o which were formerly used; the advantages of h which are durability and firmness. Almost all the wire employed for this purpose in England be is made by one firm near Birmingham : it re - quires especial care in the manufacture. Stops of and pedals are used in various degrees in piano s fortes ; the stops are moved by hand, to alter 3 the position of the dampers used against the I strings; the pedals are moved by the feet for An analogous purpose.
• The upright piano-forte was, doubtless, 5 taken from the upright harpsichord; it was • invented by Mr. Hancock. The next novelty I was the invention of Mr. Hawkins, who con , structed au upright instrument with a de . tached 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 accom plished by a uniform size of wire. The cabinet piano-forte and the piccolo piano-forte were two ether forms in which the strings were placed vertically: tho minor changes in these two varieties have been very numerous. A laudable attempt has been made within the last year or two to construct piano-fortes which, while well made and of good. tame, shall be comparatively cheap on account of being made of plain materials. No efforts, however, can make this a cheap instrument; the mechanism is too intricate and delicate for us to hope to realise " piano-fortes for the million," no far as price is concerned.