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of a thin tongue of brass playing freely through a slot in a plate. It has a case, like a piano, and is played by means of a similar keybord, the bellows being worked by the foot. The melodeon is a portable variety of this instrument.

struments, consisting usually of three or four movements; as, Beethoven's sonatas for the piano, for the violin and piano, etc.

A thin board which propagates the sound in a piano, in a violin, and in some other musical instruments.

The cord of a musical instrument, as of a piano, harp, or violin; specifically (pl.), the stringed instruments of an orchestra, in distinction from the wind instruments; as, the strings took up the theme. "An instrument of ten strings." Ps. xxx. iii. 2. Me softer airs befit, and softer strings Of lute, or viol still. M…

of music, or as on an instrument, in an unskillful or noisy way; to thrum; as, to strum a piano.

A system of compromises in the tuning of organs, pianofortes, and the like, whereby the tones generated with the vibrations of a ground tone are mutually modified and in part canceled, until their number reduced to the actual practicable scale of twelve tones to the octave. This scale, although in so far artificial, is…

Accompaniment; as, she sang to his guitar; they danced to the music of a piano. Anon they move In perfect phalanx to the Dorian mood Of flutes and soft recorders. Milton.

ouch, or a light touch, also, the manner of touching, striking, or pressing the keys of a piano; as, a legato touch; a staccato touch.

a song, a vocal or instrumental quartet, or even an orchestral work, into a piece for the piano; an adaptation; an arrangement; -- a name applied by modern composes for the piano to a more or less fanciful and ornate reproduction on their own instrument of a song or other piece not originally intended for it; as, Listz…

ment of the parts of an instrument so as to harmonize with itself or with others; as, the piano, or the organ, is not in tune. Like sweet bells jangled, out of tune and harsh. Shak.

instrument somewhat resembling the spinet, but having a rectangular form, like the small piano. It had strings and keys, but only one wire to a note. The instrument was used in the sixteenth century, but is now wholly obsolete. It was sometimes called a pair of virginals.

A performer on some instrument, as the violin or the piano, who excels in the technical part of his art; a brilliant concert player.

The harsh, howling sound of some of the chords on an organ or piano tuned by unequal temperament.

A partition in a water wheel, by which the form of the buckets is determined. Wrest pin (Piano Manuf.), one of the pins around which the ends of the wires are wound in a piano. Knight. -- Wrest plank (Piano Manuf.), the part in which the wrest pins are inserted.