The piano has 88 keys which span the frequency range 27.5 Hz to 4186 Hz. The strings are sounded by hammer mechanisms which are activated by the keys. Held in a heavy cast iron frame, the strings pass over a bridge to a pin block by which the strings are tuned. The soundboard is a crucial element in the sound of the piano.

Three pedals afford the player some control over the sound of the instrument. The left pedal is the "soft pedal" or una corda. It shifts the keyboard beneath the strings so that the hammers strike fewer strings, giving a softer sound. The center pedal is the sustain or sustenuto pedal which disengages the dampers. The right pedal is the damper pedal to dampen the whole keyboard.