overstringing

music

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Last updated

July 1, 2026

Quick Summary

Overstringing is a piano construction technique where the bass strings are angled to cross over the treble strings. This design, first applied to square pianos and later perfected in grand pianos by Steinway & Sons in 1855, allows for longer bass strings. This innovation improved the tone and shape of the instrument, making the tail of modern grand pianos wider than earlier "straight-strung" models. The term "overstring" can also refer to stringing a bow with a cord that is too short.12

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keyboard instrument
Overstringing
The strings in early pianos, like those in harpsichords or clavichords, ran parallel to one another, causing the grand pianos of the 18th and early 19th centuries to retain much of the graceful shape of the harpsichord. In the 1830s it was realized that…
Read More
The strings in early pianos, like those in harpsichords or clavichords, ran parallel to one another, causing the grand pianos of the 18th and early 19th centuries to retain much of the graceful shape of the harpsichord. In the 1830s it was realized that…
Read More