As many of you know by now, I'm a science person trapped in a musician person's body. So, while reading a chapter in my latest Amazon acquisition: Science and Music, by James Jean, I found a neat bit of info:
The steel frame of a piano must be strong enough to withstand up to 30 tons (that is 60000 pounds) of tension. The bass strings are thicker than the treble strings because if they were all the same thickness, the bass strings would need to be nearly 150 times longer than the corresponding treble strings. This is impossible (and impractical) to build, so the thicker gauge of the strings, in addition to the tension, bring the low strings into proper pitch. Science! And maths! Equals music!
I just think that's interesting.
Now, go practice. :-)
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