At this time communication between the different countries was, of
course, slow and uncertain, and experiments of this kind were probably
unknown outside of the immediate neighborhood in which they were
tried; therefore, much valuable and interesting history has not come
to light. However, from the specimens which we have had the pleasure
of seeing, and some of which we have had the opportunity to work on,
we infer that about the same line of difficulties presented themselves
to all of these early experimenters, most of which were not
efficiently overcome until in the last century, and the most important
of which it fell to the lot of American inventors to overcome.

Some of these early instruments were not even provided with dampers
for stopping the tone when the key was released; consequently, when a
number of keys were struck in succession, the tone continued from
all, so long as the strings would vibrate. The strings and sound-board
being very light, the sustaining qualities were meager compared to
those of the modern piano; consequently the dampers were not so much
missed as they would be if removed from a modern upright or grand,
which would surely render them unfit for use.

In the first attempts at piano building, the difficulties to be
overcome may be enumerated as follows: The frames were not strong
enough to resist the tension of the strings; they were made almost
entirely of wood which yields to the pull of the strings and is
subject to climatic changes; the scale was very imperfect, that is,
the length, tension and weight of the strings were not properly
proportioned, the result being a different quality of tone from
different portions of the keyboard; the actions were either heavy and
imperfect, or too light to produce sufficient vibration; the proper
point upon the strings for the hammers to strike and for the dampers