Piano Technicians Journal

Journal Nomenclature

Journal Format Conventions

Use in conjunction with the Journal Style Manual

  • All phone numbers: xxx-xxx-xxxx
  • Addresses: USPS format, no punctuation if aligned vertically.         

              Joe Tuner
              444 NW Washington St
              St Louis MO 65432

  • URLs: leave off http://   www.ptg.org
  • E-mail is standard Journal form, not email or e mail.
  • Website is standard Journal form, not web site or web-site.
  • Numerals: Write out numerals under 11, unless your text is number-heavy or if there is a good reason not to do so. Use editorial judgment and aim for consistency.
  • Never start a sentence with a numeral. Rewrite authors' sentences that begin with numerals.
  • Em dash: We get material using double hyphens (spaced and not)-- and hyphen and space- no. Change all to the em dash with no spaces–as in this example.

Metric/English Conventions

This is an area in transition. Our research shows there is no standardization of style in stating of measurements in American publications.

For the Journal, use English units for common measurements such as length of a grand piano or height of an upright, tool and materials dimensions, distance from your shop to a customer's home, etc. If an author expresses these measurements with metric units, add an English conversion to the text where it will aid understanding for an American audience. Example: The piano in question was a 168-centimeter (5' 6") Kawai.

Use metric or English measures where both are currently in common use now by American technicians, such as scale lengths and action regulating dimensions. Use editorial judgment. If your author states initially that key dip is 3/8", edit for use of English throughout. If your author states key dip is 10 mm, edit for metric throughout, when possible. Avoid switching back and forth without good reason.

We will probably need to revisit this issue in future years, planning for an eventual move to an all-metric style.

Nomenclature Table

A
Aftertouch
a.m. (not AM, am, etc.)

B
Back action
(Damper underlever
system
preferred)
Back post
Back rail
Back scale
Backcheck
Back rail cloth
Balance rail
Balance rail punching
Beats per second
(abbreviate BPS)
Belly rail
Bellyman strip
Birdcage piano
Bird's eye
Bottom board
Bridge pin
Bridle strap (not bridal)
Bridle tape
Buckskin
Butt plate

C
Capo d'astro bar
Casters (not castors)
Center pin
Cheekblock
Counterbearing

D
Damper block
Damper flange
Damper guide rail
Damper head
Damper lever
Damper wire
Downbearing
Downweight

E
Endblock
End post

F
Fallboard
Fallstrip

G
Glide bolt

H
Half-blow rest rail
Hammer rail
Hammer shank
Hitch pin

J
Jack flange
Jack stop felt
Jack stop rail

K
Keybed
Keyblock
Key button
Key cover
Key dip
Key front
Keyframe
Key lead
Key pin
Keyslip
Keytop
Keystick
Key stop rail
Keystroke
Kneeboard

L
Letoff
Lockbar

M
Moulding (not molding)
Music desk (not rack)

N
Nameboard
Nameboard felt
Nose bolt

O
Overdamper
Overstringing
Overstrung

P
Pick up finger
Pitman
Pressure bar
Pinblock
p.m.  (not PM, pm, etc.)
pully key (not pulley)

S
Screw-stringer
Semitone
Sidebearing
Soundboard

T
Toe block
Touchweight
Toplid
Topslip
Trap spring
Trapwork

U
Una corda
Underdamper
Underlever
Upstop rail
Upweight

V
V-bar

W
Wippen (not whippen)
Wrestpins
Wrest plank (two words, pinblock preferred)