WORKSHOP BLOG

The front rail is the wooden rail at the front of the keyboard (as you are in front of it) that holds the front rail key pins. Its function is to provide a resting spot for the key when it has been pressed. A felt bushing is placed on each pin to stop the key from clicking when it is pressed down. The other main function of the front rail is to regulate the amount of key-dip that each note has, which is critical for the correct touch of the piano keyboard. This is achieved by using paper punchings to adjust the key-dip. Rhodes and Wurlitzer pianos, along with acoustic pianos, have a front rail.