Damper

DAMPER (Fr. L'Etouffoir; Ital. Saltarello, Spegnitoio, or Smorzo; Ger. Dämpfer), that part of the action of a pianoforte contrived to stop the vibration of the strings belonging to a note when the finger is raised from the key. It comprises several folds or thicknesses of cloth or soft felt, elevated upon a wire upright, which rest upon or press upwards against the strings when the key is not touched, but quit the strings when the key is pressed down...