A damper for a piano, which has a bifurcated damper felt of which a space between two protrusions is difficult to be narrowed. A damper head extends along three strings in a lengthwise direction thereof and is movable in directions in which the damper moves into and out of contact with the three strings. Damper felt is attached to a string-side surface of the damper head such that it extends in a lengthwise direction of the damper head, and includes two protrusions formed to protrude toward the strings in a bifurcated manner such that they can be brought into contact with the three strings in a state inserted into respective spaces therebetween. The damper felt is attached to the damper head such that deformation of the damper felt in which a space between the two protrusions is narrowed is resisted.

An automatic playing system may include a damper module for changing a sound generated by the automatic playing system. The damper module may include a damper board, a motion driver, and a supporter. The damper board may be configured to control at least one damper of the automatic playing system. The motion driver may be configured to drive the damper board and operated to perform at least one automatic playing function. The supporter may be configured to couple the damper board with the motion driver when the motion driver is operated.

A support device for a pivotal member of a keyboard instrument, in which opposite ends of a pivotal pin fixed to a pivotal member can be each properly positioned in the center of a pin hole, to thereby enable the pivotal member to perform efficient and stable pivotal motion. The support device that pivotally supports the pivotal member pivotally moved by key depression includes a flange body including two support walls opposed to each other with a predetermined spacing therebetween, and two pin holes which are formed in the respective support walls and in which opposite ends of the pivotal pin are inserted, respectively, and two bearings fixed in the pin holes in an inserted state and having opposite ends of the pivotal pin inserted therein, for pivotally supporting the pivotal. Each bearing is formed by a braid formed in a hollow cylindrical shape.

A mute is positioned beneath the strings of a stringed instrument and adjusted to make contact with one or more of the instruments strings. In this manner, the mute may be used to selectively dampen or restrict the normal vibration of the strings and, consequently, the sound made by the strings. The end result is that the natural vibratory sounds associated with stringed instruments may be altered, using the mute to remove some or all of the natural frequencies, subharmonics, loudness and sustain associated with the vibration of the strings, essentially deadening the natural sound of the instrument. Additionally, in at least some preferred embodiments of the present invention, additional devices may be used to create and introduce new and enhanced sounds from the vibrations of the strings.

A sound producing apparatus includes: a plurality of sound producing members with differing oscillation frequencies; dampers each corresponding to a respective sound producing member and suppressing vibration by contacting the corresponding sound producing members; a damper operation mechanism that moves each damper, thereby controlling a state of contact of the damper with a corresponding sound producing members; a soundboard that undergoes sympathetic resonance with sound producing members; a vibrator that vibrates the soundboard; an acquisition unit configured to acquire an audio signal; a signal output unit configured to: generate a drive signal for driving the vibrator with a vibration corresponding to the acquired audio signal; and output the drive signal to the vibrator; and a damper control unit configured to drive the damper operation mechanism to change a state of contact between the sound producing members and their corresponding dampers, based on frequency distribution of acquired audio signal.

A sound producing apparatus includes: a plurality of sound producing members with differing oscillation frequencies; dampers each corresponding to a respective sound producing member and suppressing vibration by contacting the corresponding sound producing members; a damper operation mechanism that moves each damper, thereby controlling a state of contact of the damper with a corresponding sound producing members; a soundboard that undergoes sympathetic resonance with sound producing members; a vibrator that vibrates the soundboard; an acquisition unit configured to acquire an audio signal; a signal output unit configured to: generate a drive signal for driving the vibrator with a vibration corresponding to the acquired audio signal; and output the drive signal to the vibrator; and a damper control unit configured to drive the damper operation mechanism to change a state of contact between the sound producing members and their corresponding dampers, based on frequency distribution of acquired audio signal.