Escapement

What it means

The escapement is a component of the piano action that decouples the hammer from the driving mechanism at the moment of the strike, allowing it to fly freely toward the string instead of being rigidly guided. This release is essential so that the hammer bounces immediately away from the string after striking, letting the string vibrate freely.

Musical use

The development of effective escapement mechanisms in the 18th and 19th centuries, especially through the so-called double escapement or repetition action, made it possible to strike the same note very quickly several times without fully releasing the key each time. This technical improvement opened up new virtuosic possibilities for composers such as Franz Liszt, including fast note repetitions and tremolos that would have been almost unplayable on earlier instruments without a refined escapement.

The escapement should be distinguished from the damper mechanism, which is responsible for silencing the note once the key is released, and from the piano action as a whole, which covers the entire sequence of motion from the key press to the hammer strike, whereas the escapement concerns only the decisive moment of the hammer's release.

Performance practice

Use the escapement's effect deliberately for fast note repetitions by letting the key rise only partway, rather than fully, before striking again. In particularly soft, slow passages, make sure the touch remains decisive enough that the escapement triggers reliably, avoiding an unclean, doubled attack sound.