Editing Aliquot stringing (section)

{{short description|Use of additional unstruck strings in a piano to enrich the tone}}
{{refimprove |date=March 2025}}
'''Aliquot stringing''' is the use of extra, un-struck [[String (music)|strings]] in a [[piano]] for the purpose of enriching the [[Musical tone|tone]]. Aliquot systems use an additional (hence fourth) string in each note of the top three piano [[octave]]s. This string is positioned slightly above the other three strings so that it is not struck by the hammer. Whenever the hammer strikes the three conventional strings, the aliquot string vibrates [[sympathetic strings|sympathetically]].  Aliquot stringing broadens the vibrational energy throughout the instrument, and creates an unusually complex and colorful tone.
[[Image:Bluthner aliquot.jpg|thumb|right|The aliquot strings are one octave higher and are therefore shorter.]]