a pianola is the same as any other piano except it is fitted with a pneumatic player action, which plays paper rolls. this mechanism consists of about one hundred bellows, large and small, the smaller ones being called pneumatics of which there are 88, one for each note on the piano.the largest are the foot operated ones,called the bellows. other pneumatics of varying sizes operate the roll motor, tracking device, motor speed governor, and the sustain and soft pedals.