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A room with a piano and baby grand piano.

Baby Grands Vs Grand Pianos


Baby Grands Vs Grand Pianos

The major classifications of pianos is pretty simple. There are two types:  Grand pianos (which sit on three legs, horizontally) and Upright pianos (which are built vertically and usually sit against a wall.

The confusion usually starts when people talk about baby grands.   Are they talking about grand pianos? Or is a baby grand a totally different instrument?  If so, why are they different? 

Is It Just A Matter Of Size?

I think the old cliché that a picture is worth a thousand words is true here as well:

Baby Grands Vs Grand Pianos

The answer is yes and no. You can see above that size is a major difference, but it is not the only difference. A baby grand (on the right) is usually 5’ to 5’7” long – from the keyboard to the tail. Baby grand is just one of the names people use when talking about grand pianos. There is also the petite baby grand or petite grand which is from 4’7” up to 5”. Both are very popular.

Hailun Baby Grand Piano
Hailun Baby Grand Piano

But there are other categories of Grand Pianos, and their lengths roughly determine their names. Keep in mind that most of these so called categories bear names that are not carved in stone with the exception of the concert grand category. Let’s go back to the photo of the 2 pianos we started with, the one on the left is a 9’2” concert grand.

  • Concert grands run from 8’11” and above
  • Semi-Concert Grands are generally 7’4” to 8’10”
  • Parlor Grands are generally 6’8’
  • Drawing Room Grands are generally 6’4”
  • Professional Grands are generally 6’
  • Living Room Grands are generally 5’10”
  • Medium Grands are generally 5’7” to 5’9”
  • Baby Grands are generally 4’10’ to 5’6”
  • Petite Grands are less than 4’10”

You might note that the width of these grand pianos is basically the same for all categories no matter their length. Five feet give or take is the normal width and 88-keys is a standard keyboard. Some piano builders make minor changes to the width and number of keys, but not many.
But length is not the only difference. Each category of grand piano is somewhat different from the others in performance capacity.

Why Is The Performance Capacity Different?

The soundboard and strings of a grand piano are positioned inside the piano case. As a key is depressed, a hammer strikes the string from below producing sound that resonates off the soundboard. The size of the soundboard, the crown, and the materials it’s made of plus the length of the strings, their quality and how the piano is strung, can influence the tonal quality of the piano. Generally though, the larger the soundboard and longer the strings the greater the volume and tonal quality and variety.
As you can see by the names of the classifications, pianos are designed for different purposes. The job of a concert grand is to cut through the orchestra (unless it’s a piano solo) to reach the balcony and back rows of huge concert halls. That much sound in an average sized living room would be downright painful. So one normally only sees concert grands in churches, concert halls and grand rooms in grand homes. A semi concert grand would serve smaller venues well etc. down the line. It really comes down to just stopping to take a few minutes to think about how the piano will be used and how much room have you allocated for a piano.

Baby Grands Vs Grand Pianos

And if all of this isn’t confusing enough, there are even greater differences between grand pianos and vertical or upright pianos. But that’s another article on it’s own!!

Sauter Rondo Upright Piano
Sauter Rondo Upright Piano

In closing, when it comes to pianos, there is much to know. A handmade piano can be almost as unique as a human being. No two high-end pianos will sound alike or feel alike. Each will have its own personality or tonal colors. The differences tend to blur in less expensive, mass produced pianos where most manufacturers aim for consistency rather than individual colorations. Visit our blog where you’ll find a wealth of piano articles and information.

About Euro Pianos Naples

Euro Pianos Naples specializes in luxury pianos.The company’s origin dates back to 1965. Euro Pianos represents world renowned European brands as well as its own acrylic instrument – The Aire™ baby grand. Apart from being a successful retailer, consultant, and entrepreneur organization, Euro Pianos is actively engaged in the artistic and community life of Naples, Florida as an organizer and supporter of musical events throughout the years.

A man is playing the piano and text reads " how much does it cost to tune a piano ".

What Is Piano Tuning And How Much Does It Cost To Tune A Piano?


What Is Piano Tuning And How Much Does It Cost To Tune A Piano?

To understand tuning, you need to know how a piano produces sound. When a piano key is depressed, it drops onto a small felt-covered hammer that strikes one, two or three, generally speaking, steel strings. This complex array of strings provides a range from highest treble down to the deepest bass sounds. (Since there are 88 keys on a standard piano, some wrongly think there are 88 strings, but it’s actually over 200). The bass strings of the piano are wound with copper and fewer strings are needed, the deeper the bass–two and eventually one string for the lowest notes.

Tuning a piano is a matter of adjusting the tension on each piano string until it vibrates at the proper rate–-an assessment of the interaction of vibrations among notes, which is different for every piano.

A440

Pitch, while related to the strings’ frequencies, is actually a subjective perception of a sound wave, which cannot be directly measured. However, in the world of music, a consensus has formed by most people on the range of high to low notes. So as a way of standardizing tunings, pianos are often built with the note A above middle C vibrating at 440 cycles per second and thus is called A440 pitch, the international pitch standard.

Each note on the keyboard vibrates with a specific frequency. The A in the next octave up vibrates at 880 cycles per second, and the A in the lower octave vibrates at 220 cycles per second, so with simple math, each string can be tuned.

With standard tuning, the piano performing with other instruments plays in harmony. It is sometimes referred to as “concert pitch.”

But not all people prefer the same sound. For that matter, not all pianos can create the same sound. Some pianos are “brighter,” some sound “warmer,” and there are cultural differences in preferences of pitch and sound, as well.

Europeans often tune pianos slightly higher at A442 and even A444, depending on the piano itself, and the preference of the users. When very high-end European pianos are purchased and delivered to America, often the pitch is brought down to the A440 standard to suit American preferences.

Ideally pianos should stay tuned at the same pitch (whether European or American), as this is ideal for both the piano and for the musicians.

What Other Maintenance Might Be Needed?

Normally, tuning is the “lube” job of the piano. But just like an automobile, with use and age, sometimes other maintenance may be needed. It’s important to understand all the services a good piano technician (more than just a piano tuner) provides.

Touch – Adjustment of the action or action regulation

In order to ensure an accurate, balanced musical performance and ultimate sound experience permanently, the action must be adjusted at regular intervals. This adjustment of the instrument restores the uniformity of the touch by fine tuning the keyboard and mechanics. It must be checked, so you can always express the highest musical level.

Even in normal use and environmental conditions, small changes will occur over time that can affect the perfect balance of the touch. An adjustment of the keyboard and action assembly corrects these irregularities.

The many components of sophisticated action parts need to work accurately and precisely to achieve optimum results. In addition, even the weight in pressing down your keys can be changed to increase or decrease reaction and friction. Every really qualified technician will be able to do this.

What Is Piano Tuning And How Much Does It Cost To Tune A Piano?

Tone - Voicing the hammer heads

Voicing ensures the tone quality by treating the hammer heads. This is not something that is done as basic maintenance, but rather if hammers have changed over time or if a client desires a different tone.

“Voicing” means giving tone and it may well be classified as subjective. It is the art of influencing the sound character of your instrument by reworking the hammer head felts. Within certain limits, voicing can adjust the dynamic range, timbre and other parameters of the overall sound to your personal taste or indoor conditions. Through regular playing and constant impact on the hard metal strings, hammer head felt coverings condense and make the sound harder. When the hammer head felt fibers stretch due to exposure to high humidity, the tone becomes softer and duller. Such changes are not consistent and produce an unbalanced sound. With specialized tools and a lot of experience, a qualified technician will restore the initial state of the hammer head felts or alter the original hammer head felts to make a piano sound “brighter” or “softer”.

A technician may “needle” hammer heads to fluff them or may apply a drop of “hammer hardener” to harden them – either way, voicing is something only a qualified piano technician should do. Done incorrectly, altering the hammer head felts can result in permanent damage.

Why do pianos go out of tune?

There are two main reasons for a piano going out of tune.

When a piano is new, the pitch may drop while the strings stretch with use and wooden parts “settle.” This is a key time to provide more frequent maintenance so that the string tension and the structure can stabilize. Three or four tunings for the first year and at least two tunings during the second year are highly recommended.

The other reason is an ongoing issue because of the piano’s internal wooden structure. The soundboard is made of resonant wood (which is why the sound is so wonderful), but it is sensitive to climate changes, as are many other wooden parts within. Pianos are like living beings, and as humidity increases, the soundboard and wooden structural parts of the piano swells up and stretches the strings and their pitch. During dry times, the board flattens and puts less tension on the strings, so the pitch drops. Without servicing the instrument, the pitch will likely continue to fluctuate and distort sound. While better made pianos often hold the pitch longer than cheap ones, the fact remains that regular, professional maintenance is important to both.

A word about pitch raising

If any piano goes for an extended time without tuning, the pitch may drop way below standard. Tuning a badly out of tune piano is frustrating. Chances are the tuning will not “stick” and it will be back out of tune in a matter of days. An experienced tuner/technician will recommend a “pitch raise” tuning which is in essence two tunings. First a rough tuning to raise the pitch followed by a fine tuning to even the tension on all 200 plus strings. Accurate tuning or “fine” tuning is possible only when all strings are close to their proper tension or pitch.

A Word About Pin Blocks And Pins

What Is Piano Tuning And How Much Does It Cost To Tune A Piano?

The strings of a piano are held taut by pins which are screwed into a pinblock. If the pinblock is not holding the pins snugly, which sometimes happens in very old (or poorly made) pianos, the piano will fall out of tune, no matter how often it is tuned. The pins just cannot hold the tension.

The remedy to this can take different forms depending on the deterioration. There are some gluing techniques that can help, or oversized pins can be installed. Worst case scenario is to replace the pin block. This is costly and would likely be indicated only in pianos of substantial value, as the cost and labor involved is sizable.

It’s interesting to note that in some truly excellent, but aged, pianos, the pitch may drop below the A440 standard, but all the strings drop in an equal manner, with little or no distortion. A good technician can acknowledge and work with this, without pitch raising, if the sound is still acceptable to the pianist.

How To Tell If A Piano Needs Tuning

The easiest and most responsible way is to keep a record of the last time the instrument was tuned, and schedule accordingly. Sometimes, a piano doesn’t need to “sound” bad, to have bad things gradually happening within. It’s better not to wait for sound distortion or problems before scheduling maintenance. You don’t wait for an automobile to stop running to give it regular maintenance. The same should be true for pianos. Besides, tuners do more than just tune – they also clean the interior of your piano. The amount of dust that accumulates is astonishing and it can gum up the action if not regularly removed.

Most pianists can tell, sitting down at a piano, that it’s out of tune because the notes do not sound like they should. Striking a key that usually sounds sweet and clear now sounds buzzy or twangy. If a note trembles or is wavy, it’s probably time for a tuning. By playing an interval or a simple chord, the notes should blend in harmony. If they don’t, it will be noticeable. Even the tiniest change in a string’s tension can be heard by a practiced ear.

What Is Piano Tuning And How Much Does It Cost To Tune A Piano?

How Often Should A Piano Be Tuned?

As already noted, the quality of your piano can affect the duration of its pitch or time between tunings. Fluctuations in temperature and humidity affect pianos. Contrary to popular belief, moving a piano does not affect the tuning, rather it is the change in environment that will.

If you live in a stable climate and the piano is played only moderately, a tuning once or twice a year is probably adequate. If your climate vacillates from dry to humid, and/or if your piano is used daily for teaching or practice, a minimum of twice a year, is recommended.

Professional pianists who give a piano heavy workout should consider tuning their instrument every four months, and before every paid public performance.

Fun fact: Performance grands are sometimes tuned several times a day between rehearsals and performances.

What Is The Ideal Temperature and Humidity for a Piano?

Optimum climate conditions for a piano would be a stable 68-degree F temperature with relative humidity of 42 percent.

Most environments don’t provide this kind of exact stability, so preserve your instrument accordingly with maintenance.

How Much Does It Cost To Tune A Piano?

Tunings can range from $100 to $225. Usually this will include inspecting the piano and cleaning the interior. You can add more to that for any repairs, replaced strings, pitch raising, action and pedal regulation or voicing.

Like any other service, there are variables in the cost of tuning a piano. There are many reasons that the prices are different.

Poorly Maintained Instrument?

How badly is the piano out of tune? If it is poorly maintained, it could require much more work than normal. Does it need to be pitch raised before it can be tuned? If it needs new strings, repairs or return visits, the costs will be higher.

Location, Location

Location can sometime affect the price standards. Do you live in a climate where piano tuning is required frequently? Do you live in a major city where prices are higher? And what about the location in your home? Have you placed your piano in front of a sunny (or snowy) window making it more susceptible to fluctuations?

Technician, Tuner, Hobbyist?

What kind of technician are you hiring? There are as many levels of skill in this field as any other profession. Piano tuners spring from many sources. While your Uncle Harry may insist he knows how to tune a piano, we would recommend using a registered professional. You can find one on The Piano Technician’s Guild website or by asking your local piano store or performance venue. You could also ask a friend or neighbor who owns a piano, or a piano teacher for recommendations. It doesn’t hurt to check references.

It is convenient, but certainly not mandatory, to have a technician that can perform additional services, especially if you have an antique or somewhat damaged piano, an off brand, or at the other end, an expensive collectible or high-end handmade brand. Once you find a trustworthy and competent technician, you can let him help you keep your piano in tip top condition. Good technicians will value your input as to how you want your piano to sound, they can make the necessary changes to enhance your enjoyment of your piano.

So How Much for Additional services?

Right now, the average national costs are listed below, with the stipulation that the prices may be entirely different in your area.  These are, after all, average prices.

Many piano tuners also offer piano repair and additional services. It is smart to ask them their prices in advance of the tuning, just in case you need services that go beyond tuning. If you suspect your piano needs more than just tuning, always confirm whether the tuner is experienced with action work. Some tuners really do just tune.  

 
  • Repairs: $65 – $100 per hour
  • Voicing: $175 – $600
  • Action & pedal regulation: $300 – $400
  • Grand action reconditioning: $2,500-$3,500
  • Vertical action reconditioning: $800-$2,500
  • Soundboard cleaning: $100-$150 (this entails going under the strings)
  • Climate control system installation: $450-$800
  • Piano rebuilding: $5,000-$8,000
  • Written inspections, assessments or evaluations: $100-$250

Should I Hire A Registered Piano Technician?

It is always best to hire a registered piano technician. The Piano Technician’s Guild offers a directory of tuners and many other services which you might need over the life of a piano, so it helps to immerse yourself in the information and expertise that will give your investment the best chance for retaining its value and performance qualities.

Tuning By Ear Vs. Using A Machine

What Is Piano Tuning And How Much Does It Cost To Tune A Piano?

Traditionally pianos have been tuned by ear, and technicians adjust the pitch based on the scale design of the piano, using intervals to set and test proper spacing between the half notes. The tuner needs a tuning fork to establish the reference pitch source. The rest is his/her skilled talents and ear. Even the tiniest change in a string’s tension can be heard by a practiced ear.

As you might suspect in today’s electronic world, there are now machines and apps that can take readings from your piano. These machines can store recallable tuner settings which is handy for concert halls, music schools and recording studios where the settings are consistent and frequent tunings are required.

While technology has its place, it is important not to discount the subtleties and nuance of pianos and pitch; tunings should not be rote and uncreative. A technician still needs to balance piano reaction to change in tension and what electronic tuning device is displaying. Besides, you need to ensure that your technician is experienced at changing strings, making repairs, regulation and voicing.

How Can A Piano Be Helped To Hold Its Tuning?

We always tell people to buy the best piano they can afford, because quality shows not only in the sound performance, but in the components that hold pitch and make the instrument an investment that will last many lifetimes.

Working with an experienced technician is a big step in helping a piano hold its tune. Some tuners have “a way” with pianos and the right amount of pressure and just the right touch for more stability. In the industry, it’s said they do tunings that “stick.” Getting references and recommendations from reliable and knowledgeable sources all helps. You might want to find that tuner who is familiar with the brand of your piano, (especially if it’s European, high-end, antique, or “special” in any way), heeds your preferences, and is skilled in full maintenance. For example technicians that work on Fazioli pianos are supplied with factory training and tools.

Paying attention to the location of your piano and how the temperatures will affect it is another way of helping. Hot sun, floor and wall heaters, window air conditioners, and wet condensation on windows next to a piano can have detrimental effects on the overall health of the instrument as well as the tuning. Stability in climate is key.

There are climate control systems available today, installed into your piano with sensors, a humidistat, dehumidifiers and humidifiers to keep a piano at a consistent safe humidity. In some extreme climates, such systems can be a good investment. This is of particular importance with institutional pianos in schools, concert halls or churches when the heat or air conditioning may be turned off and on.

Should A Piano Be Tuned After Moving It?

The answer is yes. But not immediately. While a piano has thousands of parts and is sensitive to the touch, the actual move is NOT likely to throw it out of tune. Pianos are quite hearty and are built to withstand decades of heavy usage, so moving it is not the issue. The larger concert grand piano hold a lot more tension compared to smaller grand and baby grand pianos, thus will be move affected by movings.

However, all pianos are very sensitive to climate change. A small difference in humidity between the two locations will affect the soundboard, actually changing the shape of it–which automatically changes the tension of the strings, throwing it out of tune. A fan above piano will move air faster and will effect the tension in the strings.

Even moving a piano from one room to another can affect it if air conditioning or heating is not identical in both rooms. 

What Is Piano Tuning And How Much Does It Cost To Tune A Piano?

The prevailing advice is to wait for one or two months after the move before having it tuned. This gives the instrument time to “settle in” and reacclimate to the humidity and climate of the new locale.

We would say that this is the best advice for a new instrument that has traveled through warehouses, trucks and climates. New pianos are special cases anyway because their pitch drops quickly for the first few years, strings and wood needing to settle in, so more tunings are required the first year. If the new piano is tuned, you can be sure it will need to be tuned again soon, regardless. 

But for your own used, well-tuned piano that has received regular maintenance, and is being moved from one home or room to another, waiting for just a week or two would probably suffice, especially if the climates are very similar in both locales. If the piano has not been well maintained, all bets are off. Go ahead and tune it, and then you’ll have to do it again soon.

In the case of upright pianos, they also need to adjust to a new climate, but in addition, be careful about the flooring where it is placed. An uneven floor, or half on/half off a carpet can cause a vertical piano to go out of tune. Put it back on a flat floor and it will revert to pitch. But climate changes will have similar effects, so give it time to adjust.

Being open to spending $250.00 annually to look after your piano, protects your investment and results in a dependable, beautiful sounding instrument.

A woman is smiling and holding her piano.

The Multiple Mind-Blowing Benefits of Playing Piano


The Multiple Mind-Blowing Benefits of Playing Piano

Pianos have been around for hundreds of years and have never yielded their place as the preferred and select musical instrument. There are good reasons for this.  Unlike other instruments, the piano provides both melody and harmony, requiring no accompaniment.  (instead, piano is usually required as the accompaniment to other instruments.)  This makes it a world of music unto itself, and a whole “container” for individuals to pursue music solo or in public.

But that is merely the most obvious boast of pianos.  In truth, the piano is a time-honored wellspring of extraordinary advantages for any adult or child who makes the effort to learn to play. Piano playing, even at the most rudimentary levels, opens up an entire world of benefits to the individual.  The benefits are so vast that we can actually say they are mind blowing!

Social Benefits

The most superficially alluring of all the benefits are the obvious social benefits.

Participation with People

The Multiple Mind-Blowing Benefits of Playing Piano

People love music, and musicians are often sought after to participate in social events.  This increased participation is a wonderful way to round out the personalities of both children and adults in an ever-increasing world of lives lived in relative seclusion, devoted to computers, television, and gaming devices.

Influencing the Quality of Life of Others

The Multiple Mind-Blowing Benefits of Playing Piano

When someone walks into a room and sits down at a piano, the entire mood of a family or group can be lifted by music.  There is the potential for magical power with the ability to transform the everyday into–the memorable, the enjoyable, the notable shared musical experience.  People who share their talents with others are a magnet for friends and new experiences.  If you play the piano, chances are you’ll never be lonely again!

Accepting Criticism and Compliments

The Multiple Mind-Blowing Benefits of Playing Piano

The commitment to learning to play piano represents a major benefit in one’s outer representation of self.  There will be disappointments as well as successes, as learning to play music is a life-long pursuit. There is always the next level, the next challenge and mastering it is never a fait accompli, even for professionals. Musicians learn to roll with the punches, and react with ease to their own mistakes or equally daunting, the acceptance of accolades from others.  Such experiences give pianists the added benefit of public and social ‘presence’ – being comfortable in their own skins—which can benefit all other endeavors in their lives, as well. 

Physical Health Benefits

Learning to play the piano requires focus, concentration and practice!  It is not an easy task to set for oneself, and it requires commitment (or in the case of children, a little inducement).  But the added physical benefits are worth every struggle. 

Hand Eye Coordination and muscle strengths

The Multiple Mind-Blowing Benefits of Playing Piano

In the young, all kinds of new coordination skills are developed, but even in adults, the hand-eye coordination and the strengthening of the muscles in the hands is vastly improved. 

In the beginning it is difficult and frustrating to coordinate two hands, each playing something different, so it splits your concentration.  Learning to do that is a tremendous skill in itself, but it also allows you later to hear differently, splitting your aural awareness of your playing in both up close or from back of the room vantage points. Splitting your focus is a mental training that will serve in other ways in everyday multitasking.

Slowdown of Aging Losses

The Multiple Mind-Blowing Benefits of Playing Piano

Studies have found that ongoing piano playing by older people slows down the losses of memory, losses of hearing and slows the breakdown of intricate processes of the brain in advanced aging.  That benefit alone, like doing crossword puzzles and word games, is something like putting money in the bank of the future.

Mental Health Benefits

Music has Charms to Soothe a Savage Breast

The Multiple Mind-Blowing Benefits of Playing Piano

While we’re on the subject of health benefits, we don’t want to forget that mental health is as important as keeping our bodies flexible and coordinated. Music is soothing and healing, even to an ailing elephant in Thailand (above).

Psychological and Neurological Changes

The Multiple Mind-Blowing Benefits of Playing Piano

It’s widely reported that learning to play piano has a tremendous effect on the brain.  While some people’s brains seem to be more adept at piano, scientific studies have ascertained that learning piano can actually change brain structure and mental abilities, improving skills in people who come to it less naturally.

Furthermore, in other studies that compared piano practice to other activities like sports, crafts, and hobbies, the piano players showed better psychological and neurological improvement as their tactile and kinesthetic skills were honed.

Self-Esteem and Confidence

The Multiple Mind-Blowing Benefits of Playing Piano

While better self-esteem may seem like a natural offshoot of accomplishing anything, it was nonetheless put to a test.  In a study of children with three years or more of piano study, they tested higher than non-musical children in self esteem and confidence in their abilities.

Playing the piano often leads to performance opportunities. It could be playing for family and friends or at teacher recitals or even proper concerts.  Learning to focus on sharing music rather than on our own fears and insecurities develops confidence and presentation skills necessary in life.

Reduce Stress and Promote Focus

The Multiple Mind-Blowing Benefits of Playing Piano

The piano can be a great stress reliever, and in the process, playing on a regular basis can improve one’s ability to handle stress to begin with. Because of the complexities of the piano, and its challenges, it is so much more involving and personal to the player. It is not a mere diversion or past time, but a comrade or accomplice of sorts, in everyday living situations. It has brought great solace to many people. Many physicians, politicians, lawyers and actors play piano to decompress after a difficult day.

Intellectual Benefits

The Multiple Mind-Blowing Benefits of Playing Piano

Improves Brain Power in overall life

In 1993, researchers tried to establish the idea that listening to Mozart made children smarter.  It caused a stir which increased when some German researchers strengthened the idea. They found the region of the cortex that is responsible for analyzing pitch was 25 percent larger in musicians– the size increases correlated to the age at which the musician began playing. Thus, musicians would ideally be started young.

However, other researchers, discovered the Mozart Effect effects did not last more than an hour. They discerned that the real discovery in all this might be that playing an instrument (as opposed to listening to music) is the thing that really catapults one’s intellect. Their later research showed early language development and spatial-temporal intelligence could be boosted by music lessons for preschoolers.    

In further exploration, which instrument might provide the strongest cognitive returns became a huge scientific project, and the winner of this research over all other instruments, was the piano. A team found that those receiving piano lessons had scores boosted 34 percent higher on tests measuring spatial-temporal ability.  This big revelation was all the more important for these skills figure heavily in activities like mathematics, science, engineering, and playing chess, thus music lessons affected much more than making music.

Some of the things to be learned are: Sightreading, Notes, Intervals, Chords, Theory, Ear Training, Scales, Arpeggios, Rhythm, Articulation, Technique, Interpretive skills and Compositions. While it may sound daunting, it’s no more than one learns doing anything well. Whether it’s designing a building, competing in sports, or playing world class bridge, the details coming together is what makes the endeavor worth doing in the first place.  It is the secret to joy in our lives.

Math, Reading and Language Skills Improvement

The Multiple Mind-Blowing Benefits of Playing Piano

Rhythm is not something you’re necessarily born with; it can be learned and developed in piano lessons. One of the really astounding finds is that children exposed to music training over time, in programs of complex tonal and rhythmic skills displayed superior cognitive performance in reading and language comprehension in comparison to non-musical kids.

Studying the piano aids in understanding math. Time signatures specify how many beats there are in bar. Notes each have a value, some are fractions. The multitasking and variety of tasks in children’s piano lessons mirror much of the complex needs that adults later face.

Promotes Discipline and Concentration

The Multiple Mind-Blowing Benefits of Playing Piano

Children and adults alike who have learned the skills of organization, concentration, patience, and time management find that life becomes more manageable and less stressful. Piano lessons are almost a metaphor for life, in this respect. Scientists have tested the brains of musicians and discovered that multiple areas of the brain light up when playing. The discipline needed to play piano is the equivalent of a total brain workout. It takes focus, practice and patience to learn to play piano. It’s a gradual, encompassing, and thoroughly consuming endeavor that builds habits and inclinations in people that will serve them throughout life in many different ways. Anyone who has practiced scales on the piano knows that instant gratification is not the way to make music, nor is it the way to live one’s life to reap its best rewards.

Provides Cultural Knowledge

The Multiple Mind-Blowing Benefits of Playing Piano

Exposure to music lessons can be an education in more ways than how to play a tune. The rich history of pianos, famous musicians, old world countries and cultures are part of the backdrop of musical exploration.  Learning is often prompted by curiosity. When one sits in front of a piano, it is not uncommon for the player to filled with questions and the music and lead to study of music theory and, music libraries. The heritage of classical, folk, and jazz music can be an adjunct of information that both informs the performance as well as educates and delights the musician.

Spiritual Benefits

Opens Creative Urges

The Multiple Mind-Blowing Benefits of Playing Piano

If one had to define “spiritual,” there would be references to the Divine, the connections to the universe, the basic dimensions of one’s life and inner self.  The definition would also encompass creativity, which is, after all, the expression of one’s deepest inner feelings and awareness of self in relation to the world. Playing piano is a doorway, egress for the emotions and reflections of the personal spirit that resides in all humans. Some call it soul.  Some call it a personal muse. But music is fundamental to us because of the spiritual/creative release it provides. 

Heals and Soothes the Inner Soul

The Multiple Mind-Blowing Benefits of Playing Piano

Often when we are troubled, there are no clear resolutions or answers to our issues. A problem can fester within us, causing our lives to take dangerous turns of illogic and despair. It is at these times that playing music can be almost a balm for the illness within. It provides access to parts of ourselves that we cannot put into words or actions. Each person has an inner self that hides from the everyday mundane experience, and is awakened by the peak experiences of peaceful contemplation and beauty. It often remains a mystery, but when stirred, there’s no mistaking it.

Music for Churches and religious events

The Multiple Mind-Blowing Benefits of Playing Piano

For those who attend religious services, an organ or piano is often featured to provide liturgical music to celebrate and praise the divine entity and enhance the experience of worship and prayer. Pianists provide community service and get personal pleasure from such employment. If one’s religion reflects the most private values and worth of individuals, then it is music that echoes those ideals. 

In Summary

Playing the piano offers myriad benefits that can enhance every aspect of your life.  To own and play a piano places you into a cultural tradition that has abided for the last three centuries. The power of music has sustained human beings since their beginnings, and the joys of learning to play a piano enrich every individual who chooses that path. 

Please visit our website and choose the piano of your future, and let us help you realize that spectacular dream.

A flower with the words " our favorite music quotes ".

Our Favorite Inspirational Music Quotes and Piano Quotes


Our Favorite Inspirational Music Quotes and Piano Quotes

“Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.” Victor Hugo

“Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence.” Robert Fripp

“No matter how corrupt, greedy, and heartless our government, our corporations, our media, and our religious and charitable institutions may become, the music will still be wonderful.” Kurt Vonnegut

“Music has a poetry of its own, and that poetry is called melody.” Joshua Logan

“Music in the soul can be heard by the universe.” Lao Tzu

“Music is my religion.” Jimi Hendrix

“Music should strike fire from the heart of man, and bring tears from the eyes of woman.” Ludwig van Beethoven

“One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.” Bob Marley

“Music touches us emotionally, where words alone can’t.” Johnny Depp

“Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” Berthold Auerbach

“Music can change the world because it can change people.” Bono

“Music is the divine way to tell beautiful, poetic things to the heart.” Pablo Casals

“Where words fail, music speaks.” Hans Christian Andersen

“If I had my life to live over again, I would have made a rule to read some poetry and listen to some music at least once every week.” Charles Darwin

“Good music is good music, and everything else can go to hell.” Dave Matthews

“My music is a luxury.” Lana Del Rey

“I need music. It’s like my heartbeat, so to speak. It keeps me going no matter what’s going on – bad games, press, whatever!” Lebron James

“I think music in itself is healing. It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves music.” Billy Joel

“Music is really driving my whole life.” Ariana Grande

“If you want to make beautiful music, you must play the black and the white notes together.” Richard M. Nixon

“Life is like a piano. What you get out of it depends on how you play it.” Tom Lehrer

“Without a piano i don’t know how to stand, don’t know what to do with my hands.” Norah Jones

“When I had nothing else, i had my mother and the piano. And you know what? They were all i needed.” Alicia Keys

“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” Plato

“If music be the food of love, play on.” William Shakespeare

“Life is one grand, sweet song, so start the music.” Ronald Reagan

“If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.” Albert Einstein

“It’s like a whole orchestra, the piano for me.” Dave Brubeck

“I believe in using the entire piano as a single instrument capable of expressing every possible musical idea.” Oscar Peterson

“What has keys but can’t listen to the beauty it unlocks? A piano.” Jarod Kintz

“The important thing is to feel your music, really feel it and believe it.” Ray Charles

“Life is like a piano; the white keys represent happiness and the black show sadness. But as you go through life’s journey, remember that the black keys also create music.” Unknown

“Piano playing is a dying art. I love the fact that I can be one guy with one instrument evoking an emotional and musical experience.” Jon bon Jovi

“The piano keys are black and white but they sound like a million colors in your mind.” Maria Cristina Mena

“Piano is very elegant. I also think it’s a very truthful instrument.” Howard shore

“When you play, never mind who listens to you.” Robert Schumann

“If music is a place — then jazz is the city, folk is the wilderness, rock is the road, classical is a temple.” Vera Nazarian

“A great song should lift your heart, warm the soul and make you feel good.” Colbie Caillat

“Music comes from a place we don’t know.” Chris Martin (Coldplay)

A piano that is sitting on top of a table.

Spinet pianos and Console pianos – what’s the difference?


In piano parlance, pianos are classified as Grands “horizontal-sitting” pianos and Uprights “vertical-sitting pianos. Categories under upright pianos include spinets and consoles.

So, What is a Spinet Piano?

Upright or vertical pianos come in various different sizes and a spinet piano is the smallest of the upright pianos measuring between 36” and 40” tall from the floor to the top of the lid and weighing about 300 pounds. The keyboard is approximately five feet wide, like most pianos. But the spinet varies from other uprights not merely in size. Originally introduced in the 1930’s, spinets were designed to be smaller and cheaper than other uprights, and to accomplish this, a different kind of action was introduced called a drop action or an indirect blow action with rods or “elbows” under the keyboard connecting each key to the action.  

Drop action in a spinet piano
Drop action in a spinet piano

Also the keys on a spinet piano are shorter. The top of the piano is just a few inches above the keys and the action is located below, this does save space and dimensions, but it results in a lack of control.

Spinets are space savers and usually less expensive than other uprights, but a lesser quality of sound is the tradeoff.  
A spinet is not capable of producing the nuanced sound, touch and volume required by professional musicians due to their smallness and action design. The other drawback is that spinets are more difficult to maintain, thus more expensive to tune and repair. Tuners and technicians generally avoid working on this type of piano.

Acrosonic Spinet Piano
Acrosonic Spinet Piano

That being said, there were brands of spinets that found great favor over the years.  Baldwin’s Acrosonic spinet piano was considered one of the better spinets as its action was well designed and built to be removed in one piece for service. The string scale was one of the better spinet scales and reasonably easy to tune (as much as any spinet is). Other commercial brands included Wurlitzer spinet pianos which were modest models, reasonably priced, as were Kimball spinet pianos.  These days most manufacturers have stopped producing spinets entirely.

What is a Console Piano?

The console piano is the next largest upright, and is somewhere between 40” to 44” tall, – compact and space saving, but with better performance than a spinet.  Manufacturers today are using actions from larger uprights in consoles to give console pianos bigger performance, and while the original consoles were 43” tall, the continental console designs have crept upwards to 44 inches. Because of the popularity of the console piano, manufacturers continue to improve the design.

The sound quality of the console piano is absolutely satisfactory for most home pianists. Unlike spinets, console pianos have a normal action that sits directly on top of the keys, and the hammers sit in an upright (not dropped) position.  Just as it should, a hammer strikes the string, which releases the key, and a spring pulls the hammer back into position. The action of a console piano (and most of the uprights) is not as immediately responsive and tonal quality and dynamics are not as rich as that of a grand piano, but it is definitely preferable to the spinet piano’s touch and tone.

Many manufacturers build console pianos that continue to enjoy robust sales today.  Yamaha, Baldwin, Pearl River, Pramberger, Charles R.Walter, Kawai, and Young Chang – just to name a few.

What is a “Furniture Console?”

Wurlitzer Console Piano
Wurlitzer Console Piano

The console piano shown above would be considered a “furniture console” in the traditional style because it has legs. Such consoles were manufactured in popular furniture styles, including Queen Anne, French Provincial, Italian Provincial, Traditional, Country and Mid Century Modern. One could argue that most of these furniture styles are currently not in vogue.  Mid Century Modern furnishings –  beautifully embodied by the Baldwin piano company – are highly sought after.

Baldwin Acrosonic circa 1961 – 1964
Baldwin Acrosonic circa 1961 – 1964

This piano is no longer in production.

What is a Continental Console?

The Young Chang console shown below is considered a “continental console” because of the omission of legs.  A sleek contemporary silhouette continues to be extremely popular among urban buyers of pianos today.

Continental style console piano
Continental style console piano

Check out the latest addition to our lineup - a mid century modern piano

View Details
Echo™ - Mid century modern console piano
Echo™ – Mid century modern console piano

About Euro Pianos Naples

Euro Pianos Naples is a respected distributor of European luxury musical instruments. The company’s origin dates back to 1965. Euro Pianos represents world renowned brands such as Sauter, and it has recently become a manufacturer of its own acrylic instrument – The Aire. Apart from being a successful retailer, consultant, and entrepreneur organization, Euro Pianos is actively engaged in the artistic and community life of Naples, Florida as an organizer and supporter of musical events throughout the years.

A diagram of an instrument showing the parts of it.

How a Grand Piano Works


The dictionary definition of a grand piano is that it is “a large, full-toned piano that has the body, strings, and soundboard arranged horizontally and in line with the keys and is supported by three legs.” That is true, but it hardly touches on the complexity and magic of grand pianos and their parts. In spite of the magnificent assortment of exterior piano cases, the interior is the heart of the grand piano and its performance values. There are thousands of parts, and it is the quality of the manufacturing and materials of these parts and the expertise of the assemblage of them that makes one grand outdistance another. For this reason alone, it behooves people to know something about the instruments they play and purchase.

Whether it’s a baby grand under five feet long or concert grand over nine feet long, the grand piano with a faster touch and a larger sound, is considered more powerful and responsive than upright pianos in general.

So, let’s open the lid and examine what’s inside these really grand pianos.

The Plate

The large cast iron metal plate (often called “the harp”) could be thought of as the spine of the grand piano because it is used to hold over 20 tons of string tension in place. There are two types of plates on the market today: a sandcast and a v-pro plate. Most high-end grand pianos for sale include the sandcast because when it is manufactured, all the air bubbles are eliminated from the metal, thus producing a piano with a pure tone that gets no ringing from the plate. The quick v-pro plate production allows bubbles to get trapped in its metal, and while the plate is thinner, these plates will ring and typically interfere with the pure tone of the piano.

Sample of one of many designs of a sandcast metal piano harp
Sample of one of many designs of a sandcast metal piano harp

The holes in the plates allow the metal to cool evenly, and plates are designed by each manufacturer with logos and patent information.

The Pinblock

The ability of a piano to stay in tune depends on the quality of the pinblock which holds the tuning pins in place. Should one of the pins yield to the tremendous string tension, the piano goes out of tune. A special glue is used to laminate layers of the hardest wood to fashion a secure grip on the steel tuning pins. Old pianos frequently are heavily worn, and the holes may not hold the pins tightly, thus requiring installation of oversized pins or installing a new pinblock entirely. Cheap pianos made with inferior woods and workmanship will also need more frequent tuning.

How a Grand Piano Works

The Soundboard

Beneath the plate and the strings is the amplifier, a large thin wooden board that radiates a large volume of sound over a wide frequency range. (All stringed instruments have some kind of soundboard). This thin wooden amplifier is not one solid piece of wood but made of many smaller planks glued together in strong, but lightweight and flexible woods. Bridges are affixed to the soundboard to hold the strings in place at an extremely high tension. The bridges must be a very hard wood to keep the strings from cutting in. The bottom of the soundboard has softer wooden ribs or braces perpendicular to the grain of the wood, to strengthen it and distribute vibrations across the soundboard better.

Sample of a generic soundboard seen from the top
Sample of a generic soundboard seen from the top

The Strings

Grand piano strings attach to hitch pins near the tail of the piano and to tuning pins on the pinblock. More than 200 strings made out of tempered high carbon steel (also known as spring steel) are properly fit, installed and tuned. A lot of smaller parts like felts, hammers, hitch pin and bridge pins are used to guide, customize and affix the mighty strings.

How a Grand Piano Works

From manufacturer to manufacturer, indeed from model to model, the string configurations can and will differ. Each note is created by single, double and even triple strings of varying lengths and girths. Some strings are copper wound to affect sound and tone. They can be cushioned and tautened, loosed and crossed. It is a brain teaser to comprehend the scope of piano stringing, the nuance and subtleties of how each note is wrought from design and engineering skills. Pianos are truly marvels of mechanical genius and keep evolving with the times.

Action

The action of a piano is the mechanical assembly which translates the depression of the keys into rapid motion of a hammer, which creates sound by striking the strings. Of course, based on all the information learned about the parts above, we know it isn’t quite that simple. More aptly, we could call action the physics of the piano. It converts the touch of the pianist’s fingers on the piano keys into a mechanical flow of energy toward the string, achieved in interaction with the force of gravity.

How a Grand Piano Works

Action is also defined in different types. The direct action of an upright is the best vertical action. It is quicker with fewer moving parts and allows faster repetition.

Renner Piano Action – Most popular manufacturer of piano actions in the world

The grand piano action is the most responsive action using gravity more and relying less on springs than direct action.

The action is one of the most subjective areas when choosing a piano. Pianists who buy a piano with little resistance will have difficulty playing softly. Too much resistance and it will be difficult to play loudly. Beginners should probably ask for a medium action. The regulation of the action by a highly-skilled technician is a vital component of proper ongoing piano service.

How a Grand Piano Works

Tips on Choosing A Piano

See our complete blog post on “Choosing a Piano.” Here is a small summary:

1. Buyer beware! There are many old “cheap” pianos being hawked on ebay, craig’s list, and at bargain piano stores. If the price of a piano seems too good to be true, it probably is. A piano that has suffered damages may appear to be okay, but unless an expert examines it first, do not be fooled.

2. Get an education. With the advantages that the Internet provides, everyone today can begin to educate themselves without leaving their chair. Start by investigating Brand Names and Manufacturers. No longer is the cookie-cutter brown baby grand in demand, but a whole new smorgasbord of colors, designs, woods, sizes and décor is available.

3. Get out and about. A truly good piano store will not try to sell you on the available floor inventory, but will listen to your needs, and attempt to help you find the instrument that is the best grand piano. Don’t settle on a piano until you have found the experts that can help you. Piano sellers should be able to give you direction and objective information in your quest. Due to the nature of this product, the hard sell has no place in this industry.

About Euro Pianos Naples

Euro Pianos Naples is a respected distributor of European luxury musical instruments. The company’s origin dates back to 1965. Euro Pianos represents world renowned brands such as Sauter, and it has recently become a manufacturer of its own acrylic instrument – The Aire. Apart from being a successful retailer, consultant, and entrepreneur organization, Euro Pianos is actively engaged in the artistic and community life of Naples, Florida as an organizer and supporter of musical events throughout the years.

A piano sitting on top of a sandy beach.

How To Take Care Of Your Piano


How To Take Care Of Your Piano

A luxury piano not only promises a lifetime of enjoyment both musically and as an art object, but is an investment that warrants care and maintenance to assure its outstanding performance over the years.  There are factors that should be considered when owning a fine instrument, and different pianos have somewhat different needs.

All Pianos Need Skilled Technical Maintenance

Most people know that a piano requires periodic tuning. Tuning is the simplified catch phrase for what a skilled technician actually does “under the lid” on behalf of the intricate system inside your piano.  Most piano makers recommend servicing an expensive piano at least two times a year up to four times a year, depending on its use, and it’s especially important in the first year of a piano’s life in order to adjust to the humidity of a new location. To ensure the warranty and maintain the instrument’s value, qualified service is a must.

The three components of a piano’s performance service needs are tone, touch, and pitch. The technical adjustments that the technician applies on a given service call are based on the age, location, use and condition of the instrument.

Tone

Tone changes with wear on the felt hammer heads so periodic “voicing “of the hammers is necessary for a full, even tone. This is not a necessity in a new instrument and not part of the regular “tuning.” But pianists will recognize when the tone of their instrument is not producing the widest possible dynamic range, and an expert technician can restore the initial state of the hammer head felts and provide voicing services when needed. Voicing is an art mastered by specialists and should not be entrusted to just any piano tuner.

Touch

Touch is maintained by “regulation” service, which is the adjustment of the action and keyboard assemblies. The sophisticated actions of modern grand pianos and contemporary upright pianos give optimum results when the irregularities of the keyboard and action assembly are attended on a timely basis. Every qualified technician will re-adjust the action on each service call or let you know when such measures are necessary.

Pitch

Pitch is corrected by good piano tuning. The strings of a piano must be of a proper tension, i.e. pitch, in order to have the correct sounding, musical intervals.  Changes in climate, location, and amount of use or disuse can affect the tension of the strings and throw a piano out of tune. Superior pianos hold their pitch.  Mass produce, inexpensive pianos usually require more maintenance. As an example, most new pianos need tuning when they reach the store of the dealer.  But performance pianos like the remarkable handmade Fazioli pianos are delivered from Italy and have perfect pitch coming out of the box.  Depending on the frequency of use and choice of literature, a piano might need frequent tunings, as in the case of a professional concert grand piano which is tuned prior to every performance.

Regardless of how much you play your piano or how often you service it, you should only entrust a valuable asset to qualified technicians. In the wrong hands, the delicate workings of pianos can be severely and permanently damaged.  Just as you probably wouldn’t drop your Ferrari automobile off at JiffyLube, you don’t want to be careless with maintenance personnel for your high-end piano.

What Determines The Need For Piano Maintenance?

Piano Moving and Transport is no small matter. Even within a person’s own home, a professional piano mover can save the owner a lot of grief.  Pianos are bulky and heavy, even when they are on casters. At the same time they are delicate and intricate mechanized instruments and not merely pieces of furniture. Moving a piano yourself can wreck your own floors, and do permanent damage to an expensive instrument. The legs of a piano can be severely damaged without proper lifting and pressure techniques. Professional piano movers are worth their (usually) high prices in order to preserve your precious investment. Moving a piano is usually enough to disrupt the pitch and action and necessitate skilled maintenance on the instrument. Moving it without professional piano movers is usually enough to cause serious damage. Do not be fooled into thinking that standard furniture/household movers are a solution.  Piano moving is a specialized skill.

Piano movers have specialized experience, equipment and should carry insurance. Damages caused by moving a piano are not covered by factory warranties.  When hiring a mover, you must communicate accurate information about the building, freight elevators, number of floors and stairs, stair landing size and rotation angles, etc.  for both pickup and delivery.  

How To Take Care Of Your Piano

Access permissions to gated communities and high-rise condominiums must be secured and guaranteed for the movers. Make sure the climate is controlled in the truck for long journeys or in the storage place if delivery is delayed or storage is required. Extremes in temperature can be very detrimental to an instrument. Never store a piano in a warehouse or space that is not climate controlled.

It is for all these reasons that used pianos are such a risky undertaking. A buyer never knows where that piano has been, how it’s been moved or treated, and if it has or has not sustained internal damage that cannot be repaired.

Indoor Climate and Humidity is an important consideration for your piano and will affect not only the frequency of maintenance, but the ongoing health of your prized instrument. Many parts of the piano are made using fine and sometime rare woods for pinblocks, soundboards, hammers and outer cases—and the temperature of a room can affect such materials.

How To Take Care Of Your Piano

Needless to say, a piano should never be permanently placed in an outside locale, even in Florida where there’s no concern for snow. The humidity alone would do irreparable damage.

Variations in temperatures, from extreme heat to extreme cold, can do damage to the organic and sensitive working parts.  Woods are sensitive to change, so at high humidity, tuning suffers; natural materials such as felt, wood and leather swell, and high humidity can wreak havoc on the keyboard and action assembly.  On the other hand, extreme dryness can be just as dangerous.  If the humidity goes below 35 percent, water should be added to the climate of the room.  Ideally you should have a thermometer and humidity meter in place, with 40 to 50% humidity and an approximate temp of 70 degrees as a rule of thumb.

Piano Placement in the Room may not sound like it would affect the care and maintenance of your instrument, but the location not only dictates how sound is optimally delivered (radiated into the space) but how maintenance can be affected as well.   When you purchase a piano from an experienced source, you should be able to consult with them about the ideal placement for acoustical resonance, and avoiding dangers.

How To Take Care Of Your Piano

You would not place a piano over or near heat and cold sources which could dry wood, cause cracks and affect the tuning stability.  Bright direct sunlight, open patio doors, traffic patterns, clutter and other factors should be taken into consideration in placement.

How to Clean a Piano

Piano Case Cleaning and Care helps the long-term value of your asset.  Dusting lightly and piano polish is recommended. Fingerprints can be removed with a damp chamois. Special veneers usually have recommendations from the manufacturer for special products, but care is needed about applying too much pressure, never rubbing satin surfaces too strongly. Avoid using water on the case, and avoid allowing any kind of drinks or food to be placed the piano.

Do not use abrasives or any kind of aggressive cleaning agents. If you have a major mess on your hands, contact a reputable piano consultant or technician to give you advice.

Most importantly, any kind of “cleaning” needed under the lid should only be handled by an expert.

So, What About The Care And Maintenance Of A Glass Piano?

How To Take Care Of Your Piano

The beautiful new transparent pianos which reveal what’s under the lid may not have as much wood on the outside, but they still have organic materials within.  The tone, touch and pitch maintenance is  the same as any piano, although in the crystal grand piano, you can be assured that you have bought the most stable and reliable of luxury pianos,  much more likely to hold pitch longer, given that cheap pianos always require more upkeep.

Plexiglas acrylic remains crystal clear without distortion no matter the thickness of shape.  It’s scratch resistant with a perfect smooth, shiny surface so dirt can barely adhere and the surface repels water.  These properties last a lifetime. The nicest maintenance perk is that the exterior care of these beauties consists of little more than normal wipe-cleaning with water and a damp cloth to keep it looking new. Normal small scratches that might occur on acrylic can be cured with a special cleanser or acrylic polish.  Severe scoring or gouging can be sanded and refinished.

The airy lightness of the glass pianos often make its placement in a room a less difficult decision because it doesn’t ‘hold down the floor’ like some 800 lb. black concert grands.

Another perk of the glass pianos is that the case is not as sensitive to direct sunlight and staining.

But regardless of the case, the buyer should always be aware that it’s the inside of the case where the precious cargo is carried—so regular care and maintenance is not to be ignored.

ABOUT EURO PIANOS NAPLES

Euro Piano Naples, a world-renowned distributor of European designer pianos, has company origins dating back to 1965.  Its innovative online boutique, caters to designers and consumers seeking the best, and offers the zenith of luxury instruments, including its own newly designed acrylic piano, The Aire.  Based in Naples, Florida, Euro Pianos Naples is a community leader actively engaged in artistic and commercial affairs, sponsoring a series of grand piano concerts featuring world class pianists.

A piano that is sitting on top of a table.

UPRIGHT PIANOS – THE WHOLE STORY


Upright pianos have been very popular for decades, but were once highly disparaged by critics who prefer the performance of grand pianos.  It no longer holds true, however, as in the latest piano renaissance, uprights have come into their own. But it was never a fair comparison since the instruments are manufactured for different uses, and to serve the needs of different pianists.

Beginning in 1805, uprights found their place in the piano market. They were sometimes referred to as “cottage” pianos, in those days, because they took up less floor space.  Homes that could afford pianos then were usually large, with parlors suited to extravagant grand pianos.

But people who weren’t rich and didn’t have large Victorian houses wanted to play pianos. They had children who wanted to learn piano. Smart manufacturers lowered piano production costs by introducing uprights which propelled the vertical piano into many homes by the end of the 1800’s. By the beginning of the 1900’s, the upright piano became the space-saving  and money-saving alternative to the grand piano.

What Defines An Upright Piano?

When most people think of pianos, they picture a three-legged behemoth with a lid that opens to expose intricate machinations within including a flat soundboard with strings and hammers. The baby grand, the parlor grand, the concert grand comes to mind.

UPRIGHT PIANOS – THE WHOLE STORY
UPRIGHT PIANOS – THE WHOLE STORY

The upright, however, is more of a square box, sitting “upright” with a keyboard jutting from the box.  Designs differ.  Sometimes the keyboard is supported by legs (as below) and other times not.  As you can see, they are wholly different animals in basic design, and serve wholly different purposes

The “action” inside a piano produces the music. When a piano key is pressed down, its tail lifts a mechanism that throws a hammer against the strings for that key’s note. Simultaneously a damper (a small block of wood with felt affixed) is raised from these strings, allowing them to vibrate more freely. There are more complex mechanisms at work in the action, but too technical to describe in one article.

In a grand piano, the action of the hammer and damper design relies on gravity to complete each note. The action of the upright differs because it returns to a resting position by means of springs rather than by gravity alone, as in a grand. The springs, in part, account for the characteristic key touch of uprights, which is distinctly different from grands. The chief advantages of upright pianos lie in their modest price and compactness.

The soundboard and plate of the strings of an upright piano run vertically, perpendicular to the keyboard, from 36” to 60”, thus taking up less floor space than the horizontal grand piano.

UPRIGHT PIANOS – THE WHOLE STORY

The majority of upright pianos now have strings running upward from the bottom of the case, near the floor. An interesting historical note is that this design is owed to an Englishman, John Isaac Hawkins, who moved to America and was an important manufacturer in Philadelphia.  In 1801 he patented this small upright piano with a folding keyboard.  One sits in the Smithsonian today.

Hawkins’ upright action had felt hammers (originally leather), double-strings, 2 pedals: wood frame with iron bars behind the soundboard, straight-strung, and a mahogany veneer case with metal carrying handles. An extraordinarily beautiful little piano, with lines clean enough to be considered contemporary to 21st Century tastes.

Before Hawkins, the strings did not run from the bottom of the case, but started upward from near the level of the keys; these instruments were necessarily much taller and necessitated  various decorative shapes to accommodate the actions.  Some of the historically famous are the lyre-shaped pyramid model (Pyramidenflügel; 1745) of the Saxon organ-builder Ernst Christian Friderici, with both sides sloping upward to the flat top.

UPRIGHT PIANOS – THE WHOLE STORY

Another curiosity was the giraffe style design ( Giraffenflügel; 1804) of Martin Seuffert of Vienna, with one side straight and one bent, as on a grand piano.

So the upright piano evolved in shape and in action, over the years and has been in demand for decades as the choice for economy budgets and small music rooms, schools, studios, teachers’ rooms, and homes and public venues too small to house a grand piano.

Giraffe-style” piano, an upright piano in Biedermeier style, by Gebroeders Muller. Courtesy of the Centraal Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Giraffe-style” piano, an upright piano in Biedermeier style, by Gebroeders Muller. Courtesy of the Centraal Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands

Upright Piano Dimensions

Dimensions for an upright piano are important for measuring the space where the piano needs to sit, and don’t forget to allow space in front of the piano for a stool or bench.

The standard width of an upright piano is about 5′ and the depth is between 2 – 2½’. The total floor space allowance should be about 5′ wide by 5′ deep, including bench space. The height of the piano makes no difference in the floor space needed but it makes a major difference in the quality of sound the piano produces.

Upright pianos are made in various heights; the shortest are called spinets or consoles, and these are generally considered to have an inferior tone resulting from the shortness of their strings and their smaller soundboards.  The height of a vertical piano is measured from the floor to the top of the piano.

Spinets are the smallest (approx. 38” tall);

UPRIGHT PIANOS – THE WHOLE STORY

The spinet piano is the smallest of the small upright pianos. The spinet piano has a dropped action. In appearance the spinet and console pianos are very similar. Some technicians charge more to work on spinet pianos because they are more difficult to service due to the action placement. Action parts are more difficult to get to and parts are quite fragile.

Consoles, slightly taller than spinets (up to 43”)

UPRIGHT PIANOS – THE WHOLE STORY

The console is a popular vertical piano among an upright piano for sale. The action of a console piano sits directly on top of the keys and as with all vertical pianos the hammers sit in an upright position. Once the hammer strikes the string and the key is released a spring pulls the hammer back to its original position, ready to strike again. A vertical piano’s action is somewhat slower than the action of a grand piano. Read more about console vs spinet pianos.

Studio, taller still, up to 48” are  often used in schools and music studios

UPRIGHT PIANOS – THE WHOLE STORY

The additional height of the studio piano makes for longer strings and thus gives a richer  tonal quality comparable to some grand pianos. The location and feel of the action is also different in a studio piano. Many of the newer studio pianos mimic the touch and sound of a grand piano. Piano manufacturers continue to improve and enhance designs on both verticals and grands in some amazing ways.

Uprights, (50” to 60” tall, originally “the Parlor” piano).

UPRIGHT PIANOS – THE WHOLE STORY

The tallest of the vertical pianos is the upright. Today this term is usually used to refer to any large upright piano (as opposed to a grand piano.)  But it is also what they called the antique  upright pianos made in America in the 1920 – 1940’s. If properly maintained and treated like the fine antiques they are, these old pianos are some of the most esthetically beautiful and durable instruments ever made. If not properly maintained, an antique piano has no value as a musical instrument and is merely a large piece of furniture. A used upright piano.

Upright Piano Weight

One of the toughest things about owning a piano is its size and weight when it comes time to move it to a new location. A vertical piano, depending on which model, from a spinet to a large upright, can weigh anywhere from 250 lbs. to 500 lbs.  This is an important factor to know when you are choosing movers.  And you do not entrust any kind of piano to household movers!  It must be said that professional piano movers are worth their prices inasmuch as they will insure that your valuable instrument is handled the way it needs to be.  All that complex action within the case is delicate and can be easily damaged if movers are not trained for professional moving.  Your local mover will assure you they can move your piano, wanting your business, but as experts in the field, we encourage you to hire piano professionals. This is our favorite photo of how bad it can get without all the knowledge of weight, straps, balance, and care that’s needed.

Dropped Bosendorfer Concert Grand Piano
Dropped Bosendorfer Concert Grand Piano

Upright Piano Weight

There are well preserved and/or restored upright antiques to be found and there is a market for them. But a buyer needs to be careful and know pianos or reputable dealers before making such a purchase. Pianos have a rich history and it is reflected in the designs of world class piano makers from all over the world.

Of course, the finest of these antiques were also the finest of their day, and were in the homes of the wealthy where they could be afforded and well cared for. Made usually in mahogany, walnut or oak, these antiques carry sound better because of the long aging process of their woods which makes them last longer too and such aged wood is not available in new pianos.  Their warm tenor, resonant bass, and singing trebles all pay homage to the craftsmanship of 100 years ago.   However the copper wound strings and metalwork within today’s pianos are much better than antiques.

Even within antique upright pianos, there are different qualities and categories based on the age and models.

Custom Made Art Case Upright Pianos

Probably highest on the antique list would be the old and exquisite art case pianos which one mostly finds in museums.  Interestingly enough, the art case has been revived in recent years in modern pianos, so one doesn’t have to search for them anymore.

In the early days, art cases were designed and customized, one of a kind orders (and still are today) made by famous furniture makers with famous piano makers. Often embellished with mosaics, marquetry, and all manner of artistic flourishes, these pianos were the zenith of wealth.

UPRIGHT PIANOS – THE WHOLE STORY

Here’s an example of an 1858 custom made John Broadman & Sons French style upright.  It is designed to look like a writing desk, with a finish of Satinwood and Rosewood Marquetry and inlay. Usually antique pianos of this level of luxury are restored with loving care and are a substantial investment.

American Victorian Upright Pianos

After the Civil War, the impact of the Victorian era really took hold in America and extended until the change of the century. Old American money was uncertain and nouveau money was moving in. Victorian art movements like Classicism, Neoclassicism, Romanticism, and Impressionism had its impact on America. When the Victorians were enjoying the rise of literary and poetry works of their famous writers, America was experiencing a simultaneous growth of literary and poetry. Piano design took a decidedly rococo and romantic turn. The surface of the piano cases were carved with garlands and cupids, leaves and blossoms, with ornate swirls and ribbons and intricate fretwork.  This 1877 Victorian was the fanciest, largest and most expensive Steinway upright piano in their line.

UPRIGHT PIANOS – THE WHOLE STORY

Post Victorian Upright Pianos

After the Victorian era, in the early 1900’s, designs started to gradually settle down but kept the good dark woods and graceful ornamentation, just not so lavish.  Pianos were mass produced in more abundance to reach a larger market, so the efficiency of production required some simplification.  Still ornate, they were nevertheless more understated than the majority of Victorian instruments.  The open filigree panels of the piano above is replaced with carved panels like the piano below, for an example.

This 1909 Wing & Sons upright (and all of the pianos manufactured by this fine company) were sold exclusively by lavish mail-order catalogs and were known for their 5-pedal-attachments that mimicked harp, zither and mandolin.

UPRIGHT PIANOS – THE WHOLE STORY

Mass Produced & The New Middle Class Uprights

Gradually as the “middle class” developed, the simple upright piano became affordable to those who were comfortable, if not rich.  In the 1920’s, the man on the street could now afford to bring home an Upright for his family. America was growing and economic success allowed more families to put a piano in the parlor. It might not have been as fancy as the earlier models but mass-produced uprights by good piano makers like Steinway changed the game.

UPRIGHT PIANOS – THE WHOLE STORY

21st Century Upright Pianos

The piano world has had a revolution. Innovative European piano makers have taken time-honored quality and classical styling and transformed historic excellence into modern magnificence with the use of handmade Stradivarian woods, unimagined precision actions, and a variety of decorous piano cases defying art itself.  Manufacturers are again hiring furniture designers and prestigious artists to collaborate on customized pianos.

We were knocked out when Sauter hired German designer, Peter Maly to bring the upright piano into the 21st Century.  Maly, in an exclusive contract with one of the most respected, quality European piano builders, Sauter (who always makes our ten top lists in every category of pianos.) came out with humdingers.  Outstanding style and modernity positively jump out of these models.

Sauter Rondo upright
Sauter Rondo upright

This easy on the eyes upright positively oozes with style, its rounded edges and cheerful aspect begs to be played.

The piano seemingly “floats” on stainless steel cylinders and the sophisticated case in available in dark brown wenge wood or glossy black. With Maly ingenuity, the lid opens in “wing-like” formations, with an upholstered chrome and leather bench.

The stark ebony lacquer of this Pure model make it one of our favorites.  This design, named “Pure” is an upright based on the principle that “less is more” –as little as possible, as much as necessary. The  aim was to be archetypal, reducing the best quality instrument to its essentials, nothing superfluous. And these uprights offer more than visual style and individualism. Remember we told you that pianos are always being improved and new innovations are added over the decades? All of Sauter’s larger verticals use an action, designed and patented by Sauter, that contains an auxiliary jack spring to aid in faster repetition. It’s called the R2 Double Escapement action. The tongue-shaped spring on the jack has been added and keeps it pressed against the butt of the hammer much like gravity does on a grand piano. Repetition is nearly instantaneous, but doesn’t put any “lost motion” in the key. Professionals choose these uprights for performance qualities.

Sauter Pure - Black
Sauter Pure – Black

The Pure white upright piano, the sister to the ebony, as well as their Concent white model are also favorites of customers these days.  The light airy design coupled with white make fine choices for today’s contemporary settings.

Sauter Vitrea
Sauter Vitrea

This first cousin of the Pure model, Vitrea has the same aliform winged lid and quality R2 double-repetition action under the hood. But this upright is shockingly unique with cool front panels of frosted matte glass (available in two shades but shown here in green).  subtly set into shades of dark or light oak, Reminiscent of fine Venetian art glass, Vitrea catches the light and is a startling pleasure to see in an upright piano, making it unique, surprising and memorable.

Manufacturers Of Upright Pianos

There’s no shortage of upright piano brands – not in the past and not today.  Below is a little list of some of the players that were or are very big in the piano world.  The industry is rich with history.  We didn’t include even a fraction of the companies. These are just samples of brands you probably know as well as Steinway & Sons.  And they made or make upright pianos, which is what we’re focused on here.

  • Baldwin Upright Pianos –  1890 – 2001, a very famous company.
  • Chickering & Sons Upright Pianos – 1823 – 1983 – responsible for cast iron plate in pianos.
  • Gulbransen Upright Pianos – 1825 – 1969  – acquired by Story & Clark
  • Kawai Upright Pianos – 1930 – Present (also owns Shigeru Kawai brand)
  • Kimball Upright Pianos – 1857 – 1996 (once world’s largest piano company)
  • Kohler & Campbell Upright Pianos – 1896  (discontinued in North America but sold elsewhere)
  • Sauter Upright Pianos – 1819 – Present (some of the best upright pianos and the most beautiful in the business)
  • Story & Clark Upright Pianos – 1884 – Present
  • Yamaha Upright Pianos – 1887 – Present (also makes electronic pianos)
  • Young Chang Upright Pianos – 1956 – Present (also makes electronic upright pianos)
  • Wurlitzer Upright Pianos – 1856 – 1988  (acquired by Baldwin)

Upright Piano Prices

To even attempt to estimate prices of upright pianos is foolishness.  Like anything else, the price is reflected in the quality, the brand, the demand for, and the performance of the instrument.  Pianos sell used and new.  (with and without warranties).  The truth is you can spend as much on an upright as your budget allows. What’s more important than the price is what you’re getting for the price.  That is the reason we write these articles in an effort to educate people about a very complex and exciting industry.

You will find that the finest uprights are now hand made for and with concert quality components. Even professionals’ upright practice pianos need to be performance quality, and with the uprights available today, good brands offer some that are comparable to smaller grands, as well as eye appealing, beautiful vertical instruments that home designers and art collectors can embrace.

We have been blessed with a piano design revolution, and because of this renaissance in upright pianos in recent years, both in visual values and technical innovations, it is helpful to get educated and perhaps get help from an expert.  We are available for free consultation on any new pianos you might be seeking.  Our years of sales and expertise can save you time and money. We encourage you to read through the blog articles as well, as we endeavor to get as much information down as possible to help you in your efforts.

About Euro Pianos Naples

Euro Pianos Naples is a respected distributor of European luxury musical instruments. The company’s origin dates back to 1965. Euro Pianos represents world renowned brands such as Sauter, and it has recently become a manufacturer of its own acrylic instrument – The Aire. Apart from being a successful retailer, consultant, and entrepreneur organization, Euro Pianos is actively engaged in the artistic and community life of Naples, Florida as an organizer and supporter of musical events throughout the years.

A black and white piano is sitting on top of a table.

Modern Grand Piano


When one uses the word “modern” to describe pianos, you are getting into very subjective territory. Pianos over the decades have gone through transformations of shapes and sizes, handmade to mass-produced, and technologically aided and abetted with computer software, players system and gizmos. Manufacturers have added extra piano keys, extra piano pedals, and intricate improvements to the mechanisms within, but realistically, the piano of the 1700’s is almost as “modern” as the modern piano of today.

1796 John Broadwood & Son Grand piano

1796 John Broadwood & Son Grand piano

20th Century Bosendorfer Artisan

20th Century Bosendorfer Artisan

Pipe organs could be considered the grandfather of pianos and can be traced back to Ancient Greece. They were the wellspring for experimenting with hammers striking strings instead of driving pressurized wind through a pipe via a keyboard. By the Middle Ages, “hammered dulcimers” were used. By the 17th century, the mechanics of the clavichord and the harpsichord were advanced. In a clavichord, the strings are struck by small brass blades called tangents.  In a harpsichord, strings are mechanically plucked by quills when the key is struck.

Centuries of work on the harpsichord in particular led the way for builders to learn how to construct the case, soundboard, bridge, and mechanical action for a keyboard intended to sound strings.

Harpsichord by Ruckers 1646

Harpsichord by Ruckers 1646

Who Invented the Modern Piano?

The first known piano presented in Florence, Italy in 1709 was made by Bartolomeo de Francesco Cristofori. He called this new instrument “gravicembalo col piano e forte” (translates to “soft and loud keyboard instrument”), and was shortened to “pianoforte” or “fortepiano” and later to “piano.”

The Modern Grand Piano

The Grand piano has become the bastion of the concert hall.  Professional pianists, in order to create their best performances require instruments which produce the best possible sound.  The most fundamental difference in a grand piano from baby grands or uprights, is the length of the strings.  All else being equal, the longer the strings of a piano, the larger the soundboard area, the larger and richer the sound, with lower dissonance of the strings. Baby grands and uprights having shorter and sometimes thicker strings, can have more dissonance which is perceived as a harshness of tone.  The ability of the concert grand piano to “stretch” octaves sustains its brilliant, singing tone quality.

Bechstein Concert Grand Model 232

Bechstein Concert Grand Model 232

The most prestigious European manufacturers compete to make their concert grand pianos the ultimate in striking tonal quality and beauty.  Their classic ebony cases are the norm as in the Bechstein 232 above.

The concert piano is created for the symphonic stage, concert halls and opera houses. But of course any magnificent private home with enough space to handle the volume, tone and timbre of such a large instrument can do justice to a concert grand. Designers may request changes to the case color, or added embellishments, special woods, inlays, semi-precious gems or even artist paintings to match their interior design. Sometimes a concert grand in a simple ebony case just suits the residence and the needs of a professional pianist. Usually the best concert grand pianos are reserved for public venues where their sound can reach the balcony and the back rows to the delight of the audience.  Concert grands are the most magnificent products of the piano craftsmen’s art.

This largest of all grand pianos is roughly nine or ten feet in length (2.75 to 3.05 meters). Most are around nine feet long, though the Bösendorfer Imperials from Austria are 9½ feet and Fazioli, the Italian concert grand, is 10 feet.

The Modern Baby Grand Piano

Baby grand pianos are under six feet, but normally fall in the 4’11” to 5’9” range. Baby grands satisfy the space and cost needs of private residences as well as smaller performance venues where a concert grand sound would be too much.

You might worry about losing the sound qualities of a grand piano when choosing a baby grand.  It’s a reasonable question for people highly concerned with performance values.  However, we have found that in modern pianos, the European high end builders have successfully engineered solutions to maintain performance and tone standards in their smaller instruments.

A “wide” tail design at the end of the piano accommodates a larger soundboard, and thus larger sound. One of the best built pianos in the world is a Fazioli F156, and note the width of the tail.

Wide tail vs Narrow tail

Narrow tail design

Narrow tail design

Wide tail design

Wide tail design

Another “modern” addition to the baby grand, which enhances its performance by German pianomaker Bluthner: the aliquot bar. Aliquot stringing is the use of extra, un-struck strings in the piano for the purpose of enriching the tone.  If you find a baby grand with aliquot stringing, you know it’s a premium instrument.  Some pianos use individual aliquots, some have devised “bars” to hold the aliquot strings, and others like Fazioli have created a stainless-steel track, fixed to the cast-iron plate, on which individual aliquots slide. Regardless of how they’re designed, they’re a good indication of a superior piano. It is improvements of this nature that have been applied since the days of Cristofori that might define “modern.”

We find that an explosion of piano innovations to truly delight the eye have renewed the public’s interest in baby grands.  As a result, these instruments have become the focus of interior designers who include them in décor schemes of the modern homes of today.  Piano makers are having a renaissance in customization, giving the modern piano all the attributes of stylized furniture, art treasures, and even acrylic embellishments which creates an almost “weightless” look to a baby grand.

The Aire™ acrylic baby grand piano designed and sold by Euro Pianos

The Aire™ acrylic baby grand piano designed and sold by Euro Pianos

In today’s market, it is not enough for a piano to just be a piano.  Designers and decorators increasingly view pianos as a “statement piece”  to enhance their clients’ décor. Designers representing different demographics may be seeking what some might perceive to be a  strange piano to complement a totally unique décor; or perhaps searching for  cool pianos for the purist or the avant gardists.

Lucid Hive Elegance made by Bluthner

Lucid Hive Elegance made by Bluthner

FAZIOLI M Liminal

FAZIOLI M Liminal

Of course, a Grand piano can be a cool piano!  For those with means and the space for the unusual, we love the Fazioli M.Liminal. This is one of the most beautiful pianos in the world today.

Originally commissioned for a yacht, N.Y.T.Line designed the M. Liminal to reflect the lines of the sea and that of dolphins playing in the waves.  It has a gorgeous metal base and the exquisite case is built around the six foot Fazioli grand piano. Its music rack is Lucite.

When you think it can’t get any better, Fazioli and N.Y.T. Line come out with the new Aria model which has all of the incomparable aplomb of the M. Liminal but is built upon the seven foot Fazioli grand and stretches almost 10ft long.

Modern Grand Piano

Besides the size of the Fazioli, the other differences in these pianos is that the Aria has an ebony music rack as opposed to Lucite. See our website for more modern piano designs.

The Modern Upright piano

Uprights tend to be the stepchild in the piano industry, but due to streamlining and new inventions, they have really come into their own. Upright pianos enjoy a new reputation as “modern uprights” due to engineering innovations and a lot of beautiful case designs.  One of our favorite German piano makers, Sauter, is responsible for both. Six generations of Sauters have owned the company since 1819. They are known for their meticulous quality and performance but at the same time, never forget that beautiful cases count with their customers.  For starts, Sauter makes its own keys. The keybed is reinforced with steel to prevent warping, and all of their pianos are fully tropicalized for humid climates. The larger verticals use an action, designed and patented by Sauter.  It contains an auxiliary jack spring which aids in faster repetitions. Sauter calls this the R2 Double Escapement action. (Although the term double escapement does not apply here as it has historically been used, the mechanism has some of the same effects.) Producing approximately 800 verticals and 120 grand pianos each year, their acoustical parts are made of high-quality woods, at a factory at the foot of the Alps.

In addition to Sauter’s famous technical innovations, they were forward thinking enough 20 years ago to commission a famous German designer, Peter Maly, to design a line of upright and grand pianos. The distinct modern lines of Maly combined with Sauter’s technical know how, has produced some of the most exciting uprights in the market.

Sauter’s Pure in Cayenne finish by Peter Maly

Sauter’s Pure in Cayenne finish by Peter Maly

Sauter’s Rondo model by Peter Maly

Sauter’s Rondo model by Peter Maly

Sauter offers some customization choices in these models.  The Maly uprights are enough to inspire any designer.

These beautiful uprights have enough “oomph” to satisfy the most discerning buyer, and give performance qualities that exceed most of the economical baby grands on the market.

Another Maly design worth noting is the 48″ upright Vitrea, after the Latin word for glass, with a veneer of colored glass covering the front of the cabinet. It’s hard to get more European or more dramatic than this. Indeed,  Maly designs very cool pianos.

Sauter Vitrea

Sauter Vitrea

About Euro Pianos Naples

Euro Pianos Naples is a respected distributor of European luxury musical instruments. The company’s origin dates back to 1965. Euro Pianos represents world renowned brands such as Sauter, and it has recently become a manufacturer of its own acrylic instrument – The Aire. Apart from being a successful retailer, consultant, and entrepreneur organization, Euro Pianos is actively engaged in the artistic and community life of Naples, Florida as an organizer and supporter of musical events throughout the years.

A piano is measured in inches and length.

Baby Grand Piano Dimensions

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The most popular piano is the world is likely the baby grand. Today’s piano industry offers a multitude of choices in baby grand instruments – traditional, rococo, modern, futuristic designs – as well as colors, veneers, finishes, inlays, LED lights, acrylics, metal and artistic graphics. The perfect piano for every home is available for the asking, and most people ask: where do I start? 

Well, let’s start at the beginning. What exactly is a Baby Grand Piano anyway? How does it differ from a Grand Piano? Or a Concert Grand Piano?  How many categories of acoustic pianos are there?  There are no hard and fast definitions, but as a rule of thumb, and with the 300-year-old history of the instrument, these categories will give you an idea.

Pianos are measured by their LENGTH, from the keyboard to the tail end of lid.

Concert Grand

Let’s start with the granddaddy of the industry. The concert grand, normally made for and used by professional concert halls and artists, is 8’11” and longer. The longest to date is 10’ 2”.

Semi Concert Grand

A slightly smaller version of the concert grand is made to accommodate those smaller venues that might not require as much sound. These instruments can run from 7’4” up to 8’10” and would be good for medium sized churches and halls where the pianist doesn’t have to reach the upper balcony.

Parlor Grand

An acoustic piano that was popular all through the early 1900’s in America was considered a “parlor grand” and that’s because the largest room in the house was called the parlor. This sized grand is about 6’8” and the name still is used in some stores.

Drawing Room Grand

The drawing room is an even older version of a parlor, referring back to 16th century parlance for a room where one could “withdraw” for more privacy. It gradually became shortened to drawing room, another word for living room. But the slightly smaller origins of the withdrawing room dictated the size of this grand at about 6’4” In those days, it would have been harpsichords, frontrunner of the pianoforte. Thus, the large size. History likes to hold onto monikers, and this one has managed to survive through the centuries, although not widely used anymore.

Professional Grand

Trained pianists who play in public have needs for music to attain certain resonances, tones and qualities – in order to satisfy and reach their audiences. An acoustic piano is usually considered “professional” when it is at least 6’long. Small pianos today sometimes may actually have these same attributes, as technical improvements have been made over the decades, but six feet is still the accepted rule of thumb for a “professional” instrument.

Living Room Grand

As society evolved, a middle class with some disposable income emerged. They too wanted pianos. Historically only the rich and royal were able to own them. But as the demand for pianos increased, the builders had to accommodate more modest homes, and thus the sizes began to shrink. Modern America now had “living rooms” instead of parlors or drawing rooms, and 5’10” grands were made to fit the reduced spaces.

Medium Grand

As the popularity of pianos exploded, so did the need come for different sizes to fit yet smaller rooms. Maybe a music room or a finished basement could accommodate a piano 5’7” to 5’9” so this was deemed (by some) as a “medium grand.” Not everyone would agree, but these categories give you the ranges. You will find variations to all of these from manufacturer to manufacturer.

Baby Grand

Finally, we arrive at our destination, the BABY GRAND! The big little favorite almost universally runs from 5’ to 5’7” and is so popular because it fits in almost any space where it’s needed. Also, the technical aspects of piano making have improved with every size rendition, thus giving the baby grand almost all the credentials, it needs for anything but Carnegie Hall.

Petite Baby Grand

There is one more category – under 4’7” up to 5’instruments are called petite, but in these sizes, there is a shortage of soundboard for the kind of resonance found in a baby grand. This would not be a recommended size. There are beautiful upright pianos today that are perfect for spaces that simply cannot house a standard baby grand.

What Are The Actual Dimensions Of A Baby Grand Piano?

Baby Grand Piano Dimensions

The length of a baby grand piano ranges from five feet to five feet seven inches, as detailed above, (with the petite being under five feet in length).

The width of most acoustic pianos, regardless of their length, is five feet wide.

What Are The Differences Between A Baby Grand And A Grand Piano?

The size of the soundboard and the length of the strings make the most difference in the volume, resonance and sound quality of a piano. It stands to reason that a concert grand whose sound can reach the upper echelons of huge concert halls requires a larger soundboard and longer strings. Such a huge piano in the living room of the normal home however might blow listeners out of the house. 

As the sizes decrease, the sound travels a shorter distance. It does not mean that the quality of the tone and resonance is necessarily lessened.

Short Tail/Wide Tail Design

Baby Grand Piano Dimensions

A baby grand piano with a wider tail can house much longer bass strings and has space for a bigger soundboard. Additionally, it has a better receptive area for its bridges. The baby grand pianos with wider tails tend to be superior pianos because the bass tone is richer. 

Small well build pianos can function with the integrity and richness of tone of their larger kin. It all depends on the quality of the components and the expertise of the piano builder.

How Much Floor Space Is Needed For A Baby Grand?

Baby Grand Piano Dimensions

When measuring a room for a piano, you have to consider the piano dimensions. When shopping, check with the manufacturer for the exact specifications, so you know what the actual dimensions are, then add two more feet in length, for the bench or stool.

In addition to the actual size of the instrument, the pianist needs to be able to move comfortably in and out of the setting. How and where the piano is positioned can make a visual presentation in the balance and décor of a room, furniture to space.

The baby grand is a choice model for home use because its volume and tone are sufficient to “fill” the typical living room, and its size makes it appropriate for modest homes as well as high end luxury homes.

Should You Buy The Smallest Baby Grand?

People who have small rooms sometimes think that a petite baby grand under five feet is the way to go, but as mentioned earlier, there is a loss of sound quality associated with really short petite grands.

Larger soundboard and longer strings produce greater volume and resonance of tone. As you can see, a petite baby grand is not even as long as it is wide. It pays to remember that the longer the piano, the better the performance. 

It might be worthwhile to take a look at the beautiful new uprights available today if your floor space can’t accommodate more than a petite baby grand. The quality of high-end uprights surpasses that of most petite grands.

What Is The Average Weight Of A Baby Grand?

Weights differ slightly from model to model, from brand to brand, but on an average, a baby grand piano weighs 500 pounds, about 100 pounds less than a standard grand piano. Upright pianos weight about 300 to 350 pounds, as a comparative. Again, when shopping for a piano, check out the specifications of the piano you want to get exact dimensions.

In Summary

So in summary, baby grand piano size dimensions play an important role.  They determine your sound quality, traffic flow and visual impact in your home.  The choice of a baby grand is a big step and Euro Pianos is here to help.

We can’t resist showing you our own inhouse-designed acrylic baby grand, the Aire, (so transparent it looks like it floats on air)  There’s something about acrylic that makes a piano shrink to a smaller size in space. 

Aire™ Piano in Black Trim
Aire™ Piano in Black Trim

About Euro Pianos Naples

Euro Pianos Naples is a respected distributor of European luxury musical instruments. The company’s origin dates back to 1965. Euro Pianos represents world renowned brands such as Sauter, Bluthner Lucid Pianos, Fazioli and it has recently become a manufacturer of its own acrylic instrument – The Aire. Apart from being a successful retailer, consultant, and entrepreneur organization, Euro Pianos is actively engaged in the artistic and community life of Naples, Florida as an organizer and supporter of musical events throughout the years.

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