People who decide to purchase a piano are immediately faced with two big questions – should
they buy a grand or an upright piano and should it be a new or used unit. In this blog post, I have a list of piano features that you should look out for when you make the decision to buy the musical instrument.
Types of Pianos
Pianos come in two different design types; grand and upright pianos, and there are huge differences in terms of cost, practicality and quality between the two of them. Features of each type of piano are as follows:
Allocation of Space
Grand Pianos
Grand pianos are huge; therefore, if you live in a tiny apartment, a grand piano is certainly out of the question. If you have a larger living area, but you are thinking of allocating a medium-size room for the grand piano, then it might be a good idea as well because it might dominate the entire interior decoration. Luckily, this type of piano comes in various sizes and the baby grand is the smallest out of all the other grand pianos. Concert grand pianos are the largest and they are not suitable for home purposes unless you want the entire neighborhood to hear the sound that emits from it.
Upright Pianos
They vary in terms of height and slightly in terms of depth or width too. Upright pianos range from 40” to about 52” and they are typically positioned against a wall. Since the keyboard faces outward, it makes it easy for owners to find the right space for it.
Tonal Quality
Grand Pianos
When you are looking at all the piano features, you should not leave the sound quality out of the equation. The musical articulacy of a grand piano is its strongest selling point and there are two important features in this musical instrument. Grand pianos have longer strings and they have lids that can be lifted up, revealing the full length of their strings.
These features allow grand pianos to boast a much louder sound. I truly believe that a number of people avoid buying a grand piano for the loud sound especially if they live close to their neighbors. Nonetheless, the longer strings give out several tonal differences, as they consist of greater sonority compared to upright pianos. Even when a grand piano is played softly, the sound that emits from it is richer, fuller and longer lasting. Bear in mind that the larger the grand is, the greater the sonority it possesses.
Upright Pianos
Compared to short uprights, tall uprights contain longer strings and they are normally equally louder and more resonant. Most upright pianos can only emit the sound through a small lid, which is positioned on top of the pianos. The lid limits the kind of full-throttled volume you tend to obtain when you open the top lid of a grand piano. While you can remove the lower panel of an upright piano to obtain the same result, in doing so, it will only expose the unsightly innards of an upright to everyone in the room.
The Cost
It should not be a huge surprise to you that a grand piano is more costly than an upright piano. However, you may come across upscale and very tall upright pianos that cost more than the smallest baby grand pianos.
Whatever piano features you look for when searching for the ideal one, it is important that you purchase it from a reputable store or dealer. Ensure that you test the musical instrument thoroughly, especially if it is a secondhand unit.
What other piano features do you think plays a huge part when it comes to buying a piano?