A grand piano is a complex and regal machine; its mere presence will give any room a distinct 
air that can be brought about only by the presence of a beautiful instrument that could fill the air with majestic sound. Grand pianos are such beautiful specimens that not only will they provide powerful sounds to an environment, with a little care taken towards placement and decoration, they will also serve as elegant furniture pieces in a living or piano room. Since grand pianos are often used for professional use, piano manufacturers will use the best materials with an involved manufacturing system to ensure that the highest standards are met. This care in the material and assembly lends a bold yet graceful presence to any room.
While there are other choices in piano purchasing, what other factors besides cosmetic value give a grand piano such a high allure? The name in itself may be a start. There are many pianos, but a grand piano is held in the highest esteem, with its name coming from the Italian word, "grande" meaning "large". With grand piano sizes ranging from 4.5 to 10 ft in size, many would say that the grand in grand piano would refer to the sound it gives as well as its size potential.
What makes a grand pianos sound so full and large? Since grand pianos are greater in size than an upright piano, its strings are allowed to be longer. The longer a piano’s strings are, the more accurate the strings will vibrate when a key is pressed, and the hammer strikes these strings. When strings are given the room to vibrate as accurately as possible, this will result in a full, rich, sound, swelling from a piano’s soundboard.
Speaking of the soundboard, the placement of a soundboard on a grand piano as opposed to an upright piano is a giant deciding factor for many’s opinions when deciding on which is the superior piano. A grand piano’s soundboard is placed horizontally in contrast to the upright piano’s vertical positioning. An upright piano creates for some players an almost unbearable
bass-dominant sound due to its soundboard’s positioning. The horizontal positioning of a grand piano’s soundboard creates a better balance between the low and high frequencies, essentially a giving the player and listener a more even distribution of the bass and melody.
Another key (no pun intended?) vantage of a grand piano is its possession of a quality no other acoustic piano has: the double-repetition mechanism. All concert halls will hold a grand piano for this reason. When the hammer strikes a string on a piano, it will bounce back immediately after hitting it, requiring the pianist to release the key before being able to play the same note again. With the double repetition mechanism of a grand piano, however, there is a lever that catches that hammer bounce-back and enables the player to play more intricate pieces, faster same key repetitions, and dizzying trills.
Many easily see the attractiveness of a grand piano but may consider the prices of a grand piano and begin to balk. I like to think of the purchasing of a piano as a lifetime investment, and when one is making a lifetime investment, they should only have to do it once or maybe twice in a lifetime. In order to be completely satisfied with their lifetime selection, many feel that they should take that venture with an instrument possessing the finest qualities.