Where to Place Your Piano and Why

If you just purchased your first piano or looking to rearrange your room; piano placement is of utmost importance. It’s important to know where not to place the piano as well as where it will be of best use. There are many factors that affect your choice including weather, acoustics, and audience.

 

One of the worst places to place your piano is in a dark, warm or moist room. The mix of dark, warm and moist is the perfect way to grow mold. The last thing you want in your piano is mold. Mold will weaken the wood and can negatively affect the health of those living in your household, including your pets.

 

Any room that has humidity levels that fluctuate constantly is also a very bad idea. It will cause the wood in your piano to fluctuate changing the sound of your piano over time into a not so pleasant tune. Be sure not to open the windows near your piano. Windows let in moisture which will affect the humidity in the room.

 

Besides humidity you will want to avoid placing your piano within 10 feet of any fireplace. Fireplaces let in moisture when they aren’t being used if it isn’t properly insulated. Fireplaces also dry out the wood and increase heat in the room causing the wood in the piano to fluctuate as afore-mentioned. You will want to avoid any smoke near the piano (that includes cigars and cigarettes). Placing a rug under the piano will help keep the piano safe from cold hard floors such as tile or cement. You will want to keep the temperature in the room between 70° F – 72° F.

 

One last thing people rarely consider is having the piano on an upper or lower floor; this will increase your bill with the moving company especially if the stairwell or walkway is extremely narrow in comparison to the piano.

 

The best room for your piano depends on the type of piano you have; a bright piano or a mellow piano. A bright piano has high-pitched sounds; in this instance you will want to place lightly absorbent items around such as carpets, and soft wall hangings. This will balance out the sound and make the acoustic of the room more pleasant to the ear.

If your piano has a mellow sound, try hard wood floors and hard surfaces. The great thing about area rugs is they are able to be added and removed as needed for the sound of your piano. Do keep in mind the things you have on your walls or shelves; if items vibrate or move easy you will want to make sure to stabilize them to make sure nothing gets damaged while playing your piano.

 

The center of the room, if possible, is the best place for your piano. It will keep it away from windows and drafts from opening and closing doors. It will also cut the amount of sunlight hitting the piano during day hours. The center of the room has the least fluctuation in moisture and air and provides the best conditions for your pianos performance.

 

Another reason to consider is where will you be most comfortable playing? If you feel cramped or have no elbow room you will be less likely to practice playing. Be sure to place the piano in a place where you have room to stretch out and really get into the music. Be sure to also put the piano in a place where you can turn on some dim lighting so you can see what you are doing. Also, is the piano in a site that will upset your neighbors? The last thing you want to do is play if you feel you will upset or anger your neighbors.

 

When it comes to electric keyboards the same information applies except you will have a lot more flexibility as to piano placement. An electric keyboard is typically much more compact and will easier to move around the room or have it permanently placed somewhere. Be sure not to place the keyboard on any rickety surfaces that might cause the keyboard to fall or break and avoid placing the keyboard under shelves that could fall on top of it in the case of an earthquake, tornado or other natural disaster.

 

Consider an interior wall. Placing the piano on an exterior wall will cause major fluctuations temperature due to the weather or season outside of your home. Interior walls make it easier to control the environment your piano is in.

 

In conclusion, avoid drastic weather changes, moisture and excessive heat or cold, put your piano in a place that won’t upset your neighbors and make sure it’s a place where you will be comfortable and want to play. Playing the piano is a rewarding activity that will boost brain power, build confidence and enhance your love of music. The be sure to obtain all the benefits of piano playing make sure you have your piano in a place where it will be most successful.