Choosing a Piano- Grand or Upright?

By Bass and Treble

June 16, 2021

If you're Serious About Playing, a Grand Piano Is the One

"Piano" originally referred to a grand piano. Grand pianos have always been a symbol of sophistication and class. Crafted with care and precision, a grand piano is both a beautiful and commanding instrument, as well as an elegant addition to any home, performance studio, or concert hall.

The grand piano offers a wide dynamic range, rich resonance, diverse tonality, and responsive touch. Only when all of these features are combined are pianists able to fully convey the rich sound expression that composers incorporate into their work.

Features of the grand piano include:

More rich and varying sonority with wide dynamics-from pianissimo to fortissimo
Smoother sustain
More substantial tone
Higher ability to add subtle expression to notes
Sound is uniform and well balanced
Higher ability of note repetitions

Because these features merge to create "good sound," playing a grand piano enables the pianist to add more vibrant emotional expression to the music than when playing the upright piano.

The most common type of vertical piano is the upright piano, likewise known as the professional piano. In fact, it is so common that vertical pianos are typically referred to as upright pianos.

They can usually be found in schools that teach music where professors can use them to instruct, and students can use them to practice. They’re even on stages where professional musicians perform

Differences Between Upright Pianos and Grand Pianos

In an upright piano, the strings are strung vertically to make the instrument more compact, which allows the piano to be played in a limited space. In contrast, the grand piano retains the shape of the original pianoforte in which the strings are strung horizontally, and has a greater potential for expression.

Differences in the action

There is a significant difference between the action mechanisms of a grand piano and an upright piano.

Grand piano

Horizontal. Because the hammers return to their rest position under their own weight, repetition, in which the notes are repeated quickly such as when playing trills, is smooth (key repetition as fast as about 14 times per second is possible).

Upright piano

Vertical. Hammers rely on springs to return to the at-rest position, and so there is a limit to fast repetition such as is used when playing trills (key repetition as fast as about seven times per second is possible).

Differences in the pedals

The pedals have different functions in a grand piano and an upright piano.

Grand piano

Shift pedal (left pedal): Also called the soft pedal or una corda pedal. Shifts the entire action assembly to the right, changing not only the sound volume, but also making minute changes to the tone.

Sostenuto pedal (middle pedal): Keeps the dampers raised and away from the strings of any keys played just before depressing the pedal. This makes it possible to sustain selected notes.

Sustain pedal (right pedal): Also called the damper pedal. Dampers remain lifted even if the fingers are taken off the keys, sustaining all played notes.

Upright piano

Soft pedal (left pedal): When this pedal is pressed, all of the hammers are moved closer to the strings, reducing the sound volume.

Muffler pedal (middle pedal): Also called the practice pedal. A thin piece of felt is dropped between the hammers and strings, greatly muting the sound.

Sustain pedal (right pedal): Also called the damper pedal. Dampers remain lifted even if the fingers are taken off the keys, sustaining all played notes.

Differences in sizes

Grand Piano

Grand pianos of any size will sound best when played in a spacious room with high ceilings. Ample space allows the piano to achieve proper resonance and be played dynamically. A larger grand piano will require more space, while a baby grand piano can offer excellent sound in a smaller room like a living room or classroom. When purchasing a grand piano, take accurate measurements to determine how much space you have available. Add a few extra feet to the length of the piano to account for the piano bench.

The standard width of a grand piano is also about 5'. The length varies from 4½' to 9½'. The total floor space allowance for the smallest grand should be at least 5' wide by 6½' long, including bench space. Grand pianos are measured by the length from the very front of the keyboard to the farthest end of the piano along the spine, with the lid closed.

Upright Piano

An upright piano is the best purchase if there isn't much space available, thus making it a better option for domestic music-making and practice. Upright pianos are an excellent choice for churches, community centers, schools, music conservatories, and also popular models for in-home purchase.

On average, the upright piano measures beyond 48 inches in height and has a width of 58 inches. This makes it the tallest of all the vertical pianos

Choosing a Piano- Grand or Upright?