Until the late 1980s, there were two options when it came to buying a piano: grand or upright. The advice was always to buy the one that fit its eventual home the best, suited its purpose the most appropriately and satisfied budgetary requirements. These remain valid considerations; indeed, some people would tell you to buy the best piano you could afford because pianos, like many other instruments, do not have significant price depreciation and can usually be re-sold for close to the price you paid should you change your mind. Let’s take a look at the main options.

This is the classic piano design, and the one used in concerts and professional recording situations. With their lid raised in position they look truly elegant and can sound incredible, largely due to the fact that strings can be longer than in an upright and the sturdy, heavy frame makes for a richer, warmer, more sustainable sound.

But as you probably don’t need telling, a grand piano takes up a lot of space; in fact its size was one of the main drivers of the development of the upright. Those of us who don’t live in mansions would probably not be able to squeeze a 3-metre-long concert grand into our living rooms, but baby grands can be as short as 1.5 metres in length – although you should expect a slight compromise in sound quality. After measuring up the room, don’t forget to measure your doors, too! It’s not unknown for people to have bay windows temporarily removed to slide in a grand piano.

If a grand piano is out of your budget or logistical capabilities, an upright will be your next option. They are much more unassuming than grands, and can fit into almost any room as long as access allows it. As for sound quality, a top of the range upright will never have the same resonance as a top of the range grand, but a well made upright can certainly hold its own against an average grand, probably at a fraction of the price.

This article started by mentioning the options up to around the late 1980s, which is when a new kid entered to block. Digital pianos have no strings or heavy bodywork to worry about, as they generate their tones electronically. However, many are designed with traditional aesthetics in mind, coming in upright and even grand versions.

One feature of a digital that might be a great advantage is that they can be played with headphones rather than through their internal speakers, so if you’re sharing a house with someone who hates The Entertainer, you can restrict their experience to just the ragtime rhythm of your fingerwork. Another feature is that they can be programmed to play themselves (i.e. to play the left hand while you practice the right), and you can record yourself digitally with them. They can also have their timbre and graphic equalisation altered for different effects. Modern digital pianos have extremely good clarity and allow almost all the expression and emotion of their acoustic forefathers.

Not as pointless as they first seem, silent pianos are real, stringed pianos which can have their acoustic mechanism disengaged and keystrokes converted to digital signals which are sent to headphones. The sound quality in private mode is not usually spectacular; these are not designed as hybrid acoustic/digital instruments. But as a way of having a real piano and the ability to play and practice without causing a disruption, they are a superb option.

Like cars and houses, there’s a huge price difference between the top and bottom of the piano range. Space and accessibility might also force your hand, as might the ability to have silent playing or creative control. Have a little play on as many pianos as you can, and you’ll be sure to make the right choice.

Author Bio: Harry Griffiths created this article for Voodoo E-Commerce on behalf of Chappell of Bond Street, suppliers of digital pianos and upright pianos

Category: Entertainment
Keywords: pianos,digital pianos,upright pianos