If you haven’t heard the difference in pianos, you MUST hear different sizes with your own ears. Me: “Really? But can you hear the difference the quality of a clock radio and large stereo speakers?” I can’t hear the difference between pianos.” But what’s the advantage of a long piano over a short one? Conversely, why not just have a short piano? Why have a behemoth of a piano in your space?
While the bass strings span most of the piano, it’s also important to note that the string lengths are tapered so that even by the middle portion notes of a piano, lengths vary drastically. Take a look at the diagram on speaking lengths. Upright pianos range from 40” tall (110cm) to a 52” tall (132cm). When you measure a grand piano from the tip to tail (front of the keyboard to the end of the piano), they range from 5 feet long (1m50) to well over 9 feet long (2m75) because the bottom bass strings span the distance.
#LESTER UPRIGHT PIANO DIAGRAM FULL#
Starting from the very highest note of a piano, as you proceed down towards the middle and then eventually the bottom bass notes, the strings stretch towards the full length of the instrument. This is why pianos are different lengths (for grands) and heights (for uprights). The lowest notes however are a completely different story. It just so happens that for all pianos, the top strings are all rather short. There is an optimal length and thickness of string to make the highest notes of the piano resonate. (Speaking length is the resonating portion of the piano string.) Why are those strings similar on any piano? It has to do with something called scale. From the largest piano to the smallest, the top note “speaking length” is only around 2 inches long (5cm). I got my ruler out and measured the strings of the highest note on several pianos. How do you know what to buy?įirst of all, let’s look at basic groupings of sizes that have evolved over time and next, we will take a look at differences between the categories in both grands and upright pianos and why consumers purchase different sized pianos. When you start to know the business of pianos however, there are actually more like 6 basic sizes of grands and 4 standard sizes for upright pianos (also known as verticals).But there are so many different sizes of pianos. VOILA! 2 sizes of pianos – concert grand and baby grand. People either see a massive piano on a stage or they see a piano in a home. I believe that there is a lack of knowledge why the former statement is prevalent. For those who have been around pianos, the translation is more like this: I’m not interested in a limousine, I’m looking for a subcompact car”. To many, this is a completely normal statement. I’ve heard this statement many times “I don’t want a concert grand, I’m looking for more of a baby grand”.