Upright or Grand: What Type of Piano Is Right For You?

Time to tackle one of the most common questions in the piano world. Upright, or grand? Some of the biggest differences between uprights and grands are hidden beneath the piano lid. We are going to focus on the differences in feel (Action + Key length), overall sound, and of course, a price point comparison. Action Grand piano strings lie horizontal to the ground. Once a hammer has struck the string, gravity does the work of resetting the hammer. The quicker you can reset a hammer, the faster you can play that note again. So yes, on average, grands play faster than uprights.  Upright strings lie, well… upright! So once a hammer strikes a string, it relies on a series of complex mechanisms to reset the hammer. These mechanisms have become so advanced, many mid to high end upright pianos have a faster reset speed than entry level grands. It just takes some creative engineering to outsmart gravity. Over the lifetime of the piano, this fundamental 90-degree orientation difference is significant in the performance and consistency of the two styles of instruments. - CIG To Buying A Piano If you have been taking piano lessons for longer than 8 years, a grand piano will make playing those faster passages much easier.  A good upright action is often enough to take pianists up to a university level of playing. Though most entry level and some mid level uprights will not be able to reset hammers fast enough to allow for high level playing. Key Length Grand piano keys are longer than uprights. The size of the visible key is the same on all pianos. It’s the part of the key hidden behind the fall board we are comparing. A piano key acts as a seesaw. Push down on one end, and up it goes on the other side. The longer the key is, the less effort it takes to move the hammer to strike the string. This translates to a greater amount of control over dynamics.  If you are playing music that focuses heavily on subtle nuances in tone and dynamics, a grand piano key length with be very beneficial.   Upright keys are shorter. Not always by a lot, but they are shorter keys. A shorter key will results in slightly less control over how much control you have over dynamics. Some upright pianos have become very creative in finding ways to extend the length of keys. When you compare a well designed upright, and a small baby grand piano, the key length is not very different. The shorter the key, the less it weighs. Also, short keys generally have to angle more at the back to reach the action at the breaks. This causes more side pressure on the bushings. Lastly, think about a key as a lever or pry bar. If you’re trying to turn a rusted bolt, you put an extension on your wrench to make it longer. Shorter keys give less leverage. Via Shusterpiano.com High level classical pieces play differently [...]

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