So many choices, but you can only pick one. We see this problem all the time, but even more so when we’re deciding on what type of piano is best for you. No matter if you’re a parent of a young child wanting to learn to play, a young adult thinking about starting your first lesson, a quasi professional who wants to pursue music seriously, an amateur that plays piano for fun, or even a real professional pianist, picking your instrument is definitely something that requires a lot of thoughts.
This is where we come in! Here we have compiled a list so your experience buying a piano can be even smoother, and that picking your piano is going to be such a breeze!
UPRIGHT VS. GRAND PIANO
Everyone always talks about this, right? Should I get an upright or a grand piano? Well, the biggest concern about these two lies in the purpose of the piano itself, but more than just that, it depends on space. An upright piano usually measures about 150-160 in length and about 60 in depth, while the height varies. The more height you can get out of the piano, of course the sound is going to be better in terms of resonance. Our Irmler series for the upright piano ranges from the 122-128 cm in height, and we don’t carry anything smaller because it is important to get a real sound from the instrument even though you’re only starting.
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The upright piano is good for those of you who want to start learning the piano - and while it is certainly more expensive than the electric keyboard or piano, it is definitely worth it because the sound that you’re producing is a real acoustic sound instead of the ones coming out of a speaker. An upright piano is also useful for you who wants to save some space, but always make sure that you’re buying an instrument that’s good and that you like the sound!
Grand piano, on the other hand, is definitely more powerful in terms of sound. Even from the construction it is already so different from the upright piano, and it gives you more expression and can definitely inspire you to be even better pianists. When it’s possible, after a few years of learning the piano and if you keep on continuing, a grand piano is definitely worth the investment. Not only that it is beautiful to look at (it is a plus!), but also it can last you a long time if you’re buying correctly. Think of a piano as something that you buy for a long time - no one buys a piano thinking that they’re going to trade it in after 6 months, right?
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Of course a grand piano will take more space, with the smallest size - the one we call “baby grand” - at around 150-160 cm in length (horizontally), and the width is 150-160 cm depending on the brand and make. So be prepared to spare at least around 2x2 metres to make sure that the piano has ample space and the pianist can also sit comfortably!
DETAILS OF THE PIANO
I’m talking here from a musician’s stand point, and so it is important to love the piano that you’re buying. What does that mean? It means that you have to want to constantly play it! It’s as simple as that. The thing about a good piano is that it can inspire you to play more, practice more, and want to do more because of their own capability. There are a few things that I think should be considered when thinking about buying your piano, and those are:
SOUND: you have to want to listen to the sound...constantly! It is a sign that you are going to love the instrument. The sound can be affected by so many different things - including the production, the materials, as well as the maintenance. Be sure that when you’re buying a piano that you enjoy listening to the sound.
TACTILE FEELING: how does it feel under your fingers? Does it seem comfortable to play? Do you feel like the piano understands what you want? These are all also very important. Uneven keys, sticking keys, or even just the fact that the keybed is shallow and it feels like you have to work very hard to get a sound out...those are bad indications that you will not enjoy your piano
LOOK: Does it look good? Is it scratched everywhere? Does the string have rust on them? These are also very important stuff to always pay attention to, so you’ll know whether or not the piano is of good condition. Again, everytime we’re buying an instrument, we always want to make sure that it’s going to stay with us for a long time.
Last but not least, BRAND
Well...when we’re talking about brands, it is important to understand what the brand stands for. Bigger brands sometimes can mean reliability, but at the same time get to know the instrument for itself as well. Each piano is unique, and even the piano with the same brand can have some difference in quality of sound...even more so when it’s a mass manufacturing process. Be sure to TRY your piano before you’re committing to buy anything, especially since picking your piano is a very personal experience. Don’t be glued down to the name that’s on the fall board, but really get yourself immersed in the instruments that you’re trying.
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Carrying all European pianos that are known for their specialty and their commitment to excellence, tradition, and providing the best musical experience possible, we are very proud of our instruments and we hope that you would fall in love with our instruments as much as we do. At The Grand Signature Piano, we’re committed to be your friend that will guide you through finding the perfect piano for you. No matter where you are in your musical journey, feel free to contact us to talk about how we possibly can bring you the best instrument that you can get. Schedule your private viewing today, and we look forward to seeing you!