What else needs to be considered when shopping for a grand piano?
Another thing that should be taken into account when looking for a grand piano is the room in which it is to be placed, and we recommend making a precise measurement of the space that is available.
The materials from which acoustic grand pianos are built are of course sensitive to temperature changes and moisture, which can have an effect on the instrument's tuning stability. The ambient conditions of the room in which the piano is to be placed should therefore also be considered.
How were grand pianos invented?
The grand piano was initially developed as a combination of elements from various existing keyboard instruments, such as the harpsichord and its ancestor, the monochord. Elements such as the use of a hammer action and a cast iron frame, which were inspired by instruments like the hammered dulcimer and the harp, respectively, were also integrated later on.
Incidentally, the upright piano as we know it today was not developed until around 1815, when Ignaz Josef Pleyel designed what was then still known as the "pianino". Grand pianos were already around at that time, but were generally only referred to as "pianos".
How is an acoustic grand piano constructed?
An acoustic grand piano is constructed from countless components, which can be grouped into four areas:
Keyboard and mechanism
The pianist communicates with the piano via the keyboard, and the distinctive arrangement of black and white keys is a familiar sight the world over. The mechanism that is operated by the keys comprises more than 300 individual components for each note.
Strings and cast-iron frame
An equally essential component of a grand piano are its strings, without which it would of course be impossible to produce any sound at all. The majority of notes utilise three strings, though the number is reduced to two or even just one in the lower registers, meaning that a grand piano contains a total of around 230 strings which are tensioned over a cast-iron frame.
Soundboard
The soundboard of a grand piano is adhesively joined to its frame and increases the instrument's volume, producing in the process the typical grand piano sound.
How does an acoustic grand piano work?
When one of the grand piano's keys is pressed, the mechanism redirects its motion in such a way that the hammer strikes the corresponding strings, while at the same time, the damper that rests on the strings to stop them vibrating (unless struck by their hammer) is raised. The resulting vibration is then amplified by the piano's soundboard, and that is how the note is produced.
A grand piano has three pedals, which also affect the sound: The pedal on the far right raises all of the dampers from the strings, irrespective of whether or not the corresponding keys are bring pressed. This increases the sustain of every note.
The central ("sostenuto") pedal performs the same function, but restricted to the note that is currently being played - all of the other notes are muted once the keys are released.
The pedal on the far left, known as the "una corda", manipulates the piano's mechanism in such a way that the hammer strikes only one of the three assigned strings.
How do grand pianos differ from upright pianos?
In a grand piano, the strings are arranged horizonally and side-by-side, while the mechanism is positioned underneath the strings and the hammers are propelled upwards to strike them. In an upright piano, on the other hand, the strings are arranged vertically in a partially overlapping pattern, while the hammers move horizontally. The two instruments therefore deliver a different tone and playing feel, with the grand piano sounding fuller and more open.
Steinway, Bechstein, or Yamaha?
The most famous acoustic grand pianos are built by Steinway, Bösendorfer, and Fazioli, and these are the brands most commonly found in concert halls.
Kawai and Yamaha in turn offer excellent instruments that are built to a high level of precision in Asia and deliver excellent tuning stability.
A number of long-established brands have also come out of the German-speaking territories, including Bechstein, Schimmel, Blüthner, Feurich, and Ibach.
Names like Pleyel and Petrof also play an important role in the world of acoustic pianos.
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