Grand piano or upright piano? Which one do you prefer? Here are some information that may help you decide which to go forward.
Before you decide to buy a piano, you should ask yourself the following:
- Proficiency
Depending on your proficiency level, you may want to purchase something that’s slightly higher quality than you think you deserve. Avoid cheap, old used pianos for your child’s first piano because you want the instrument to be a good investment and something of value yet fun for your child to enjoy. I have had many parents tell me that once they upgraded their pianos from a basic keyboard to a better-quality, acoustic, upright piano, the child instantly became interested in practicing piano. If an acoustic piano is beyond your buying abilities, you may consider a digital piano. Many manufacturers produce good-quality digital pianos at a reasonable price. Yamaha Clavinova, Technics, Rolands and a few others brand names have improved significantly over years.
- Space
A vertical piano is about 5 feet wide and around 2 feet deep. Also take into consideration the bench and room to sit. The height of the vertical is not an issue. Grand pianos vary in size and range from 5 to 9 feet long.
- Finance
No doubt this is the biggest factor preventing people from getting the piano they want. People are willing to spend $5000 USD to purchase a brand-new, wide-screen TV and yet are reluctant to buy a $3000 USD vertical piano. Understand that most pianos retain their value quite well and also serve as furniture. I recommend that people save money to get a better-quality piano than settle for a poor-quality one. If you don’t maintain the piano by tuning, you shouldn’t buy one. Grand pianos overall cost at least three times as much as an upright piano. Many Asian piano manufacturers are producing baby grand pianos in recent years to offset the price difference. Often, these baby grand pianos are of poor value; they don’t maintain their tone as well as other qualities over the years. I advise people to choose a higher-quality, upright piano than settle for a poor-quality inexpensive baby grand piano.
- Grand piano versus upright piano
The decision primarily depends on the space and money you have. The action of a grand piano allows for faster repetition of notes and for better tones.
