Why acoustic grand piano show

In addition, grand pianos emit sound from above, while upright pianos emit sound from the back end, which is usually placed against a wall. For those reasons, grand pianos can be much louder than uprights. Because the strings are mounted horizontally in grand pianos, the hammers return to their rest position due to the force of gravity, under their own weight.

In addition, grand pianos utilize a double escapement mechanism that allows keys to be played rapidly in succession, without first letting the key return all the way to its starting position. In upright pianos, where the strings are mounted vertically, the hammers rely on springs to return to the at-rest position.

As a result, key repetition i. Finally, while both grand pianos and upright pianos offer three foot pedals, they have slightly different functions.

In a grand piano, the pedals are:. When depressed, this shifts the entire action assembly to the right, changing not only the volume of the sound, but also making slight changes to the tone. When depressed, the dampers remain lifted even if the fingers are taken off the keys, thus sustaining all played notes.

When pressed, a thin piece of felt is dropped between the hammers and strings, greatly muting the sound. This is a vertical grand acoustic with a specially constructed back-striking action.

This vastly extends the range of sounds produced by the instrument. A grand piano has longer strings than an upright, and this generates a much better sound. But with greater length comes greater size and weight.

And taking a grand piano on tour is not for the feint hearted. The beautiful GC Series combines the duplex scaling and rich tonal character of the coveted C Series grand with cost-saving advantages in materials and production to create an instrument that's both exceptionally expressive and uncommonly affordable.

Yamaha is proud to present a comprehensive line of incomparable grands, reflecting the very latest in Yamaha acoustic and technological advances. The Series includes the GC1 5' 3" and the GC2 5' 8" models, both available in a variety of finish options.

Preserving tradition is not the same thing as refusing to change;rather, it is from the ongoing search for perfection that traditions emerge. And when it comes to the tradition of crafting a grand piano, there is a sound, a tone to which only those who strive constantly to outdo themselves can aspire.

For walls, use one or two layers of drywall set on inch centered wood studs or metal studs, in most high-rise and commercial construction. If you need to acoustically isolate your piano room from the rest of the house, build an additional, heavier, outer wall separated from the inner wall by at least 6 inches of air space. What you put under your grand piano can make a huge difference in its sound.

In designing a music room, whether or not it will contain a piano, I normally specify hard floor surfaces, whether of hardwood, ceramic tile, or marble. The center of the floor should be covered with an acoustically absorbent surface, such as a carpet or rug. This is especially useful in practice rooms, where clarity is more important than generating a big sound.

Not very stylish, but it works. Some high-end piano dealers will give you time to audition an instrument in your home or studio before you make a final commitment to purchase. I strongly recommend taking advantage of any such offer — the room in which you place your piano is as important as the instrument itself in determining the ultimate sound. Lewis Lipnick is the principal contrabassoonist of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, DC, and an internationally-acclaimed soloist and teacher.

His consulting firm, LipnickDesign, specializes in designing high-resolution audio and video systems, recording studios, and home theaters; in environmental sound control; and in the acoustical design of commercial and residential spaces. He can be reached at [email protected]. This form is for comments and feedback about our articles.

Please do not use it to post ads for pianos for sale or donation. Use our Classified-Ad section instead. For questions about the value of a used piano, see this article , or use our Seller Advisory Service. For other piano-related questions, e-mail us at [email protected]. Your email address will not be published. Such good information. Now I am at ease knowing I have done all the right things. My service technician is coming tomorrow!

Thank you for a very enlightening article. A cousin is looking at setting a room for his daughters. After reading your article I can see we were entirely wrong about our assumptions. Now we stand a good chance of building it properly. The room has wall to wall carpeting.

The piano will be placed along the long wall halfway down the room. With the Lid Up it can open into the small room. The doors to the open area will be behind the keyboard.

Great recommendations.