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SomeMichGuy · M
If you are still looking, you should get a copy of Larry Fine's [i]The Piano Book.[/i]
As of not long ago, people were getting rid of pianos in droves.
The biggest initial split is in the action of uprights v. grands. The uprights have vertical strings, so the hammers activated by the keys are flung at them, essentially horizontally (from near the front of it towards the back); in a grand, the strings are horizontal, and the hammers attack the strings from below, essentially vertically.
Besides that, the pedals are very different:
• upright--usually 2 pedals:
1) right is the sustain or "loud pedal", takes the dampers off ALL the strings, so everything resonates (and can get mushy, though uprights often resonate *much* less than grands); and
2) left is a soft pedal, moving all the hammers closer to the strings...but cf. grand version, below.
[[i]N.B.:[/i] IF present, a third (middle) pedal on uprights is like a sustain pedal for the bass; only removes dampers from some point like the C below middle C down to the left end of the keyboard.]
• grand--usually has *3* pedals:
1) right: sustain/loud pedal, as above;
2) left: soft or [i]una corda[/i] pedal, it actually physically shifts the entire keybed to the right. This gives a different sound via 2 mechanisms: reducing the number of strings hit, and changing the character of the wool hitting the string.
a) number of strings: if you lookin the case, the high treble notes have 3 strings, the middle area of the piano's range has 2 strings, the lowest notes have 1 string. Shifting enough can bring you down to 2 strings in the top.
b) character of the wool hitting the strings: the hammers usually hit in one location, and tend to get more compressed over time right where they hit the string, making the wool firmer and the sound brighter. The movement of the hammers means you can select a place closer or further from the more often-hit areas, which can mean a duller, more muted sound.
3) middle pedal: [i]sostenuto,[/i] a pedal which sustains ONLY those notes whose hammers are raised WHEN the pedal is pressed. This can allow the pianist to, [i]e.g.[/i], play a chord or octave, hold it, and then play other keys normally. This is not found on uprights.
As for sound, one of the biggest determiners of how a piano sounds is soundboard real estate; the more soundboard, the better.
This would be easy to hear if you had access to pianos everywhere, and to piano stores. A typical example of a short upright was the "Acrosonic", a piano with a very thin treble, a mediocre midrange (from about the C below middle C to the C above it, 2 of the 7+ octaves of the instrument), and a thuddy bass.
By getting more soundboard, via a taller upright, you would notice a much better midrange, a clearer treble, and a less thuddy bass.
Then, moving up to grand pianos, as you move through, say, the Steinway A/B to a D, you can hear how the midrange is so much better, the treble singing, and the bass, authoritative. In particular, the latter is why playing, say, the opening of the the Rachmaninoff [i]Piano Concerto No. 2[/i] on a 9-foot grand can sound SOOO much better than on a smaller grand.
Of course, you should buy the best you can readily afford at a level which will help you to make better music, not discourage you. If you can fit a grand into your home & budget, go for it. If not, get a good upright and work toward it.
A registered piano technician (RPT) in your area can turn you on to local piano rebuilders, who can give you a great piano with new life (soundboard, action, etc.) from the pianos which are rebuildable (some/many are not).
As of not long ago, people were getting rid of pianos in droves.
The biggest initial split is in the action of uprights v. grands. The uprights have vertical strings, so the hammers activated by the keys are flung at them, essentially horizontally (from near the front of it towards the back); in a grand, the strings are horizontal, and the hammers attack the strings from below, essentially vertically.
Besides that, the pedals are very different:
• upright--usually 2 pedals:
1) right is the sustain or "loud pedal", takes the dampers off ALL the strings, so everything resonates (and can get mushy, though uprights often resonate *much* less than grands); and
2) left is a soft pedal, moving all the hammers closer to the strings...but cf. grand version, below.
[[i]N.B.:[/i] IF present, a third (middle) pedal on uprights is like a sustain pedal for the bass; only removes dampers from some point like the C below middle C down to the left end of the keyboard.]
• grand--usually has *3* pedals:
1) right: sustain/loud pedal, as above;
2) left: soft or [i]una corda[/i] pedal, it actually physically shifts the entire keybed to the right. This gives a different sound via 2 mechanisms: reducing the number of strings hit, and changing the character of the wool hitting the string.
a) number of strings: if you lookin the case, the high treble notes have 3 strings, the middle area of the piano's range has 2 strings, the lowest notes have 1 string. Shifting enough can bring you down to 2 strings in the top.
b) character of the wool hitting the strings: the hammers usually hit in one location, and tend to get more compressed over time right where they hit the string, making the wool firmer and the sound brighter. The movement of the hammers means you can select a place closer or further from the more often-hit areas, which can mean a duller, more muted sound.
3) middle pedal: [i]sostenuto,[/i] a pedal which sustains ONLY those notes whose hammers are raised WHEN the pedal is pressed. This can allow the pianist to, [i]e.g.[/i], play a chord or octave, hold it, and then play other keys normally. This is not found on uprights.
As for sound, one of the biggest determiners of how a piano sounds is soundboard real estate; the more soundboard, the better.
This would be easy to hear if you had access to pianos everywhere, and to piano stores. A typical example of a short upright was the "Acrosonic", a piano with a very thin treble, a mediocre midrange (from about the C below middle C to the C above it, 2 of the 7+ octaves of the instrument), and a thuddy bass.
By getting more soundboard, via a taller upright, you would notice a much better midrange, a clearer treble, and a less thuddy bass.
Then, moving up to grand pianos, as you move through, say, the Steinway A/B to a D, you can hear how the midrange is so much better, the treble singing, and the bass, authoritative. In particular, the latter is why playing, say, the opening of the the Rachmaninoff [i]Piano Concerto No. 2[/i] on a 9-foot grand can sound SOOO much better than on a smaller grand.
Of course, you should buy the best you can readily afford at a level which will help you to make better music, not discourage you. If you can fit a grand into your home & budget, go for it. If not, get a good upright and work toward it.
A registered piano technician (RPT) in your area can turn you on to local piano rebuilders, who can give you a great piano with new life (soundboard, action, etc.) from the pianos which are rebuildable (some/many are not).
PrivateHell · M
Since you are asking for help in selecting, I am going to assume you are just starting out playing. There are dozens of brands in a wide range of prices. For the beginner however, in would go with Casio. They are relatively in expensive, generally have a good range of voices, tempos and functions, and tend to be less complicated for newer players.
When you get better and more confident, you can move onto something like a Yamaha or a Roland.
When you get better and more confident, you can move onto something like a Yamaha or a Roland.
ozgirl512 · 26-30, F
Just keep tapping the letters ...
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Alfarrobas · 31-35, M
What for my brother?
Not an expert at nothing, but sometimes I can be helpfull
Not an expert at nothing, but sometimes I can be helpfull
Biffed · 26-30, M
goodluck. i don't think anyone graduated from the university of phoenix here