piano basics

The major classifications of pianos is pretty simple. There are two types:  Grand pianos (which sit on three legs, horizontally) and Upright pianos (which are built vertically and usually sit against a wall. The confusion usually starts when people talk about baby grands.   Are they talking about grand pianos? Or is a baby grand a totally different […]

To understand tuning, you need to know how a piano produces sound. When a piano key is depressed, it drops onto a small felt-covered hammer that strikes one, two or three, generally speaking, steel strings. This complex array of strings provides a range from highest treble down to the deepest bass sounds. (Since there are […]

Pianos have been around for hundreds of years and have never yielded their place as the preferred and select musical instrument. There are good reasons for this.  Unlike other instruments, the piano provides both melody and harmony, requiring no accompaniment.  (instead, piano is usually required as the accompaniment to other instruments.)  This makes it a […]

“Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.” Victor Hugo “Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence.” Robert Fripp “No matter how corrupt, greedy, and heartless our government, our corporations, our media, and our religious and charitable institutions may become, the music will still […]

In piano parlance, pianos are classified as Grands “horizontal-sitting” pianos and Uprights “vertical-sitting pianos. Categories under upright pianos include spinets and consoles. So, What is a Spinet Piano? Upright or vertical pianos come in various different sizes and a spinet piano is the smallest of the upright pianos measuring between 36” and 40” tall from […]

The dictionary definition of a grand piano is that it is “a large, full-toned piano that has the body, strings, and soundboard arranged horizontally and in line with the keys and is supported by three legs.” That is true, but it hardly touches on the complexity and magic of grand pianos and their parts. In […]

A luxury piano not only promises a lifetime of enjoyment both musically and as an art object, but is an investment that warrants care and maintenance to assure its outstanding performance over the years.  There are factors that should be considered when owning a fine instrument, and different pianos have somewhat different needs. All Pianos […]

Upright pianos have been very popular for decades, but were once highly disparaged by critics who prefer the performance of grand pianos.  It no longer holds true, however, as in the latest piano renaissance, uprights have come into their own. But it was never a fair comparison since the instruments are manufactured for different uses, […]

When one uses the word “modern” to describe pianos, you are getting into very subjective territory. Pianos over the decades have gone through transformations of shapes and sizes, handmade to mass-produced, and technologically aided and abetted with computer software, players system and gizmos. Manufacturers have added extra piano keys, extra piano pedals, and intricate improvements […]