Different Types of Pianos: A Pianist's Guide

The Piano is a keyboard-based musical instrument that creates sounds by striking strings with a hammer through a manual keyboard. It is one of the most widely used musical instruments in classical, jazz, traditional and popular music for solo, ensemble, chamber music and others. To cater all types of music, there are so many Different Types of Pianos out there, each differ from sounds, size and systems. However, it is difficult to pick the right one. Hence, you first need to understand the different Piano types that exist. To learn more about the best Types of Pianos and how they work, read the blog. 

Table of Contents 

1) Different Types of Pianos 

   a) Upright Piano 

   b) Grand Piano 

   c) Electronic/Digital Piano 

   d) Hybrid Pianos 

2) Conclusion 

Different Types of Pianos 

There are Different Types of Pianos used for different occasions, each varying in size and shape, sounds and other features. With the ongoing technological developments, the Piano has been developed in electric, electronic, digital, and acoustic forms. Let's explore the Piano Types before you purchase one. Here's a detailed overview:
 

Upright Piano 

Upright Piano is the most popular Acoustic Piano worldwide. It is mostly used in churches, schools, music conservatories, and university music functions. This Piano is sleek and requires less space, hence, favourable for homes. There are mainly four Types of Upright Piano. So, let's dive in to know more: 

a) Spinet Piano: Spinet Piano is one of the most popular variants of Upright Piano. It is usually 35-40 inches tall and good for beginners and amateur players. At present, Spinet Piano is not being manufactured, but you can still find it in stores and some homes. 

b) Studio Piano: Studio Piano is used for music compositions and can be found in music schools and recording studios. The standard size of this Piano ranges from 43 to 47 inches. It comes in both electric and acoustic setups. 

c) Console Piano: Console Piano is made with better key-hammer mechanisms. It is bigger than the size of a Spinet Piano. The size ranges from 40 to 44 inches. It is mostly used in sound designing studios.
 

Grand Piano 

The Grand Piano, also known as the Horizontal Piano, is one of the most popular and beautiful Types of Pianos. It is more expensive than the Upright Piano. It is used for concerts, live performances, and music composition. 

Musicians prefer the Grand Piano as it has the most beautiful sound of all. It contains 88 keys (52 white and 36 black). Grand Piano comes in various sizes. To know more about these variants, let's read ahead: 

a) Petite Grand Piano: Petite Grand Piano is the smallest among all the horizontal Pianos. It impresses musicians with its powerful sound. It comes with a length of 4 feet 5 inches to 4 feet 11 inches. Petite Grand sounds like Upright Piano and is ideal for small rooms.  

b) Parlor Grand Piano: Parlor Grand Piano is often known as living room piano. It comes with excellent tonal characteristics and can fill a large living room or concert hall. The size ranges from 6 feet 3 inches to 6 feet 10 inches. 

c) Baby Grand Piano: Baby Grand Piano is also ideal for domestic use in small living rooms.  It comes with a good balance of size, tonal richness, and volume output for small places. The standard size measures between 5 feet to 5 feet 5 inches. 

d) Concert Grand Piano: Concert Grand Piano is the most important variant of the Grand Piano family. It usually comes with 9 inches. It is used by professionals in orchestras and music halls. It offers the largest volume output, richest tonal capabilities and balanced sound. 

e) Medium Grand Piano: Medium Grand Piano is also known as classical Grand Piano. It is mainly used in living rooms or tiny concert places. The standard size ranges from 5 feet 6 inches and 5 feet 8 inches. 

f) Professional Grand Piano: Professional Grand Piano is one of the best in tonal performance. The length of Professional Grand Piano is around 6 inches. It is mainly used by professional players in concert halls and large living rooms. 

g) Semi-Concert Grand Piano: Semi-Concert Grand Piano is also called ballroom Grand Piano. Due to its powerful sound, it is ideal for concert venues and music halls. It is one of the largest Grand Pianos, which comes 7 feet in length. 

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Electronic/Digital Piano 

Electronic/Digital Pianos are the most recent variants of Pianos. These are often lightweight and portable. Electronic Pianos are designed to serve as an alternative to traditional Acoustic Pianos. 

They do not have pedals like traditional ones and are used in recording studios, live concerts, and practice sessions. These also come in three different variants. Let's find out more about these variants:
 

a) Electric Piano: Electric Piano, invented by Harold Rhodes, was quite popular during 70s.  It usually has 73 keys instead of 88.  It comes with thin metal tines rather than strings to produce the sound. It is picked up by an electromagnetic pickup and then travels through an amplifier and speaker. 

b) Digital Piano: Digital piano was invented by Yamaha in 1983. It saves and loads songs and connects to a computer via USB or Wi-Fi. It gives you the feel of a Grand Piano. Digital Piano has weighted keys or graded hammers and has been named and renamed over the years. 

c) Keyboard: The Keyboard is designed for beginners to play at home. It is manufactured with a low-watt amp and speakers. It is lightweight and has 91 to 78 keys. 

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Hybrid Pianos 

Hybrid Piano was designed in the early 2000s with the fusion of acoustic and digital Piano elements. It can be like Upright, Baby Grand, or Grand Piano, but with a Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) unit. There are three main variants of Hybrid Pianos. These variants are listed below: 

a) The Toy Piano: The Toy Piano, also known as the Kinderklavier,  is a small Piano style musical instrument. It comes with round metal rods instead of strings like a regular Piano to produce sound. 

b) Silent Piano: Silent Piano is an Acoustic Piano with an option to have silent private practice. The sensors pick up the Piano key element and convert it to a MIDI signal that can be sent to sound module. 

c) Player Piano: Player Piano, known as a Pianola, is a self-playing piano that uses a pneumatic or electro-mechanical mechanism. It operates the Piano action through perforated paper or metallic rolls. 

Conclusion 

We hope this blog made you understand the Different Types of Pianos and their variants available in the market. From Upright to Grand to Electronic/Digital Piano, it comes in different designs, styles, shapes and sizes. Further, it may have helped you to figure out which one suits your requirements and budget. 

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