Choosing Between a Baby Grand and an Upright Piano

“Baby grand” piano refers to a small grand piano that is approximately 1.5 meters (5 feet) in length. This compares with a concert grand piano, the largest piano, which measures around 2.7 meters (9 feet) in length. Generally any grand is considered a ‘baby’ if it measures less than 1.7 meters (5 feet 7 inches). A grand piano is a stylish and graceful musical device and a baby piano is no exception to this.

Most musicians consider that that a good upright piano is just as good an instrument as a baby grand piano, especially when it comes to sound. Because of the size of the soundboard and the length of the strings, the baby grand’s bass end is not regarded as being very good. It is the same for an upright piano.

In practical terms there should never be a comparison made between a baby grand piano and an upright since the sound is produced in different ways. The sound of a grand is produced from the top, while the sound of an upright piano is produced from the back. There is also a difference between the two when it comes to piano action as well. The action in a baby grand piano is considered to be better since gravity helps the hammers to return when a key is released. In an upright piano, the stroke is completed with the use of springs. This adds more resistance to the action and can lead to an irregular response over the keyboard after a while.

In an upright piano there are three main places where metal springs are used to push or press an element in the course of repetition. Repetition is what happens when you press a key. This sets off a chain reaction that ends when the hammer in the action strikes the piano wire. The role that gravity plays in the grand piano action is to return the mechanism to the starting point. The difference in the action - a man-made metal spring on the one hand and the gravity on the other, is that gravity is considerably more reliable than metal springs, and gravity never wears out or grows weak.

For most uses and experience levels quality upright pianos are just as good a choice for musical instruments and baby grand pianos though you probably won’t find one in an ensemble if there is a grand piano available!

Another consideration of many musicians is that in comparison to an upright piano, a baby piano does not occupy much space. The width is the same, however a small baby grand will only have to three feet more depth compared to an upright piano. Thus the issue of space is not usually a factor that should be taken into account when comparing the two.

To sum up, the tone produced by an upright piano may be better than the one produced by a grand baby piano. However if you want to go for the look and, space is not something you worry about, then a baby grand piano is the best option. It’s also sometime a consideration that a small baby grand pianos has far greater prestige and perceived value than an upright.

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