Upright vs Grand Piano: What’s the Difference?

Upright and grand pianos are the two most popular evolutions of the modern piano — both with their own pros and cons in terms of sound quality, make, and playing comfort.  

Whether you’re a beginner pianist looking for your first piano, or an accomplished performance pianist looking for an upgrade, understanding the key differences between these two piano models can help you find the right set of keys. 

Before we get into a comparison of upright pianos and grand pianos, let’s have a detailed look at each of their specifics. 

What is an Upright Piano?

The design of the upright piano was invented by Robert Wornum in 1826 and has since become the most common piano model to be used in homes all across the world. The main reason for its popularity is its compact size (at just 135cm in height and 155cm wide). 

The upright piano features a structure where the strings and soundboard held vertically within its tall frame, with spring-loaded hammers that strike the strings horizontally to produce note sounds. 

What is a Grand Piano?

The classic design of grand pianos has been around much longer, since its evolution from the harpsichord in the early 1700s. Credited to Bartolomeo Cristofori, the grand piano’s shape is still retained in modern iterations, featuring a wide body that houses strings in a horizontal orientation. 

Due to their considerable size, grand pianos are used in concert or studio settings where space isn’t a limiting factor and sound quality is a priority. Depending on the type of grand piano (baby grand, parlor grand, or concert grand), its length will vary from 1.5m to 3 metres. 

Key Differences Between Grand Pianos and Upright Pianos

So, apart from the apparent variations in their design, what are the key differences that set both of these piano models apart? 

Sound quality

The most obvious difference is in terms of the quality of sound that is produced. Because of the way upright pianos are structured, the acoustic quality they produce is limited. The vertical placement of strings and soundboard within the piano are confined to a smaller space, resulting in a lower resonance and range of sound.

Conversely the sound produced by a grand piano will generally feature a richer tonal quality, due to the larger soundboard and size of the piano’s body. The open lid of a grand piano also contributes significantly to the projection of the sound by allowing it to escape rather than obstruct it, such as in the case of an upright piano. 

That’s not to say that upright pianos have a bad sound by any means. Quality upright pianos can also achieve a stellar sound, just not at the same level of richness as grand pianos.

Size 

Pianos are not small instruments will take up considerable space within homes or venues. For this reason, most pianists choose to have an upright piano within their home due to the lower space requirement they have. 

Grand pianos, while possible to have within bigger homes, do need more “breathing room” to get the most out of their sound — placing them in a confined space will not allow them to sing at their full potential. 

Material and make

Due to their reputation as the premier model for performance-quality sound, grand pianos are often created with greater quality and using higher quality materials. Most notably, the soundboard of grand pianos are usually made from more superior-quality softwoods to achieve an impressive sound. The cabinet (body) of a grand piano may also feature exotic woods like walnut or mahogany that contribute to a unique aesthetic and finish. 

Conversely, upright pianos tend to be manufactured with more common materials for their soundboards and cabinet. It’s uncommon to see an upright piano featuring exotic woods as part of their design due to their reputation as an accessible model primarily for practice or for more functional uses. 

Price

Price-wise is where upright pianos hold the edge over grand pianos. Upright pianos cost significantly less than grand pianos and are the ideal choice for home playing or learners. This difference in cost can be extremely stark, with the price of grand pianos potentially costing up to several times the price of an upright piano.  

For practical reasons, most pianists choose to have an upright piano, unless their skill can justify the cost of getting a grand piano. At higher levels of performance, grand pianos are worth the investment. 

Tips for Choosing Between an Upright and Grand Piano

If you’re looking at getting a new piano, here are some tips that can help guide your decision between purchasing an upright piano or a grand piano. 

Your skill level 

Your level of playing skill on the piano should be your biggest consideration. As a beginner, you should think more about getting better at playing the right notes rather than focusing on the intricacies of your performance sound. An upright piano may be the more suitable choice for you as you continue to learn and hone your playing skills.

A grand piano will suit pianists at higher levels of playing where the focus shifts to the finding the right level of expressiveness of your sound as a performer. Grand pianos offer a much richer tonal range and will be able to better capture the performance of experienced pianists.

The size of your home/venue 

If you don’t have much room in your home, your choice of piano will be restricted to upright models. As mentioned before, grand pianos reach their full potential when given enough surrounding space for their sound to resonate in, such as in concert halls or home studios. 

Regardless of which piano model you decide on, it’s essential that you purchase a piano from a certified piano retailer. This will ensure the quality of your new piano and provide you with the necessary support with it comes to care and maintenance such as how often you should tune your piano. 

At Gospel Pianos, we are Australia’s leading supplier for both upright and grand piano models and are the exclusive distributor of global piano brands from Germany, Czech Republic, Italy, and more. Come down to our piano showrooms in Sydney to try out our upright and grand piano models for yourself!