When asked to picture a piano, most people visualise a grand.
Why?
Well, largely down to the fact they look so impressive. Sleek, bold, and impossible to ignore, the silhouette of a grand is the iconic image of a piano – but it’s not the only one.
Upright pianos are often overshadowed by the grand piano’s legendary status, yet don’t deserve to be. In fact, for many players – both new and accomplished – an upright piano makes a preferable choice.
Not convinced?
Then keep reading as the team at Richard Lawson Pianos explain the benefits of an upright piano and why you should consider investing.
How is an upright piano different to a grand piano?
First things first, let’s take a look at what it is that separates a grand piano from an upright model.
· Size
Whilst baby grands are available, the footprint of a grand – baby or otherwise – will dominate floor space, making them impractical for many settings.
· Strings
The foreboding size of a grand piano comes from the fact that the strings are horizontal, in contrast to the vertical strings of an upright piano.
· Pedals
The pedals of an upright piano have different functions to those of a grand.
With an upright piano, the left (soft) pedal moves hammers closer to the strings and reduces volume. The middle pedal (the muffler or practice pedal) mutes the sound, while the right pedal (the sustain or damper pedal) sustains notes even if fingers are lifted away from the keys.
· Price
The cost of an upright piano is significantly cheaper than a grand.
4 key benefits of buying an upright piano
We’ve established the basics of how the two differ, now let’s take a look at the advantages upright pianos offer.
#1 Saving space
This is the dealbreaker for most people. Finding space to position a piano can be difficult at the best of times, and is often impossible with a grand.
Thankfully, upright pianos come in a range of sizes, and are far more compact due to their vertical strings.
Ideally designed to be pushed up against a wall, they can fit into most rooms without dominating the space.
#2 Affordable
We’ve already touched on price as a key differential between grands and uprights, but it’s important to recognise this as one of the main advantages of upright pianos.
A top-of-the-range upright will cost on average £10,000, which is still an impressive £5,000 under the typical starting price for most grand pianos.
So, if you’re shopping on a strict budget and want value for money, you can’t go wrong with an upright piano.
#3 Great for developing skills
Ideal for everyone, but particularly for beginners and intermediate players, upright pianos are perfect for developing your skills and learning to control the dynamics of a piano.
Providing plenty of tonal range, without overpaying for subtleties in sound that will go unappreciated, an upright piano is a great investment.
#4 Easier resale
Moved house, kids lost interest, or ready to advance your own playing; whatever the reason, a time may come when you need to sell your current piano – and this is much easier with an upright than a grand.
Interest in buying second hand upright pianos is generally higher – and the process quicker – due to the larger customer base and increased demand.
Should you buy a second-hand upright piano?
Yes! Why not?
A second-hand upright piano can offer considerable savings – you just need to keep in mind that it’s always more advisable to buy from a reputable piano dealer.
Google ‘2nd hand upright piano’ and you’ll likely come across all manner of offers and deals, but proceed with caution. An offer that seems too good to be true often is – and buying from a private seller affords you none of the guarantees or protection you’d have with an established dealer.
For more advice about buying second-hand, take a look at our ‘6 things you need to know about second-hand pianos’ blog.
Invest with us
If you’re looking for an upright piano for sale – new or used – we can help.
With a great collection of upright pianos available to buy, we can help you find the perfect model for your home, playing style, and budget.
To talk in more detail about the benefits of upright pianos and for help finding the right model for you, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
You can browse our range of upright pianos online now, book an appointment to visit our extensive showroom or call the team on 01923 720 974 to chat in more detail.
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