How Do You Take the Sound Board Out of a Baby Grand Piano

Upright Piano

• The piano action: is a mechanical arrangement that operates by pressing the piano keys, which then engages levers, that moves a felt hammer to strike the respective string when the key is pressed.
• The strings are made of high tempered steel and are generally tuned to the standard concert pitch, A=440hz.
• The hammer is made of felt and is very tough.
• The constant hitting helps aid in slowly releasing pressure on the pinblock, detuning them.
• Strings are to be tuned once every 3-6 months, depending on how much y'all do and perform.

The upright pianos action sits vertically, also as the strings.

• The keys rest horizontally, are very long, and when a cardinal is pressed down, it lifts on the other cease similar a seesaw.
• This then moves a bunch of parts, that so moves the hammer forward hitting the string horizontally.
• The damper lifts horizontally as well, but the damper is not in this image.
• Once the key is released, the hammer resets with the assist of springs and the damper resets too.

The g piano's action rests horizontally, besides every bit the strings.

• When the key is pressed downwards, it lifts on the other end, moving a bunch of other parts, like to an upright, but the hammer moves vertically to strike the string.
• This offers more command of dynamics, colour, speed, and overall force.
• The damper lifts vertically as well.
• When the key is released, the hammer and damper fall and reset thanks to gravity.

The action on a 1000 pianoforte is faster because the action moves with gravity.

A thousand piano does not have a jump that needs to be reset, and every bit a result it can be played again at virtually whatsoever distance. An upright piano key has to come up a sure distance to reset the spring before you are able to restrike that same key. If we take a high quality grand, and a high quality upright, and play the aforementioned amount of hours on each instrument, the odds are that the upright volition need those springs replaced while the m continues to catamenia with gravity.

Notation:  Consistent practice/motion causes all parts to weaken, and slow down over time, regardless of quality. Y'all tin bandy actions on a chiliad piano with ease. Some pianists own multiple actions with specific voicing and key weight for each one. Deportment are very expensive though and a new one tin start as high as $15,000.

Sound:

Sound is why we play music. If the sound isn't good, nosotros will obviously question our playing. The reality is a lot of pianists have a decent affect, only if the instrument isn't in expert shape and tuned, it'southward going to be a discouraging experience.

I volition always recommend a k over an upright, if you can afford it, even if yous reside in a footling apartment.

If your home has express square footage, you may be request yourself "well doesn't sound need room to travel?" It's true, sound does demand room to travel, but if you stick a 9 human foot concert grand in a storage room, and also place an upright in that aforementioned room, the 9 pes will still exist a more than enjoyable aural feel.

In fact, I used to practice in a storage room with a Steinway D, and yous know what? I LOVED It. Why? Because the sound was and so unbelievably powerful. The hard hitting sustaining bass that y'all can feel in your basic, the overtones screaming in your face, and a very pleasant odor from the wood was an overall very powerful experience.

Steinway D

An average piano has 230 strings, their tension is maintained on the pinblock, and the audio reflects off a piece of wood called the soundboard. The size of the piano will decide the size of the soundboard, and string length. The larger the pianoforte, the bigger the soundboard. This requires longer strings which will effect in more book, resonance, and sustain. In other words, the bigger the size, the more sound you have.

Too, the soundboard carries an incredible amount of pressure, and with more size, comes more pressure.

With this theory, a grand piano is ever going to exist louder than an upright.

The largest upright still has a string length of a couple inches shorter than the smallest grand pianos strength length. However; sound tin can be affected by multiple things, and these are some key spots to check out when shopping for a piano.

Factors that might touch the sound of your piano:

1. Dust on the strings:

Yeah, believe it or not dust plays a major factor in a piano'southward sound. A lot of problems can be solved by removing the dust from the strings, dampers, and soundboard.

Ex: Non-sustaining notes, super bright or harsh notes, or merely lack of overall sound, can generally be corrected with the removal of grit. You would exist surprised!

An upright piano isn't going to need dusting equally frequently equally a grand. Unless of course yous exercise with the height of the chapeau open, and it remains open, or if yous cull to remove the whole forepart cover exposing the action and strings.

A grand pianoforte is going to accrue dust much quicker and volition need dusting rather oft; once or twice a calendar month. Unless of class, you go along the piano completely airtight forever, merely I don't know anyone who keeps their grand piano closed.

It'southward really unproblematic to grit a piano and doesn't take more than than 5 minutes. If you absolutely hate the idea of having to dust your musical instrument, so undoubtedly buy an upright.

    2. Hammers:

Check out the hammers when you lot are shopping for a pianoforte. If yous are having trouble decision-making your pianissimo, or if the tone sounds very boring, at that place's a good chance the hammers have deep grooves that need to be filed, plus dust removal! 🙂

Hammers

     three. Intonation/voicing:

If the hammers are round, and in that location is little to no dust on a piano, and information technology withal sounds deadening, or very vivid and hard hit, you have one of two options. Either the pianoforte needs a serious tuning with a good technician and/or the hammers demand to exist voiced.

Annotation: If you purchase a piano and information technology sounds bang-up in the shop, just when information technology arrives at your business firm, the sound is disappointing, accept no fear! A simple voicing volition near likely solve this problems. The felt on a hammer needs to be adjusted co-ordinate to the room it rests in. If your tone is very vivid, or if the tone sounds like the hammer is hitting the string difficult, it means the felt is as well tough and needs to be loosened. If the tone is very dull, and sounds weak, it means the felt is too soft and will need to be hardened. This should exist done by a technician.

Space/Size:

I shared with you that I used to practise on a Concert Grand, in a storage cupboard, and I loved it. The reality is, most people can't beget a Concert Grand, and fifty-fifty if you lot could, there's honestly no reason to buy i, unless of course you lot are completely infatuated with having that much sound in your confront.

Regardless of space, I volition e'er recommend a grand over an upright for an overall better experience. I personally get frustrated with uprights. For me, the only reason to practise on an upright is if: A) Information technology's the just option bachelor or B) just to go my notes learned.

Grand pianos starting time as small equally four' 11", these are also known equally the "infant k," which will crave merely vi-1/2' x 5' of space. That's pretty doable for about people. If you truly don't have enough space for a thousand, or if yous actually merely don't want 1, purchasing an upright can be a slap-up investment too.

Count Basie, a prominent jazz pianist, said in an interview with Oscar Peterson, another prominent jazz pianist, that he prefers uprights over grands due to the keys being lighter.

When it comes to uprights, I would recommend buying quality and the largest size y'all tin can afford. This way you won't have to buy another i. A quality pianoforte tin can final a lifetime and so some if y'all keep up on maintenance. I have played upright pianos that engagement back to the 19th century and they still play pretty well!

A bad quality upright is going to crusade frustration subsequently a short time because of inexpensive parts, especially a cheap action, a lack of projection in the audio, and most technicians will accuse more to work on the piano than the value of the instrument. Yous will inevitably desire to purchase a new one. In other words, you will withal cease up shelling out the cash eventually if you decided to 'save money', or worse, you may quit. :'(

Annotation:  A grand piano's sound doesn't truly open up upward until the six pes mark, allowing you to "feel" the sound. Annihilation nether six feet will have limitations in its overall power. If you are not aspiring to get a professional pianist this does non thing. However, if you wish to strive for the concert stage I would recommend 6' or more. Yamaha claims the C3, half-dozen' ane", is the almost purchased practice piano for professional piano players effectually the world.

Pedals:

The pedals on an upright and k pianoforte serve the same purpose, but in different ways:

• Damper Peda fifty
  • This pedal, all the way to the right, lifts up the dampers, allowing the strings to sustain the notes played until the dampers are placed back downward on the strings, or until the notes die out.
  • The but difference between an upright and grand for this pedal is on a grand, the dampers lift vertically, on an upright they lift horizontally.

• Sostenuto Pedal
  • This is the pedal in the middle.
  • Play a note, or notes, and while holding down the note/notes, press downward on the sostenuto pedal.
  • The sostenuto pedal holds only this notation, or notes, and allows you to freely play, and release, all other notes on the piano.
  • Y'all can even utilise both the sostenuto pedal and damper pedal together. I like to remember of this pedal as a stationary third hand.
  • There is no difference betwixt an upright or 1000 piano in terms of role for this pedal. However, I take personally noticed that on an upright piano the sostenuto is not as business firm in holding the specific note/notes.
  • It is more than common for other notes to bleed into the sound on uprights. This problem could be due to the sostenuto pedal needing maintenance. I recommend checking out this pedal when shopping.

• Una Corda Pedafifty
  • This is the pedal all the style to the left.
  • This pedal has different functions on an upright versus grand.
  • The point of the Una Corda is to change the color and to soften the sound. Some people will refer to this pedal every bit the soft pedal, although I feel this is a premature argument.
  • On a grand piano, the Una Corda shifts the entire action to the right. This movement causes the hammers to only striking two strings instead of three. Aye, this tin can soften the sound, but it you utilise a tad bit more pressure level, subsequently engaging the Una Corda, y'all tin can match the audio as if it wasn't engaged.
  • The noticeable departure so is, in fact, a change in colour and graphic symbol. This is why I personally don't like to refer to information technology as the soft pedal.
  • On an upright piano, the Una Corda works much differently. Remember, an upright piano's hammers strike horizontally, so when pressed the Una Corda moves the hammers closer to the strings, shortening the distance, which limits the velocity. It as well changes the feel in the activeness.
  • When this pedal is pressed downward on an upright, it is easier to play faster due to the shorter distance. The term "soft pedal" is more appropriate when talking nearly an upright.

Cost/Purchase:

Right now, November 2017, is a great time to purchase a piano. I alive in the U.s.a. and currently, the marketplace is extremely saturated.

When shopping for a piano, recall a couple things:

1. Play the piano for at least an hr. Actually dig into the keys and mind to how it sounds. Brand sure all the keys come upwards at the same speed and try to become different tones out of the pianoforte. Brand certain it can play both harshly and beautifully.
2. Cheque the pedals and brand certain they all work. Check that all the dampers lift evenly, the sostenuto pedal has picayune to no bleed, and that the una corda is doing its job correctly.
3. Run your finger on the soundboard to come across if any dust comes off. If and so enquire the dealer to clean it for you. (If the piano has a lot of dust on information technology, then question the dealer every bit to why they oasis't been keeping upward on simple maintenance!)
4. See if the hammers are grooved and if so, need that they be filed before delivery to your home.
5. Tell the dealer you lot desire your technician to come in and await at the piano, even if you don't have a technician. This elementary question can expose a crook. An honest dealer will invite yous to bring in your technician, a cheat volition give you some excuse as to why you can't.
6. HAGGLE! No matter what the list price is, a dealer will inevitably come down. Never, and I echo, NEVER pay the list price for a piano. If you exercise, you lot are making a error. When I purchased my Yamaha C3 information technology was listed at $12,500. I payed $eight,000. Now this was a used piano, and so it had a lot more than room to play. A new piano will be more house, but nonetheless the marketplace is saturated, and if a dealer has had a certain musical instrument for a long fourth dimension, they will take to take what they can to keep their inventory moving.

Exist enlightened that a new, quality, upright can be pricey. New uprights can start at a higher price than used grands. When searching for a new piano I would recommended taking some fourth dimension, and checking all available options. Even if you find a piano that y'all absolutely dear, and can beget, take a day or two to come downward from the excitement, and try information technology again before making your buy.

Alert: Don't ever buy a new Steinway Upright. They are priced very high at $20,000-$25,000 and are awful.

The Aspiring Pianist: How To Choose A Pianoforte For The Advanced Pianist

A lot of people and parents are often confused when yous try to explain the necessity of needing to upgrade the musical instrument once a certain skill level is reached. This includes different sizes in grand pianos too.

The Keyboard:

I began taking formal piano lessons when I was vii and I started on a Yamaha PS-55 Keyboard. I notwithstanding have information technology to this mean solar day. I would suggest learners, or parents, that if y'all, or your son or daughter, are on the fence about committing to pianoforte lessons, or if you are a parent forcing them to have lessons, a keyboard is honestly a rubber start. Even so, I recommend one with weighted keys instead of a inexpensive 80'due south synth, so you can begin developing hand strength from the start.

If you, or your child, is evolving at a quick rate, then buy a quality upright after most a year and come across where it goes from at that place. If you decide in the futurity to quit, and you lot take a quality instrument, yous can sell it and become a lot of your money dorsum.

The Upright:

After a year my parents bought me a cheap, small, Wurlitzer Upright Pianoforte. Two large men were able to deport it with ease. This would be my piano until I went to college. This upright piano was practiced to me for 5 years.

To be honest, I didn't practice as much equally I should accept during my Unproblematic School years, merely one time I got to heart schoolhouse, I began studying with a new instructor and really began to get serious.

After but ii years of consistent practice under him, I reached the world of Bach Inventions, Mozart Minuets, Expressive Etudes, and even some easier Chopin literature. This kind of literature is the turning signal. When you reach this level you take two options, either A) you can upgrade to a better, larger, upright piano with a fresh action, or B) buy a baby or grand piano.

1. A) If you are looking for a new upright, bank check for response. You lot should take good command of the staccato, legato, portato, tenuto, crescendo, decrescendo, and have command of the shape of the phrase, also known every bit slurring. I'm sure at this phase yous, or your child, wants the sound to be more responsive, more than resonant, and have more than ability.

Response is equally important equally a good action because you don't want to get frustrated with a lack of audio, this can pb to injury. The more than your ears develop, the more hungry y'all go.

1. B) Purchase a baby thousand, small yard, or grand piano. A infant grand is anything under 5'two", a small thou is classified as anything under 6', and a grand is classified equally 6' and above.

The Grand:

A smaller chiliad pianoforte doesn't automatically classify as superior to a quality upright. In fact, I played an upright from around 1885-1895. It was i of the most incredible feeling keyboards I ever touched in my life, contradicting the notion that vertical actions are superior to horizontal actions; the downfall came in the sound.

The audio was so soft no matter how much speed I put into the thrust of the chord. I kept trying to button the audio harder and began hurting my shoulders. The instrument was good for certain situations, simply non for what I wanted.

Notation to Parents: If your son or daughter is persistent with condign a pianist every bit a profession, please back up them. I know it sounds risky, but if they're dedicated they tin can take a actually slap-up and prosperous life.

Proficient luck on your search and if you ever have whatsoever questions feel free to drop your comments below. I can talk almost this subject all twenty-four hours, and then some!

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Liked our article? You tin can also cheque out our detailed buying guide onAudio-visual Piano vs Digital Piano for beginners and experienced piano players comparing sound quality, aesthetics, price, budget & space.

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Source: https://www.libertyparkmusic.com/choosing-between-grand-and-upright-piano/

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