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by OnlyPiano.com
What to Look for in a Piano
It is a terrible dilemma for an adult, especially a parent when choosing the correct piano either for a young beginner or even for oneself who is just beginning to play. It is an easier decision to make when the buyer has formative training and is able to feel the piano upon playing it. To choose the correct piano, one has to know certain mechanics about the instrument.
"The Upright Piano and The Grand Piano"
The upright piano and the grand piano both consist of the case, iron frame, action, bridge, jacks, soundboard, pedals and keyboard.
Keys:
In the old days, the keys on the keyboard were made of ivory but now they are covered with a special plastic. The top row is black and the bottom row white. The keys are attached to a wooden jack and, when struck, set the hammer in motion which in turn strikes the string, producing a sound. The resistance of the piano keys varies between different makes. A piano with a light touch is difficult to control; one that is too heavy is just as difficult.
Strings:
The strings are made of steel and are stretched tight over an iron frame and are held by wrest pins at one end and hitch pins at the other. These strings pass over a bridge glued onto a soundboard made of a special wood depending on where the piano is made and it is slightly convex. This soundboard is the heart of the instrument as it is the most important and artistic part.
Hammers:
The hammers which strike the strings are covered with felt, which is a mixture of wool, silk and hair. This mixture is important as a hammer that is too hard, creates a metallic tone, a hammer that is too soft has a dull tone. Therefore this too is a guarded trade secret.
Pedals:
There are mostly 3 pedals on the piano.
The right pedal is the "Damper" pedal or the "Sustaining" pedal. When depressed, this pedal enriches the sound by prolonging it. When this pedal is depressed, a damper or a row of dampers (depending on the number of keys are played) are lifted allowing the strings to vibrate freely prolonging the sound. When released, the dampers fall back onto the strings stopping the vibration. The use of the right pedal should be used carefully as too much use creates too many overtones and the music looses it beauty. The use of this pedal cannot be learned from a textbook but through years of aural training and practice.
The left pedal is sometimes called the "Soft" pedal or the "Una Corda". In the upright piano, when the left pedal is depressed, the row of hammers is shifted forward creating a shorter striking distance for the hammers when the keys are struck. It is sometimes called the half blow as less force is used thus creating a softer sound. In the grand piano, when the left pedal is depressed, shifts the action and the keyboard slightly to the right so that the hammers strike with the softer part of the felt or in some pianos, where the strings are trichord, two strings are struck instead of three. In the lower octaves, where there is only one string, the softest part of the hammer strikes the string.
The middle pedal of the upright piano and the grand piano have different functions altogether. The middle pedal is called the "Sostenuto" pedal. In the upright piano, when this pedal is depressed, a piece of felt which is above the height of the hammers is lowered between the hammers and strings causing a muffled sound when the keys are played. This pedal may be depressed and locked to the left for evening practice so as not to disturb the neighbours. In the grand piano, when this pedal is depressed, an action takes place. Certain keys that are required to be held do so, allowing the hands to travel freely throughout the keyboard, playing other keys.
Piano wood:
The best quality pianos are made of many kinds of selected timber. These selected pieces of timber are kept in store for a number of years and many are rejected as unsuitable by master craftsmen who build the soundboard. Timber that is not carefully stored or carefully dried may be liable to split. A split soundboard, will render the piano worthless. A soundboard that is ideal for the cold climate will not be able to withstand the temperature and humidity of the tropics.
Price:
The price of the upright piano and the grand vary greatly. An average upright piano may cost from as low as $3000 to as high as $70000; a small grand as little as $16000 to an average of $250000.
The upright piano is smaller and more compact because the strings run vertically. It is often seen in homes as it is space saving. Whereas the grand "baby" or "concert" vary in length and is wing-shaped. It is much larger as the strings run horizontally.
It is not important to purchase the most expensive piano for a beginner. It is important to choose the correct piano. The sonority of the bass and the brilliance of the treble must work together as one. A piano with a too soft touch is difficult to control and a piano with a too heavy touch is exhausting for someone who is playing for the first time. Sometimes as parents, we would like to purchase the best piano for our children. It would also be ill advice to purchase a physically large piano for a new beginner as an overly large piano, would be a challenge for any new student. It is a challenge not needed as yet till many years later.
Any piano with proper maintenance and care will last many years. It is after all the musician who creates and produces the music.
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