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Types of Upright Pianos - Which Piano To Buy?


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With all the different types of upright pianos in the market, it is inevitable that you will be spoilt for choices and get confused over which piano to buy. As mentioned in last Friday's blog post, we will be sharing more about the individual piano categories in detail, and the upright piano will be the star today.

As always, for the sake of those who are completely new to the sophisticated world of pianos, the upright piano is the most commonly played piano in the world due to its strings and actions being vertical in the upright, which allows it to be easily fitted in anywhere! Although the sound they produce is almost the same, upright pianos function and feel completely different from the usual grand pianos that most people know.

They come in many different styles and heights, namely the spinet piano, the console piano, the studio piano, and last but not least, the full-sized professional uprights. However, despite their differences in height, almost all upright pianos have a standard width of 5" (152cm) and depth of 2" to 2.5"(61cm to 76cm). Their small width and depth make the upright pianos extremely suitable for places like 3room flats that have limited space.

The differences between the 4 types of upright pianos are mainly their heights, as well as their prices. Of course, with such differences, each individual types cater to different specific situations. We will be sharing the specifications of each individual type of upright piano and recommending which piano to purchase for different situations. However, do note that with the huge upright piano industry, there are bound to be variants that are different from the usual specifications. The specifications that we provided are simply for your reference and may not be 100% accurate!

1. Spinet Upright Piano

The spinet upright piano is the smallest type of piano in the upright piano category, and are rarely produced nowadays. It is not a very popular choice of piano due to its complicated mechanisms, which prevents it from producing quality sounds as compared to the rest of the upright pianos. They are usually less than 40" (101cm) tall in height, and their prices are usually below $3,000.

With the prices being below $3,000, it is the perfect kind of piano for those of you who have tight budgets. Also, because of their small size and low price, they are the perfect type of piano for teaching young children who are small in size and have short attention spans.

2. Console Upright Piano

The console upright piano is the most commonly played upright piano and slightly taller than the spinet piano, standing at the height of 40'" to 44" (102cm to 111cm) tall. The price of a console piano ranges between an affordable $3,000 to $4,000.

The affordable prices of the console upright piano and the fact that most piano owners own console pianos make the console upright piano the best piano to consider if you are running on a tight budget but are willing to fork out a bit more for better sound quality. They are also the perfect practice piano for those of you who practice or play the upright piano frequently as a skill or hobby.

3. Studio Upright Piano

Studio upright pianos are fairly large pianos that are usually between 44" to 48" (112cm to 120cm) tall. They usually cost around $5,000 to $11,000.

As the differences in prices between studio upright pianos are wide, these pianos may or may not be affordable for most people. For those of you who are playing the piano as a hobby or practices the piano frequently but running on a somewhat tight budget, you can consider the lower price tier studio upright pianos that cost around $5,000 to $6,000. For serious pianists who take their piano practices seriously and plays on a daily basis, you will want to consider studio upright pianos that costs more than $6,000 as they are definitely better in terms of quality and durability.

4. Full-sized Professional Upright Piano

With an imposing height of 48'"(121cm) or above, the full-sized professional upright pianos deserve their title of being the giant of all upright piano. Of course, with such a magnificent title, these giants will definitely come with a hefty price tag. They are usually priced at $11,000 or higher.

If you are an aspiring upright pianist who practice on a daily basis and performs regularly, this is the type of piano you should totally go for! The full-sized professional upright pianos, as their name suggest, are usually used by professional upright pianists for practices, recitals and performances. They are also the type of upright pianos that collectors love the most. Also, these giants are the perfect type of decorations for homes, studios, churches and schools!

Now that you have the proper information and recommendations, you should have a clear understanding of the different types of upright pianos as well as which piano you should be buying. If you want to compare upright pianos with grand pianos, you can read our previous article. If you are also considering digital piano, follow us on Facebook and stay tuned for our blog post on upright pianos later this week!

 

Wen Feng is a passionate music aficionado. He is constantly on the search for new music to listen to, with a particular interest in classical music. Piano pieces have always been a great companion and kept him calm throughout his school and work life.

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