About Upright Pianos

Upright pianos are cherished at home, while grand pianos are used in events such as concerts. As we trace back through history, we can clearly understand the difference between the two.

Created by improving the cembalo in the beginning of the 18th century, the original piano was horizontally flat (grand) and the keys and strings were located on the same horizontal level. Gradually it grew in size to satisfy the demand for fuller sound volume and wider keyboard range. However, since such pianos took up too much space, the vertical (upright) piano with vertically placed strings was developed.

It was around 1800 when the prototype of the present-day upright piano was manufactured by John Isaac Hawkins. Since then, many types of upright pianos with various features have been created, such as the cabinet piano and the cottage piano, and they quickly gained popularity with the public. As the piano decreased in size, the new market for pianos expanded even further.

The upright piano and the grand piano are structurally different, and their expressiveness and responsiveness differ accordingly.

It can be said that the grand piano has a certain edge on the upright piano in expressing fine nuances. The reason is their structural difference. Unlike the grand piano, which has the keys and strings on the same horizontal level and the hammers strike the strings from below, the upright piano, which conveys the motion of the keys vertically and in which the hammers strike the strings sideways, needs to use springs to return the hammers, so their reaction time becomes a little slower. However, thanks to many improvements, the present-day upright piano delivers great performance and tone expression.

If you would like to enjoy playing the piano casually as hobby or for practising, or if you are planning to learn to play the piano, we recommend the upright piano, which is more compact and affordable. The digital piano is another alternative, but it does not of course sound the same, since this instrument has a completely different sound production mechanism from its acoustic counterpart, which produces a sound by pressing down a key with a finger to move a hammer and strike a string.

If the volume and depth of sound matter most to you, you may wish to choose a tall piano. A taller piano provides richer sounds because it offers greater string length and soundboard area.