| The two main piano types are grand pianos and | | | | 1100 pounds whereas an upright weighs between 400 |
| upright pianos. Grand pianos are also called horizontal | | | | and 500 pounds. Uprights may cost between $1,000 |
| pianos because the frame and strings are horizontal. | | | | and $8,000, but new grands may cost $10,000 |
| They are also said to producer better quality tones | | | | upwards to hundreds of thousands of dollars. |
| than uprights, and they have the most responsive key | | | | The first upright piano was made by Johann Schmidt |
| action. Every time you press a key, a small hammer | | | | of Salzburg, Austria around 1780. To save even more |
| strikes the string to produce the note. When the key is | | | | space, in 1802 Thomas Loud of London developed an |
| released, the hammer returns to its starting position. A | | | | upright with strings running diagonally. The notes of an |
| grand's hammer falls back into position through gravity | | | | upright are not considered to be of professional quality |
| due to the horizontal construction. Uprights depend on | | | | due to the acoustics resulting from the design. The |
| a mechanism to return the hammer. Most experts | | | | tone quality simply cannot match that of a grand. |
| agree that the gravity driven action of the grand is far | | | | Sound is not radiated effectively to an audience, and |
| superior because it's quicker and smoother. | | | | when the upright is pushed up against a wall, the tone |
| Generally, pianos with longer strings produce a better | | | | is somewhat soft and dull. |
| quality sound. Concert grand pianos are over nine feet | | | | There are a variety of other piano types that have |
| long and produce the highest quality tones for concert | | | | been developed. The piano player was invented by |
| halls. Liberace, a trained classical pianist and entertainer | | | | Henri Fourneaux in 1863. Using pneumatic devices, it |
| had many rare, antique pianos that are now on display | | | | plays itself from rolls of perforated paper. In the 1980s, |
| in his museum. One of his first was an over-sized, | | | | digital pianos were introduced to serve as an |
| gilded Bluthner grand. | | | | alternative to traditional acoustic ones. They are usually |
| Upright or vertical piano types take up much less | | | | less expensive, smaller and have no strings to tune. |
| space than grands. Uprights were designed for home | | | | The advent of the computer and digital technology has |
| use, so they can usually fit through a door unlike a | | | | enabled the development of new piano technologies. |
| grand. Grand pianos may weigh between 530 and | | | | |