The Upright Piano

Ever wondered what the difference was between a grand piano and an upright piano? Apart from the obvious distinctions of cost, size and appearance? For those pianists who have smaller floor space and a lesser budget, an upright piano is a great alternative.

The upright piano was originally constructed in approximately 1780. By 1802 a Londoner by the name of Thomas Loud had improved the design by placing the strings in a diagonal manner. By 1840 the upright piano had 75 keys, and by 1890, the full complement of 88 keys. The larger upright pianos became increasingly popular with pianists through the late 19 th Century and early 20 th Century.

Upright pianos are placed into categories determined by their height. The spinet piano is 36" high, the console piano is 42-44" high, the studio upright is 44-49" high, and anything over 49" is considered a full size upright. Generally, with an upright piano, the taller the piano, the longer the strings, the better and bigger the tone of the piano will be.

The upright piano has a different action from the grand piano. In an upright piano the action returns to the resting position by the help of springs, as opposed to gravity alone, in the case of the grand piano. This action is what gives the upright piano its distinctive touch. This action is also the main factor that allows the upright piano to be of lesser price and size.

The upright piano has the soundboard and its plate of strings running vertically, perpendicular to the keyboard. The majority of upright pianos also have their strings running upwards from the bottom of the case starting near the floor. This technique was invented by John Isaac Hawkins, in approximately 1800, who was an Englishman living in the United States. Prior to this, the strings originated at the top near the level of the keys. These earlier prototypes were much taller and often featured elaborate styles such as the "giraffe" and "pyramid" shaped upright pianos.

Upright pianos have one of 2 dampening systems to ensure the notes stop sounding. The over damper system is the less effective system and is found in the older pianos. In this system the dampers are found above the hammers, and make contact near the top of the strings. The under damper system is to be found in all modern and finer quality traditional upright pianos. This system is far more reliable as the dampers are sitting under the hammers opposite the springs.

The upright piano can either be overstrung or straight strung. With a straight strung frame, all the strings are running vertically, or obliquely, and are strung parallel. In an overstrung frame, the bass strings form an 'X' in the middle section. Due to the diagonal lengths on the majority of the strings in the overstrung frame, a richer tone will be produced than that of the straight strung frame.

The best combination to look for in an older upright piano is the under damper system with the overstrung frame.

For further information on the upright piano why not check out these sites:

BohemiaPiano
KawaiUs
Steinway

 

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