Start Free TrialUpload

Instruments and Care

Chapter 25: Different Types of Pianos

By Mark Harrison

Know your options before you buy — how acoustic pianos compare with electric pianos and keyboards, and what suits your needs.

Acoustic Pianos

Acoustic pianos are divided into two overall categories: vertical and horizontal. Vertical pianos are also sometimes referred to as “uprights,” although technically an upright is just one type of vertical piano, as we’ll see in a minute. Horizontal pianos are also referred to as “grand” pianos.

Vertical pianos fall into one of the following sub-categories: spinet, console, studio, and upright. The spinet piano is the smallest piano made, with a height of around 3 feet. Compared to other pianos, the keys have to go through more steps before striking the Spinet string, which enables the piano to be shorter. However, there is a loss of power and balance, and as a result there are very few new spinet pianos being manufactured. The console piano is the next size up, with a height of around 3 feet 6 inches. Unlike the spinet, the console uses a “direct key” action, which together with the longer Console strings and larger soundboard, results in a better tone. The studio piano is the next size up, with a height of around 4 feet. This piano has very good tone quality and is often found in music schools and studios. Finally, Studio the upright piano is the tallest, with a height of up to 5 feet. There are very few new upright pianos being manufactured, so if you see one, it’s most likely to be old!

Photo: vertical upright pianos compared by size, spinet to uprightPhoto: vertical piano showing console or studio cabinet design


Horizontal or “grand” pianos fall into one of the following sub-categories: petite, baby, medium, parlor (or “living room”), ballroom (or “semi-concert”), and concert. The main difference between all these types is the overall length. The petite is around 4 feet 8 inches, the baby is around 5 feet 3 inches, the medium is 5 feet 7 inches, the parlor is around 6 feet, the ballroom is around 7 feet, and the concert grand is 9 feet long. All grand pianos will have a louder and fuller tone than vertical pianos due to their longer strings and larger soundboards. The grand piano has an even louder and more resonant sound when the adjustable lid is propped open.

Photo: horizontal grand piano with lid propped open

Here are some famous brands of acoustic pianos that you can check out. Even though acoustic pianos have been made in pretty much the same way for a long time now, there is still a significant difference between makes and models, in terms of the overall tone color and feel of the instrument. If you’re in the market for an acoustic piano, go for one that fits your musical needs, available space, and budget!

Console pianos are the most common for in the home. They are more decorative than studios, and don’t take up too much space. Studio pianos are larger, and usually more “plain” looking. The various grand pianos are obviously excellent for the sound, but their size and price make them an instrument for only the truly dedicated (and wealthy!).

Electric Pianos and Keyboards

You might remember that we conducted some basic comparisons between acoustic and electric instruments back in Chapter 1. Electric instruments fall into three broad categories: digital pianos, synthesizers and workstations, and software instruments.

Digital pianos are often the most tempting option for people who want a sound close to “the real thing,” but don’t want to deal with the world of computers and MIDI technology. Digital pianos have 88 weighted keys, and come with a selection of piano sounds as well as a handful of other sounds. They are designed to be used as a stand-alone instrument, either in the home or in a school classroom. As such, they normally have built-in speakers at each end, and a headphone output so you can practice without disturbing your neighbors. Roland, Yamaha, Korg, and Kurzweil all make good digital pianos. As with all keyboards, play the instrument to see if you like the sound and feel before Yamaha Digital buying. Popular models in 2006 include the Roland MP-60, Yamaha YDP223, Korg SP250, and Kurzweil RE-210.

Photo: Yamaha digital piano with 88 weighted keys

Synthesizers and workstations is a large category! Synthesizers are keyboard instruments capable of playing many different sounds, which by the late 1980s typically included “samples” (digital recordings) of real instruments, including piano. Synthesizers also allow the user to program and alter these sounds—in essence, to create your own sounds as well as use the “presets” already available on the instrument. Also in the 1980s, onboard “sequencing” (multi-channel recording) was added to these synthesizers, and “workstations” were born. Functionally, the workstations in the 2000s are similar, but with more features: memory, sounds, sound editing capabilities, and polyphony (number of “voices” sounding at once) have all increased greatly. These instruments now have a hefty selection of acoustic and electric piano sounds, hundreds or thousands of other sounds (strings, brass, organ, bass, drums, etc.), and an onboard sequencer with a large memory capacity. They normally don’t have built-in speakers, so you’ll need to run them through an external amplifier and speaker system (or combo amp), or listen to them on headphones. Popular models in 2006 include the Korg Triton Extreme, Yamaha Korg Triton Extreme Motif, and Roland Fantom.

Photo: Korg Triton Extreme synthesizer workstation keyboard

The features on today’s digital pianos, synths and workstations are extensive, and you want make sure that the keyboard is what you need. Here are some areas you should consider before deciding what to buy:

  • Are you going to be transporting it to gigs and/or rehearsals, or is it primarily for home use? A larger and heavier machine might be OK if you’re leaving it at home, but portability is a factor if you’re “playing out.”
  • Do you need sounds other than just piano sounds (for recording, or for live use)? If not, then a digital piano (for home use) or a “stage piano” (for live use) such as the Roland RD-700SX or the more budget-oriented M-Audio ProKeys 88 might work for you. These keyboards will all have a “weighted action,” which is appropriate if you mainly need piano sounds.
  • If you do need a range of other sounds as well as piano sounds: do you also need “weighted keys” (approximating the feel of an acoustic piano), or is an unweighted “synth action” OK? If you need weighted keys, then you’re either looking at the 88-key versions of the workstation synths, or a weighted 88-key “controller” which sends MIDI data to another keyboard or “MIDI sound module” (or to a software instrument running on a computer…see next shorter (61- or 76-key) versions of the workstation synths.
  • Do you need the onboard sequencing that the workstation synths provide? Well, maybe not if you already run a computer-based music setup. In mid 2000, Yamaha did a smart thing and brought out the S90, essentially a weighted 88-key version of their Motif workstation, but without the sequencer. The S90 has outstanding electric piano sounds, and reasonably decent acoustic piano sounds (and most of the other great sounds from the Motif). I play an S90 on gigs with my Steely Dan tribute band, and I’ve seen top L.A. players like David Garfield and Gregg Karukas use them as well.

With these thoughts in mind, here are some well-known manufacturers of digital pianos and synthesizers (not to mention a whole lot of other music equipment!) that you can check out.

Software instruments offer the greatest realism if you’re looking to get as close as possible to the real sound of a piano (and who isn’t?). The plug-ins discussed in the last chapter (which “plug in” to a host sequencer on your Mac or PC) are software instruments. They take advantage of the ever faster speed of today’s computers (together with large hard drives and fast drive access times) to use huge sample libraries of instrument sounds, far larger than the memory available on workstation synths. For piano sounds, this not only means individual samples for each note (rather than “stretching” samples across a range of notes, as is common on workstations), but individual samples for multiple velocity (how hard and fast you hit a key) levels per note. This all adds up to the most realistic piano playing experience yet, using a computer and keyboard controller. Some software instruments will also run as “stand-alone” programs (i.e., they will run by themselves, instead of running inside a “host” application). The two main “software” pianos in 2006 are Ivory (by Synthogy) and Akoustic Piano (by Native Instruments). I’ve used Ivory extensively (as a plugin inside Digital Performer on a Mac) on various projects, with excellent results. Some musicians are also using Ivory on gigs, with a keyboard controller hooked up to their laptop computer. It’s a brave new world out there!

Also, some of the music instrument retailers have helpful catalogs and websites, covering all types of keyboard instruments, as well as music software. In particular, I find the Sweetwater catalog a useful guide and quick reference to what’s out there and what’s “hot.” Check out these companies and websites for further information.

See more