Piano Types & Styles

Before you can choose a piano, you have to choose the style of piano that you are looking for.

For more information, check out our Types and Sizes of Pianos Adobe PDF reference chart.  (You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view it.)

Vertical Pianos

Vertical pianos get their name from the vertical orientation of their strings - if you open the top you'll see the strings running from top to bottom. Vertical pianos are designed to fit compactly against a wall.

Within the vertical piano category there are several models, most easily identified by their height:

  • Spinet Pianos

    • Spinet Pianos are 36" to 38" in height and have been made in a variety of furniture styles and finishes. 
    • Their low profiles and modest costs have made them attractive to many buyers. 
    • The action in a spinet is "indirect blow" or "drop" to make it compact enough to fit in the smaller spinet cabinet. An indirect action (the moving mechanical parts inside the piano) sits below the piano's keys and is connected by wires that drop from the end of each key action. Indirect actions don't have the balanced feel of a console or larger piano. Their unbalanced keys, shorter strings, and smaller soundboard keep spinet pianos from consideration of most serious piano students and players.
    • Spinets were among the biggest selling piano models from 1950 to 1980 but have now declined in popularity.  Today few companies make new spinet pianos, but many used spinets are still in service.

  • Console Pianos

    • Console pianos are typically 40" to 44" in height. 
    • They have the advantage of a direct blow action (sits directly on top of the pianos keys), providing a more balanced and even feel in the keys as well as a quicker repetition of notes.
    • And the console's longer strings and larger soundboard create better tone.
    • Console pianos are the most popular vertical pianos for homes.
    • They are available in almost every furniture style with many attractive designs and finishes.

  • Studio Pianos

    • Studio pianos are 45" to 48" in height.  Their long strings and large soundboards make them among the best-sounding vertical pianos.
    • Like consoles, studio pianos have direct actions, surpassed in accuracy and efficiency only by grand piano actions.
    • Studio pianos are popular with teachers, professionals and institutions for their tone quality and durability. The school and church models usually have plain cabinets, "toe blocks" to brace the legs, and double-wheel, heavy-duty casters. Some are also equipped with locking key covers and tops.
    • Decorator studios are popular for homes. They offer the performance and sound of a studio piano in an attractive home-style furniture cabinet.

  • Upright Pianos

    • Upright pianos are 50" to 60" in height.
    • In the early 1900's, upright pianos were the only vertical pianos made and millions of them were sold. When shorter pianos became popular in the 1930's, piano manufacturers stopped making uprights.
    • Their size gives them the finest tone of all vertical pianos, rivaling even some small grand pianos.
    • Although many old uprights are still around, virtually all of them are worn-out and not suitable for study of piano. They can be refurbished, but the work needed is typically extensive and makes sense for only the very best of them.

Grand Pianos

  • The classic shape and efficient design of grand pianos make them the most prized of all pianos.
  • Grand pianos have several inherent advantages over vertical pianos: their horizontal, gravity-assisted actions allow them better control and faster repetition of notes; their open tops allow more efficient tone-escapement; and their large, shaped sound-boards produce a fuller and clearer tone.
  • Aesthetically, a grand piano makes an elegant, dramatic contribution to any home decor. Regardless of other furnishings, a grand piano is almost always the focal point of any room. Many people who don't play piano at all purchase grand pianos for a variety of reasons, including decorating, entertaining (particularly when outfitted with a player system), investment, and prestige.
  • Grand pianos are typically 58" wide and come in varying length, from 4'6" (petite) to 9' (concert). Grand pianos look great almost anywhere in a room. They can be placed with either the flat or the curved side along a wall, or with the tail pointed into a corner.