About Grand Pianos

The earliest modern piano was invented by an Italian named Bartolomeo Cristofori around the end of the 17th to the beginning of the 18th century. Keyboard instruments which came before the piano include the cembalo and the harpsichord. The clear, light sound of these instruments was charming, but they had weaknesses such as that their sound was too soft and also monotonous due to their structural constraints.

Early in the 18th century, around the time when great composers such as Bach and Haydn were about to become well-known, people were seeking an instrument with enhanced expressiveness that had the capability to support the creativity of composers. The earliest piano was called a 'clavicembalo col piano e forte', meaning a cembalo which could produce sound from 'piano' to 'forte' (the name was later abbreviated to 'pianoforte', and eventually became 'piano'). One of the selling points of this musical instrument was that it was able to produce a dynamic range of notes freely from soft (piano) to strong (forte), just like singing. It may be no coincidence that the instrument was invented in Italy, where instrumental music and opera were very popular.

However, when the piano first came out, its touch was heavier than that of the cembalo and similar instruments, and its sound lacked clarity, so it did not really catch on. When Bach tried a piano manufactured by the German piano-maker Silbermann, the composer was said to comment that the action of the keys was too heavy and the higher notes were too soft. Since then the piano has undergone a number of improvements and eventually earned the title of 'the king of all musical instruments'. Key touch and responsive key action, which have been the focus of improvement ever since the piano was invented, are still two of the most important points to consider when purchasing a piano.

The size of a piano is another important point to consider when purchasing a piano. There are a variety of sizes to choose from, from a shorter compact grand piano (about 1 m 50 cm long) to a concert grand piano (about 2 m 75 cm long).

As you see, the grand piano comes in a wide range of sizes, but even with smaller ones you should be able to feel the special control of the grand piano. The grand piano is by far the best choice for those who enjoy dynamic piano playing.