Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum 5 foot versus 6 foot grand

I did not play all that many pianos before choosing our 5'7" Hallet, Davis (Dongbei) last year. But it sure did seem to me that most of the 5'6" to 6' range pianos had a lot to recommend them sound-wise and the couple of smaller (closer to 5') models had a much less pleasant sound to my ears. Small sampling, admittedly and I have no doubt somewhere our there are 5' pianos I would enjoy the sound of.

But finding what I thought was good sound at even 5'7" did not seem difficult while finding it in the 5' range seemed much longer odds. If it were just my own observation I'd discount it as "don't draw conclusions until you've played a lot more pianos" but given how well it comports with the Conventional Wisdom I have to figure there's a basic principle there, or at least a common tendency.

That said, I think the really big pianos I could never afford to buy or house often have a big sound that little five and half footers don't produce. But I'm talking up around seven feet and beyond which is just a whole different commitment to own.

go 6

You are absolutely correct that a five foot grand will be more than loud enough for an average living room. That's not the issue; instead, as you speculate, the main difference across lengths is in tonal quality, and it's the improvement in tone--particularly the bass--that motivates most people to go for the longer piano. (Indeed, if you search the archives, you'll find lots of threads where people are asking how to make their longer piano LESS loud.)

close the lid?

That's one of my concerns as well. I know from the speakers and other technologies you can make smaller speaker to create more bass then it would normally produce at given size by using some acoustic/construction tricks. Another words to compensate the size limitation.

I'm suspious of the barely noticeable price jump? only a thousand..to go from a 5ft to a 6?
go for the 6ft.. I look at my dining room table and say...thats the same size of 6ft grand
it will fit just right.. (I'll eat in the kitchen)

This got me thinking: Is there a reason that tungsten-copper alloys are not used for the wrap? Density is sizably higher, depending on the ratio of the mix.

Probably because it would be too hard to wrap.

If you're comparing identical pianos, definitely go with the 6-footer for only 1k more.

As folks above have mentioned, there is a qualitative sound difference. It's not just about "bigger being better." It's about richer, fuller sound, better breaks, and better sustain. It's about smoother sound and more responsive piano action.

In many respects, you can think of it as the difference in stereo sound vs mono sound. At five feet, there are generally significant compromises to the sound quality of the piano. Of course, there are some exceptional small pianos, but I can think of no make of consumer piano (7 feet and under) that could sound as good 1 foot shorter. In other words, the extra foot will always make a positive difference in sound if the piano is otherwise the same.

I think of it like a ukulele compared to a guitar. The uke is definitely easier to carry and cheaper to buy but even if a ukulele is plenty loud enough for you, it can't be made to sound like a piano.

Some people expect a small grand piano to sound just like a big grand piano except with the volume turned down. If so we'd all just buy 3-foot grand pianos for every room in the house!

For just $1,000 more, I'd go for the 6' grand. Usually, they are several thousands of dollars more expensive. It's been mentioned many times here but no one ever regretted getting the bigger piano.

Good Luck!

But a ukelele is almost completely different from a guitar. Different strings, differnet design, although the shape and ways of functioning are similar. And it can't really be made to sound too much like a guitar either, as far is i've heard.

Maybe I missed it in the posts, but are you comparing 2 pianos that are the same make and model and age except for size? If so, get the bigger piano unless there really is something wrong with it in your mind. Bigger is almost always better sound-wise and touch-wise in similar models. Now, if you are talking about the top-of-the-line model 5' and the promotional-grade 6', that is a different situation. Or if you are comparing 2 different companies, the smaller grand could be a premium model and the larger one a less-ideal model. Apples and oranges, right? It might help all of the posters if you were specific about maker, models, age, etc. You said you were looking at Korean pianos? I know some of Young Chang's pianos are built in Korea, but their lower models are built in China. Not sure about Samick. Probably similar situation. Wages in Korea have gone up a lot in recent years so the premium pianos are still built in Korea, but not the entry-levels.