Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Correct placement of a 7 ft grand in a 11 x 10 bedroom?

My Mason-Hamlin BB grand will be delivered tomorrow (see my other post) and it will be going into a smallish bedroom. I know, too small, doesn't fit the formula, etc. It still is going in there.

My plan is to put it in at an angle (hypotenuse of the triangle, if you get my example)but I am wondering if the long, straight side should face the wall with the windows, or the interior wall. The long side of the room is parallel to the exterior wall. I intend to keep the lid down when playing. The room is carpeted, there is a walk-in closet and I intend to keep the door open so that some of the sound will go there.

I also have three five-foot tall bookshelves which can go on either of three walls. Any suggestions? (The only wall that won't fit the bookshelves if the exterior one.) Just trying to keep the sonic level down a bit. I am a little deaf so I don't think the piano will be as loud to me as it is to others.

Also, heavy curtains on the double windows? Light curtains? We already have blinds.

Other than telling me I am crazy and should put the piano on the much-larger, open third floor, any advice?

It probably won't make much difference which way you orient a large piano in that space. You will really want to go to town with the sound absorption - wall hangings, thick rugs or even dense acoustic foam under the piano. Thick curtains. Anything you can get. Lid closed, definitely. Then get your tech in to voice it down for you. It'll still be pretty loud, but it might be bearable depending on your constitution. Personally, I don't think I could handle it because I'm sensitive to loudness. But it's your party.

Do you have later plans for this piano, or will it always be in this room? If the latter, I'm curious why you didn't buy a smaller piano and make it easier on yourself?

point the lid towards the door where at least some sound can go out.

Shiploads of absorption might help but then it will sound extreme dry. Well it will sound like you have your head inside the piano anyway :-D

No, you're not crazy. The downstairs location will probably be fine - and the movers will probably appreciate not having to push the 1,000+ lb. BB up TWO flights of stairs.

(My movers had one heck of a time simply getting my BB up the four stairs on our front stoop.)

I agree that the long side of the piano should be parallel to the exterior wall with the windows. Of course, I have no idea how well insulated the windows are, what part of the world you live in, what direction the wall faces (east? west?) and how much light actually comes into the room, even with the existing blinds closed. You'd certainly want to avoid having any direct sunlight hit the piano, and you'd definitely want to keep it away from drafts, heating vents, etc. If heavy or light curtains will help modify the light and drafts, as well as absorb some of the sound, then consider them.

The long side of my own BB faces an exterior west wall. (West in Arizona means "bright and hot" - particularly in the late afternoon. The windows have wood blinds (which are kept closed at all times) as well as special sunscreens on the outside. No direct sunlight ever hits the piano.

As for the noise, playing your BB with the lid down (but with the front portion of the lid open so you can use the music rack) will probably generate all the sound you can bear to hear in that small, carpeted space...and you'll love it !!

Also - if you keep the BB covered when not in use (even a large blanket would suffice) you will be able to keep lots of dust out of it over time.

Also you should find a way to monitor the humidity levels in the room, and perhaps consider buying a small room humidifier to help keep levels fairly constant.

Congratulations !!!!

I will put the heavy drapes on the energy-efficient windows and keep the blinds closed. The room is kind of SE. It is in North Carolina. The room has climate control and the piano has a damp-chaser. I will keep the piano closed and perhaps put a cover over it. I will experiment. When I die, I intend to leave the piano to whichever grand-child sticks with the piano lessons they have started. They will do their daily practicing on this piano until their parents get one. The room did not get hot in the summer when it was 105 outside which is one of the reasons I chose it. There is also a ceiling fan and overhead light, but not sure if that should be used in summer or not. Any advice on the fan?

I can't image that the overhead fan would be a problem (other than perhaps blowing your music off the music rack). My son has already claimed my BB - primarily because he's an architect and he thinks a large 7 foot grand would look just perfect in his future modern dream home. Of course, I plan to hang on to the piano myself for another 20 years !!

I'm very excited to see pictures soon. I think you have the climate control down correctly. I recently asked a local piano store if I needed a Dampp Chaser, and they told me, in Indiana, they didn't think it was necessary. My piano is never exposed to sunlight directly, nor heat/cool registers. I keep my home about 68-72 and have a humidifier on the furnace. I never have static electricity. The heavy drapes will protect your treasure, and help with the sound. Congratulations!

Well, I am 63 and have a little arthritis in my neck, back, hands, and knee. I found that playing the piano a lot actually helped the arthritis in my hands a lot. Or maybe I was just so happy I didn't notice the pain anymore. Anyway, I will be so happy to have a piano available again that a few little problems won't bother me much. In fact, I had to split up the music books with my daughter and even though I bought most of them, I let her keep a lot of key books because she is a music teacher and needs them all the time. That gives me a chance to go shopping to replace about 50 books and while looking I found some nice new ones, too. Can't wait for the first bunch to arrive. The rest will have to be Christmas presents.

What fun !!!!!!