I got a Yamaha grand (C-3) just about 2 months ago and I noticed something.

I practise a lot on this grand and it has a superlight mechinical system. At the beginning, this was of course fantastic and I couldn't imagine a better piano, but after a while I got annoyed. I played on Steinways in other places, including once a Steinway D. And especially the D, I had problems with technique. The keys feel heavier, maybe they don't play heavier but they feel heavier and it seems like the key comes up less easy.

This bothers me a lot because I wounder if I would be able to play a recital on a Steinway D ever, because I just don't seem to manage the feeling of the keys.

Also, the tone is different. I find the tone quality of the Steinways much better, but this causes problems because suddenly nuances arise that I cannot produce on my Yamaha grand. Especially playing soft is hard, and I find the una corda pedal quite dull, the sound sounds very unclear and untransparant with the pedal, and Chopin's Nocturnes start to sound as weak pieces with little control.
The tone is also much brighter, but the lower notes sound not very nice, very "empty".

A good piano can sometimes cause problems. I never had problems when playing on good pianos when I had a bad piano, but now I play the same pieces and they sound much less to me. Or is this just a feeling I have?

I just feel somewhat incapable to play on other grands...

That's interesting. I would not describe Yamaha C-series pianos as having a super light action. If you want a firmer action, you can have it. Find a technician who can work to change whatever part of the action feel you want adjusted.

I noticed from your profile that your C3 is a 1995 model. True? That piano may not have been voiced or regulated since it was new. You can't turn a C3 into a Steinway, but you can modify the tone through reasonable voicing of the hammers.

Unless your C3 is somehow damaged, you shouldn't have problems getting the nuances you need.

From one C3 owner to another, just remember this:
1) Yamaha pianos are brighter than Steinway.
2) A six foot piano will not out-perform a nine foot piano.
3) The action is lighter, so you must play the piano a bit lighter to acheive the result you are after.

I would consider this a challenge and learn how to adjust your playing accordingly. I also play two Steinway D pianos regularly and had to make adjustments. Now, I have no problem getting the subtle nuances from either piano. Good luck! You have a fine piano.

I think I am uniquely qualified to discuss this. I owned a C3 for over 20 years before trading up to a Steinway D. I always thought the C3 had an excellent and fast action. Not light but not heavy either and very fast. The D has a different feel. Its a much bigger piano with a much bigger action. It may indeed be a bit heavier than the C3. If it feels slow it may need to be regulated and lubricated. This was done on my D which I bought used and after it worked in it has a lighter and faster feel. As for the sound there is no way a C3 is going to sound as good as a D. I found with the C3 that if the humidity was too low in the winter the sound became harsh and in the summer if the humidity was too high it sounded like mush. But the C3 when kept tuned and in the right environment sounded pretty good. So my advice is to pay attention to the conditions that affect the sound and when you can get a D.

A Yamaha is a nice piano, but it is not a Steinway. Even some Steinways are not worthy of having the S&S logo on their fallboard, but that's debated in 1000 other threads so we won't go there.

You are comparing a C3, to a 9' piano which isn't a fair fight. There are going to be huge tonality differences in a C3 (it's 5'8" i think?) and a 9'. Plus, concert grands generally are easier to get subtle nuances out of than smaller pianos.

As far as the action goes, I think Yamaha's action is quite good and very consistent BUT it is a bright piano by design. Bright pianos, IMO are always difficult instruments to play. They are fine at cocktail parties and home use, but I wouldn't want to perform on any bright piano if I were auditioning for Juliard precisely because I couldn't get the nuances out of it. I'm sure there are many that would disagree with that statement.

Nevertheless, I do not think your C3 will make you incapable of performing on other pianos. Remember too, that Steinway artists generally will not switch to Bosendorfers and Bosendorfer artists will not switch to Steinway. Good reason for that, they are very different pianos. The same applies to Yamaha.

Derick

I work at a resort hotel where there are at least a dozen grand pianos - yamaha, steinway, baldwin, even 1950's kimball grands (which, by the way are very unpleasant instruments). They also have a fleet of yamaha digitals (also, not a pleasant playing experience). At a restaurant where I play weekends there is a Wurlitzer grand. Next door there is a club w/a 5'7" Pearl River. Needless to say, all of these pianos are very different, but playing any one of them does not impair one's ability to play the other. Sometimes I go in early so that I can become acclimated to a 'problem piano', but never have a problem adjusting. I prefer a heavier action for practice, but presently use a U1 with a nice action but definately not heavy. It hasn't hurt me a bit.

I should add that when I get the C3 at work, I'm always relieved. Despite a less-than-top-notch rebuild, it's still a nice piano. And, throughout my 30 year history w/it (from new to worn to rebuilt), I never thought of the action as being particularly light. Of course, after struggling w/those Kimball's, who's going to pick apart a Yamaha!.

Is there any chance that your C3 just seems lighter because you're so accustomed to it?

On a perhaps related note, my daughter found adjusting to the Bösendorfer a little tricky at first, compared to the Yamaha C6 we had before. This year she has been having most of her lessons on a C5, (last year it most often a Sauter and sometimes a Steinway), so she was initially a bit disturbed by the change. I even caught her playing the Clavinova a few times (when there was no need, as it wasn't early morning or late at night), and she said that she preferred the feel of the keyboard (which is practically identical in physical terms to a C-series grand, and the sampled sound is obviously Yamaha as well) to that of the Bösendorfer. I gently convinced her (threats of withdrawal of pocket money, confiscation of mains plug/headphones, etc), that she should persevere and that she would come to appreciate the Bosie more, even if it required more effort at first.

After a few weeks, she became totally accustomed to the slightly firmer touch of the 214CS and freely admits that she is better able to control the dynamics of what she is playing, and that the sounds she can produce are of a rather different nature to that of the C6... and certainly a tad different to those of a Clavinova!

All in all, as many have said above, it isn't fair to compare a ~6ft piano with a 9ft concert grand. And, although the C6 was a good piano and great value for what it was, it is not really fair to expect the same levels of performance from a mass-produced Japanese instrument as from a piano built to a different philosophy and in a rather different price range.

Michael B.

Many people I see come to my store use little or no arm-weight when playing, putting most of the stress of playing solely on their fingers.

This is especially the case when the students have used either electric pianos or light uprights: obviously you can get away by simply swirming your fingers somehow across the keyboard....

Check carefully exactly *how* you play a piano and if you're using the right techniqe, it can make all the difference in the world in how you perceive 'light' or 'heavy' touch.....

Norbert

A nicely tuned, voiced, and regulated C3 is a decent grand piano. Most new Steinways L through D that I've played have had lighter action than that of C3 through C7. Either your C3 is an exception and has been lightened up (intentionally or perhaps over time) or, like others have said, you're accustomed to its feel and it just seems lighter.

Derick,

Just for clarification, the C3 is 6'1".

Isaac

If the C3 has never been voiced and is eleven years old, it could be *very* bright. The action on a bright piano "feels" lighter because you are always playing louder than you intended.

I'd get a good tech to go over the regulation, and voice down the hammers as a first step.

Derick made some very good points.

Actually, everyone's comments were great!

I'll just add:

For your home piano, I think it's helpful to have something that is approximately in the middle touch-wise. That way, it is not too much of a stretch when you do play something different.

The only exception: a heavier-than-average action may be advantageous, as you will not be stymied by heavy actions you may encounter elsewhere.

w_scott@verizon.net doesn't have problems switching from piano to piano, partially because he plays so regularly on such a variety of pianos. That is also something to keep in mind.

Now that I'm taking lessons again, I have access to the pianos in practice rooms at our local Conservatory. I left my Estonia 190 at home today (gasp!) to add an hour of practice time at the Conservatory on a Baldwin that's been through a few battles, I would think. I couldn't find a model designation, but it seemed to be in the 6 foot + range.

I'll do that from time to time and take my chances on whatever practice room I'm given just to have the "opportunity" to play on a few other pianos.

Regards,

I am not a piano expert. I came across Baldwin 9 footer last week at local community college .. and its action is very light and expressive compared to YoungCheng 5'8". Not all 9 foot grands seem to have heavy action.

Thanks for all the replies!

Today I played on a Steinway again, and I didn't have any trouble. Actually, it was a kind of auditions and about 30 minutes before it you could pratise a bit in a room, on a Yamaha C-3! And just after that I suddenly had to play on a Steinway (don't know which model, but wasn't C, probably somewhere between A and C). I didn't have any trouble! Maybe the only trouble I have is a on a D, but I've only played on it once (maybe a few more times, but at least I don't know that), so so I can't judge right now.

Anyway, the auditions went ok and I passed .