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I have a pretty small house (950 sq-ft), and while looking at some upright pianos I made the 'mistake' of playing with some grands. You just can't beat the touch and tone of a grand piano. It seems ridiculous to try to stuff one in my tiny living room so I'd love to see pics of others who have done the same.
The room is basically 10x11, but has a knee wall that overlooks the lower entry way (bi level house) and is open to the hallway which I didn't include in the size.
I appreciate any feedback, thoughts, etc. The idea seems crazy but some of these little grands really sound nice and I'd love to have one .I played a 5'3 Yamaha of all things and really enjoyed it (I typically like warm, fat tones), also a small Knabe grand that sounded and felt nice.
I also have an 8x12 bedroom with no real plans for yet but it's hard to imagine a baby grand sounding good in such a small space. The living room is really open to the whole house whereas the bedroom is definitely not.
Sidebar: How loud is a piano from outside a house? I can't say I've ever noticed hearing one, though I have heard guitars and drums.
Last edited by Joe Garfield; 07/17/14 12:19 AM.
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I've seen smaller practice rooms with grand pianos in them. That is the size of the room I am sitting in right now, and I would suggest that is about as small as you can go without the echo off the walls being annoying. Even then, you might want to put some noise dampening material around to quiet the room.
It really depends on how sensitive you are to echoing, but I think it would be fine. Also note that a grand piano is not necessarily louder than an upright.
Poetry is rhythm
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I think the room is fine, but really, a grand less than 5'5 or 5'6 is not going to be worth it, IMO, due to the dissatisfying bass notes. But if you do go with a smaller grand, then you should be fine since it's not an enclosed room. The knee wall makes a huge difference as the sound has somewhere else to go. I've had larger grands in a similar sized space without the knee wall, and it worked fine. No pics because this was a couple of pianos and remodels ago
private piano/voice teacher FT
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Go for it! At first my husband thought I was crazy to say we could put a grand piano in our 15-foot-wide rowhouse. It looks and sounds great. Now he loves it and has started lessons himself.
I understand the point Morodiene makes about small grands, but IMO there are some that sound lovely, bass limitations and all. We were able to fit the 5'8" Baldwin R, but I absolutely would have gotten a grand even if we'd had to go smaller. (That said, sometimes you can fit in a larger piano than you think!)
Don't have picture handy, will look for it.
1989 Baldwin R
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One other note (no pun intended);
If you can reasonably fit a 5' 3" grand in your room, you will probably be able to fit something a bit larger (say by as much as 6 inches) in the same space.
We went through the same process two months ago, and although our room is a bit larger, we almost turned down the chance to get a larger Yamaha CX (by 6 inches) at a great price, due to the fact that we thought it would not fit.
Yamaha C2X | Yamaha M500-F Groucho Marx: "Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others." Curriculum: Faber Developing Artist (Book 3) Current: German Dance in D Major (Haydn) (OF); Melody (Schumann) (OF)
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In my opinion, you should be OK. Depending on the acoustics of the room (Window treatments, floor surface, existence of rugs, openings to other rooms, the room may be a bit bright with the piano. In that case, you can use acoustical treatments to adjust the acoustics of the room.
I have a 9' SD-10 in a 13x14 room. I was able to use acoustic tiles to reduce the sound in the room significantly. I do wish I had a larger room to put it in (that will happen someday) but it's very usable and it sounds nice in the room. Check out the pictures in my link to see the piano in its room. The last few pics show it once I put the acoustic tiles in there.
Steve
Cello, Piano, Electric Bass
1967 Baldwin SD-10 | Kawai MP11
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Try asking the dealer if they will let you try out the piano in your home for a week. Offer to pay for shipping both ways if you reject the piano. Or agree to buy a vertical from them if the grand is too much for the space.
Last edited by pianoloverus; 07/17/14 02:56 PM.
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My appartment is about 600 square feet in total. Living room, about 250. Grotrian 189, just over 6 feet. more pics and sound
Last edited by wouter79; 07/18/14 01:44 AM.
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>Sidebar: How loud is a piano from outside a house?
If you play pianissimo, it's pretty loud already, something like if you sing on normal volume. If you play fortissimo, it goes about 10 times as loud easily
My sister has an upright in her living room which is bigger than my living room.
My sister's piano sounds LOUDER than my grand.
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Joe,
I you have access to a Hailun dealer in your area check out the 161 which is 5'4" and produces a very nice bass tone for it's size. If your dealer has done the proper prep I think you will be impressed. You might save some money too.
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Thanks for the feedback everyone.
There were two small grands that I played and thought sounded nice - and maybe 3 if you consider what I took lessons on. I have not played anything bigger so my frame of reference is limited, but I can say that those 2 or 3 baby grands were a joy to play and obviously an entirely different world than the digitals and uprights I have been playing.
I know I can 'fit' a bigger piano but it would be nice to see what these rooms look like with pianos stuffed in them. Will I be able to keep my one couch and a small table? More, or less?
It is amazing how much pianos vary in touch and tone. I have played two uprights that I would consider owning (out of probably 30 or 40) and only 3 grand pianos out of maybe 15.
My neighbors (both sides) have dogs that bark more than I have ever imagined (another long and aggravating topic) but I noticed when they are inside I don't hear them from my house, and only hear them if I'm standing in front of their house. So I guess a piano shouldn't be too bad. I don't know what I'm really worried about, probably just being over considerate. I would plan on keeping a digital for late night use.
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Interesting topic, I am in a similar situation...(trying to fit a baby grand in my current apartment instead of moving to a larger house and/or buying a Yamaha N2...)
I recently tried a Yamaha C1X SH (silent) and was very surprised by the quality of the sound, especially the bass...The action seemed a little 'off' maybe due to the SH system (I need to compare with and without SH).
Yamaha C3X-SH. Pianoteq V5. Steinberg U22 USB.
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Joe, We recently purchased a 5'-4" grand for a room that is 10' x 12' with 8' ceilings and has two openings to the room. The piano is really loud to my ears. When I play the piano it overpowers my ears. However, it doesn't bother my wife's ears like it does mine. The room has a hardwood floor and we put a rug under the piano. I am also planning to build some acoustic panels to help. I have noticed that if there are a couple other people in the room when I am playing, my ears do not distort the sound nearly as much as if the room is empty. Piano RX suggested you check out the Hailun 161. I second his suggestion. That is the piano we recently purchased. I see that you live in Ohio. How far are you from Dayton? We purchased our Hailun from BHA Piano Center in Dayton. www.pianocenter.com My wife and I spent a lot of time in their store trying the different pianos they had in stock and we fell in love with the Hailun.
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I think you should look hard for a piano with the tone and touch that you will love and not worry too much that the piano is too big. With pianos, bigger is usually better. I have a 7 foot Mason-Hamlin BB grand in our smallest bedroom and I play it with the door closed. Room is about 8 by 10. It sounds fantastic. Carpet on the floor, bookshelves on two walls, blinds on the window. That's all that's been done to keep the sound from being a problem. Of course, different pianos may sound louder or softer, more mellow, or brighter. Still, I would not be too concerned. There are always things you can do if you don't like the way things sound. Funny, but my daughter has a Steinway L, which is about 5' 11" and it is in a dining room with hardwood floors. The room is larger than my bedroom and it has two openings to other rooms which helps with sound distribution, but I think it sounds a little too bright in there. Carpet does a lot of good. Best of luck whatever you decide.
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I played a 6 foot Mason Hamlin in a bedroom. The reflected sound off the walls and ceiling is rather distracting. But if your space opens out into something else, it will be better. You may need to tame a few echos. Softer hammers will remove some of the harshness too.
Seiler 206, Chickering 145, Estey 2 manual reed organ, Fudge clavichord, Zuckerman single harpsichord, Technics P-30, Roland RD-100.
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Thanks again, everyone. I appreciate all the feedback.
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It depends on your determination. If it WILL fit, and you can live around it, you should be able to adapt the sound with suitable damping etc. My 6' Schimmel was a tight squeeze in my last smaller home, but was probably the ideal size for the space I have now. But, looking for an upgrade, I considered even 9' grands - and compromised on a 7'4". Yes, full stick, it's quite loud, but I tend to play with lid down most of the time. But the action, feel and enjoyment in playing is what I was particularly looking for.
It was sort-of my retirement gift to myself.
Alan from Queensland, Australia (and Clara - my Grotrian Concert & Allen Organ (CF-17a)).
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