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I went piano searching today and noticed pianos range from 28 in to 31 inches in regards to how high the actual keys sit relative to the ground.
And apparently I'm the only who's ever asked the lady in her 25 years experience to measure that height lol
I guess the reason it interest me is because I don't like pianos that are too high up (yes I know I can raise the piano bench but that becomes uncomfortable at a certain point)
Am I the only one who's ever been interested in this dimension of the piano?
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My old piano was 29 1/4", and the new one is 29 1/2". But the critical distance that you want to control is bench top to key tops. Bench too high is bad, bench too low is worse. You also want to look at how your foot works with the pedal. I put a block of wood under my heel to get it into the most comfortable range.
In all these dimensions, find the limits of your comfortable range, and then adjust to keep yourself in the middle of that range.
-- J.S. Knabe Grand # 10927 Yamaha CP33 Kawai FS690
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My old piano was 29 1/4", and the new one is 29 1/2". But the critical distance that you want to control is bench top to key tops. Bench too high is bad, bench too low is worse. You also want to look at how your foot works with the pedal. I put a block of wood under my heel to get it into the most comfortable range.
In all these dimensions, find the limits of your comfortable range, and then adjust to keep yourself in the middle of that range.
Ya 29.5" I could live with... but the Ritmuller upright I was looking at was 31" .... ugh
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Most vertical pianos have the key-bed placed higher from the floor than grands.
I find them uncomfortable even with a taller bench. Cable-Nelson made some 45' studios in the 1930's to early 1960's that had a normal grand keybed height. It would actually make it easier to get a full size action in a console sized upright. Which would feel much better.
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Interesting question!
So, just measured my two pianos out of curiosity. Upright 1886 Bechstein just shy of 30" Schimmel grand 29" With that difference I find the grand a much more comfortable height. Both sit on caster cups ( I have wooden floors) so I suppose that adds a little to the height.
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There was a thread around here not that long ago concerning a very expensive Steingraeber upright (perhaps a 138?) that, as I recall, was purchased but then later traded in because, although the purchaser loved the sound and feel (and the finish, which was exotic!), the keyboard was uncomfortably high.
Larry.
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With a grand, there really aren't any design issues with getting the keytops to any reasonable height or even many unreasonable heights. You can make legs and push rods whatever length you want. Come to think of it, why not make an adjustable height grand? http://www.biljax.com/products/accessories/
-- J.S. Knabe Grand # 10927 Yamaha CP33 Kawai FS690
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For years the standard at Baldwin for all grands was 28" (approx. 71 cm). Though I don't recall anyone actually measuring it.
Delwin D Fandrich Piano Research, Design & Manufacturing Consultant ddfandrich@gmail.com (To contact me privately please use this e-mail address.)
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And I have a recent Model L in the shop that measures just under. I don't think it was a specification anyone paid much attention to. ddf
Delwin D Fandrich Piano Research, Design & Manufacturing Consultant ddfandrich@gmail.com (To contact me privately please use this e-mail address.)
Stupidity is a rare condition, ignorance is a common choice. --Anon
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Do consoles generally have lower key-beds?
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Do consoles generally have lower key-beds? I had a Wurlitzer spinet, and the keybed was lower than any upright's I've ever played/seen.
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Mine is 29" but adding casters to increase to 30.5". I'm 6'1" and even with my seat adjusted down the piano still too low. Didn't realize this until I plaid another piano that was higher, big difference for me and had never considered the piano height, only the bench.
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General agreement seems to be a minimum of 28 or 28.5 inches and a max about an inch higher. But if you're using an electronic keyboard (anathema to some I know), there's another issue, which is that it probably has both a sustain pedal and an "expression" or "volume" pedal. Most of the volume pedals have a swing in full up position of at least 3.5 inches. My Yamaha pedal has a swing of nearly 5" inches when fully open. What this means is that with the keys at 28.5 inches from the floor, the bottom (not the top) of the keyboard stand may interfere with your knee when you try to extend the expression pedal fully open. My keys are at that height, which I find comfortable (I'm 6' 1") and it's definitely an issue. There are solutions, fortunately--one simple one being to move the keyboard forward a couple of inches on the stand, so that the support is farther away from your knee. Alternatively, find a stand that takes better account of the problem by keeping the support bar farther back from the front face of the stand.
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