The Very Best Guide for Piano Buying and Selling a Piano

PIANO TYPES AND SIZES

Grand Pianos:

The reasons for the preference which most people show for a Grand to an Upright piano are probably aesthetic and psychological. A Grand looks better in a room, and the pianist is more favorably impressed by the “view” when he sits down to play a Grand, compared with an Upright, which usually stands with its back to a wall. Another advantage is that the top, when raised, deflects the sound to player and room.

Unfortunately, this preference brought about the production of miniature Grand pianos which are inferior in tone and touch to a good Upright and are described in the trade as “Small Grand Pianos”. The action in such models was cut down in size and price, and the strings are too short; in fact, the minimum size for a Grand seems to be 4 ft.10 in. if the instrument is to be considered as a serious rival to a good Upright.

Sizes and Types: The standard width of a grand piano is also about 5'. The length varies from 4½' to 9½'. The total floor space allowance for the smallest grand should be at least 5' wide by 6½' long, including bench space. Grand pianos are measure by the length from the very front of the keyboard to the farthest end of the piano along the spine, with the lid closed. The smallest Steinway is 5 ft. 1 in. (The size stated is always the over-all length of an instrument.) There are several types of grand pianos, based on piano length:

Tonal Quality - The soundboard and strings of a grand piano are positioned horizontally inside the piano case. When you press down a key, the hammer of the key hits the strings from below to produce the sound. The movement of the hammer falls back with the help of gravity, which makes the sound of repetitive notes crisp and allows the pianist better control of the keys. The size of the soundboard and the length of strings influence the tonal quality of a piano. Larger soundboard and longer strings produce greater volume and resonance of tone.

However, if you are considering a Small Grand, you should also look into a higher end of a Full-Size Upright.  Some verticals actually have larger soundboard and longer strings than most  small grand pianos. European and Asian grand pianos are measured by length in cm.

ALL PIANO SIZES GRAND & VERTICAL CONVERSION CHART
METRIC TO STANDARD   SIZES
Including Asia, Europe, Russia, China, Malaysia, Indonesia
Compliments of the "Original" Bluebook of Pianos. 

Recommendation: Since the tonal quality and the volume of the piano depend mainly on the size of the soundboard and the length of the strings, you want to start from the largest vertical or grand piano you can afford. You also need to consider the space you have. The sound of a Small Grand can get lost in a large open room where a Medium Grand in a small room can be too loud. If money and space were no obstacle, I would have the following order of preference for a home:

Ideally if you were planning to purchase a grand piano, you should consider one at least 6' long. And if you were considering a vertical, it should be at least 48" tall. You should look into a higher quality Full-size Upright if you were considering a "Baby" Grand (anything smaller than 5').