The modern piano has 2 types. Learning about the other types of pianos can give you insights on how this instrument has evolved from the early years to the present.

Toy Piano

Toy pianos come in different shapes with scale models of upright or grand pianos as well as toy pianos which simply possess keys. Toy pianos have widths that are usually not more than 50 cm made out of wood or plastic. Though these types of pianos were originally made as a child’s toy, they were also used in serious classical and contemporary musical performances.  The “Suite for Toy Piano” (1948) by John Cage was the most prominent example.

Player Piano

Another modern type of piano under this category is the player piano which is a self-playing piano. It uses an electro-mechanical mechanism to perform the piano action using pre-programmed music perforated paper or rolls.

The player piano grew in popularity as the demand for mass-produced piano for the home grew in the late 19th and early 20th century. In fact, sales of such these models soared in 1924, but then declined due to the rise of phonograph recordings in the mid-1920s.

Silent piano

Silent pianos are acoustic pianos that are ideal for private silent practice. These models feature an option to silence the strings by means of an interposing hammer bar.

The prepared piano

This type of piano has objects placed inside it to alter its sound, or has had its mechanism changed in some other way to mute the strings or alter the sound quality. The prepared piano is usually used in some contemporary art music.

Electric pianos

These are electro-mechanical music instruments that produce sounds mechanically and the sounds are turned into electrical signals by pickups. The electromagnetic pickups amplify the sound of the strings. The early electric pianos were invented in the later part of 1920. The popularity of electric pianos started to grow in the late 1950s.

Soon musicians adopted a number of types of domestic electric pianos which significantly inspired manufacturers to develop models for stage use.

Digital electronic pianos

Digital electronic pianos are pianos that do not have strings and hammers. Instead electronics are involved to produce a sound. The rise of these types of pianos led to the decline of the original electro-mechanical instruments for modern uses due to their size, weight and versatility.

This inspired Rhodes Music Corporation, in 2009, to produce a new line of electro-mechanical pianos, known as the Rhodes Mark 7 followed by an offering from Vintage Vibe.

Pianos are made from different materials. The materials should be high quality not only for aesthetic appeal but the excellent sound quality.

The modern piano is composed of several different parts and most of them are made of different materials. A large part of the weight of the piano comes from the inclusion of the solid steel frame. Pianos are played continuously which makes hardwood a vital material in terms of strength and durability. The manufacturing process basically involves the following steps.

Bending the rim of the case

This step uses layers of long-fiber hardwood glued together and bent in a metal press to form a continuous rim (both inner and outer piece). The rims are then stored under controlled temperatures until the wood meets a specific moisture content to prevent them from changing shape. The case or the outer rim is usually made from the finest hardwood materials including maple and beech. An ideal piano case should be made from hardwood because it does not absorb sound. After this process the bent inner rim is them glued with other wood components. The cabinet is then finished via sanding, staining, bleaching, wood filling and final coating.

Assembling the structural components

The structural components are made of wood components which include the pinblock, the cast iron plate and the braces.

Making the soundboard

The thin panel of spruce that underlies the strings and the cast iron plate and settles on the rim braces is known as the soundboard.  It is an important piece of the piano. The finest pieces of spruce are critical materials for the soundboard to produce fine sound and tone quality.

Stringing and tuning

Piano strings are made of carbon steel wire. The strings should be made from solid, strong steel as they are always put under high degree of pressure. The bass strings are often wrapped in copper wiring for additional diameter. Tuning pins consist of steel wire.

Installing the keyboard and action

Most of the actions are produced from hardwood either from beech, maple or hornbeam. The piano keyboard, key and action frame are specially made by highly respected manufacturers. The keys are generally made of spruce or basswood and are typically coated in ivory, but new models use typical plastics or mock ivory (ivorite or ivorine) since animals with ivory are getting endangered. Hammers are installed and adjusted by a specially trained tuner called a voicer.

The final process involves adding all other parts including the hinges and top lid, the topstick that supports the raised lid, pedals and their trapwork, the music rack,  the fall-board or key cover and many other supporting parts. All details are carefully made and fitted because they affect the sound quality of the instrument.

Modern pianos are among the world’s most popular musical instruments.  It will be helpful to learn about the different types of pianos if you love to play or listen to the tone of these wonderful instruments.

Types of Pianos

There are different types of pianos for different players. There are also pianos that are designed to meet the preferences of a particular performer. Each type has a different style, design, size, shape and finishes.

Grand Pianos

Grand Pianos are also called Horizontal Pianos primarily because the frame and the strings are placed horizontally. These pianos are typically large in size and they come in several sizes.

These piano models are mainly used for solos and concerts because they create   a powerful tone and responsive key action. This is one of the reasons why professional pianists prefer to play the most demanding pieces on well-cared grand pianos.

There are basically six types of grand pianos:

Concert grand

The size of concert grand usually measures 7 feet and 6 inches to 9 feet 6 inches.

Professional / Semi concert grand / Ballroom

The size measurement usually ranges from 6 feet and 5 inches to around 7 feet and 5 inches.

Parlor Grand/ Living room Grand piano/ Classic

Parlor grand can be from 5 feet and 9 inches to 6 feet and 1inch.

Medium Grand

Medium Grand’s length is usually 5 feet and 7 inches long.

Baby Grand piano usually measures 5 feet to 5 feet and 6 inches long, about 1/2 the size of a concert grand.

Petite Grand is usually 4 feet and 5 inches to 4 feet and 11 inches in length. It’s probably the smallest in terms of size but the tone is very powerful.

Vertical Pianos

As the name suggest, vertical pianos or upright pianos have a frame and strings placed vertically. These types of pianos are more compact and don’t take up too much space. Vertical pianos are often positioned in dens, living rooms, churches and schools.

Vertical or upright pianos also have six types:

Honkey Tonk

Honkey Tonk is known as the tallest among all upright pianos.

Professional 

The professional upright is a type of piano that can last for a long time. It can weigh from 590 to 800 pounds.

Studio

Studio pianos are known for good tone quality. It is commonly visible in music studios and music schools.

Console

Console pianos are available in a variety of styles and finishes. No wonder it belongs to the most popular types of pianos.

Consolette

The Consolette usually stands 38 to 39 inches tall from the base.

Spinet

The spinner usually stands 35 to 37 inches and actually the smallest type of piano. It can be placed even in places with very limited space.