Where should a grand piano be placed in a room?

Grand pianos are beautiful instruments to look at as well as play. The piano can be the central focus in a room or it can be tucked away in a corner. This short article addresses where to place the piano from a piano technician’s perspective. From a perspective of where the piano will sound best not from a decorator’s perspective. Hopefully, the decorator and piano technician can come to an agreement that will keep them both happy.

Ideally, a grand piano should be placed where the lid opens out into the room and not the wall. The sound, especially that beautiful rich base, that a grand piano is known for will have room to move into the rest of the room.

The piano should not be placed in front of a window with direct sunlight

The sunlight will cause temperature fluctuations, this will affect the stability of the tuning. The finish over the long term will fade and perhaps even crack.  Another place with large fluctuations in temperature is near a fireplace or very close to a heating vent. We know, this is how grand pianos are displayed in many decorating magazines and websites.  This cringe-worthy suggestion in this quote has destroyed many a beautiful instrument “position your piano in front of your hearth. Not only will this approach bring attention to your music and grand piano, but it allows you to enjoy the warmth and comfort of a crackling fire while warming-up on the keys” Absolutely not!

Protecting your piano investment starts with ensuring that you maintain a consistent level of humidity and protect your piano from quick changes in weather as much as possible.

A question we often hear is can I place my piano on an outside wall? How old is your home? Is our response. Touch the wall, is it cold? These days, most homes have adequate insulation, and this is no longer a problem.

The room’s acoustics are another thing to keep in mind

If the sound is too much adding window treatments, such as curtains instead of blinds, more furniture, and area rugs will make a significant difference.

Finally, if Feng Shui placement is to be taken into consideration each direction of your home offers different energy. According to practitioners of Feng Shui, the player is to be facing NE,  North is the area for career and life path. Of course,  we encourage you to do more research on these topics. Our expertise is focused on pianos and where they will sound the best in your home.

Most piano stores will lend you a template and even come to your home to give you a professional opinion. Just ask! We have seen many pianos in many homes. Using a template will confirm the size. It is much easier to move the template than the piano.

On that note; moving the piano should be left to the professionals! Grand Pianos have wheels but are only meant for occasional small movements, such as rolling the piano a few inches on a smooth floor. You need to be very careful to avoid putting strain on the legs. First, lower the lid! Then position three people around the piano, one near each leg. Move the piano very slowly. Piano legs can and will break if the piano is moved incorrectly. Call a piano mover.