Grand & Baby Grand Piano Sizes

What Makes a Baby Grand a Baby Grand?

Three Important Piano Sizes

If you can tell the difference between a spinet and a studio or between a studio and an upright piano, or between a square grand and a modern grand, you still might wonder whether your grand is a baby, a regular, or a concern grand, and you might wonder if size is all that matters when it comes to defining the different grand piano types.

Using the guide to the left, it is easy to determine the size of your grand piano. If your piano is more than 7 feet long, inside industry circles, your piano would be defined as a "concert grand." Middle sized grand pianos take on different names, like "regular grand" and "classic grand." Under six feet and you have a "baby grand." In technical journals, you can find more exact descriptions for the three piano sizes. According to the illustrated encyclopedia of Musical Instruments of the World, the compact miniature or 'baby' grand is usually between 5ft 6in and 5ft 10 in long. The drawing room or boudoir instrument ... measures between 6ft and 7 ft and the concert grand ... is 7ft to 9ft long" (p 241).

A few good words of advise when it comes to the size of grand and baby grand pianos: Pianos are very heavy! Watch your back and your feet!

In fact, all pianos are very heavy and should not be moved by non-professionals, especially up or down stairs or over difficult terrain. Professional piano moving is always included in the price of our piano restoration service packages. You will not be required to lift the piano. People trained in handling the awkwardness of the piano's shape and uneven weight will do the moving for you.

Why Size is Important

When defining a grand piano by it's length, you might wonder why it even matters. A very common reason for stating the size of a grand piano is for moving purposes. Many piano moving companies will base their estimates, in part, by the size (and also, weight) of the piano. Since piano owners can easily measure the length of the piano, it is practically impossible to state the weight of the instrument. Piano moving companies devise approximate weight standards by the average weight of pianos according to the length of their cabinets.

The difference in size will determine how many instruments can fit on a moving truck for a single move. Often, if piano moving companies can make more than one piano move during a single trip, discounts will be passed onto the customers.

Sometimes piano owners have their piano rebuilt, repaired or refinished during a necessary move, having the piano refurbished while house keeping is re-established. When the piano arrives, everyone knows that it's it's time to celebrate the new home with a reception and recital!

Source Notes

1976. The Diagram Group, Musical Instruments of the World; An Illustrated Encyclopedia. Bantam Books, New York, New York.