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My piano teacher recently moved to a new home and I took my first lesson there a couple of days ago.
He positioned his piano (Kawai grand) next to an interior wall and facing two large windows enabling a nice view of the outdoors. During the lesson, I complimented his set up and the nice view.

He immediately said that he could not have his piano set in a place with restricted views and he loved being able to look outside when he played. I told him that when I was using an electronic keyboard I had mine set up so that I could look out a big window in my kitchen.

However, the keyboard was replaced by my present Kawai upright which is in a different room which also has nice views. My Kawai is up against an internal wall and thus I get no outside views.

First, I was surprised that someone other than me valued being able to take in outside views while sitting at the piano.
I thought I was alone in this thought.

Second, sitting at my teachers piano and being able to look outside is so nice. But it would be difficult for me to justify the purchase of a grand piano when I have only been taking lessons for 3 years just so I can look outside.

Does anyone else share these same thoughts?
Joe

I have only taken 5 lessons in 60 years, and I have a grand and can look outside. Go for it!

A vertical can be placed so it doesn't face a wall. One can cover the back, which is unfinished and probably not aesthetically pleasing to most, with some kind of cloth to make it more attractive.

Joe, you are certainly not alone in wanting a view. My piano is positioned with my back to a patio door that I open when ever possible to hear the fountain and the birds in the background. I face a large window on the opposite wall with a view of the flowers and garden. I would remove the roof if I could! It is extremely important to me to not feel enclosed in a room when I play.

On the other hand... my Kawai grand is placed so that the two north-facing windows (and the glass front door) are in my direct line of view. There's an excellent view of the fireplace, too, in season.

The piano is placed this way because of sound considerations of this very live and quite oddly-shaped room. As it happens, what they recommend about placing the tail of the piano nearer the wall, (about 1/3 of its length down) and angled at about 45 degrees to the wall, does work well. Of course, some fine-tuning of the exact location, and quite a bit of dressing of the room, to tone down the vast expanses of naked sheetrock and exposed glass, have had to happen.

Anyway, I have the view if I want it. And I will tell you what I have learned about views, while practicing: they are distracting. There is a parade of neighbors on foot, delivery vehicles, garbage and recycling trucks, feral cats, dogs walking people, visitors and residents parking their cars, as the rules shift according to the time of day.

As it is, I am lucky that in this mondo condo village, my music room does not share a wall with any neighbors, and the neighbors say that the piano doesn't disturb them. After all, they make their own share of noise (don't ask). Call it a draw.

Thanks to the many people who have written about their music rooms here, I can appreciate my good, if, perhaps, not quite perfect, fortune. If you like seeing the world outside while practicing, that's great. When I was younger (teenage), I, too, could do several things at once, but I am not quite as smart as I used to be.

Look at what you like, and be happy, ok?

As for the "back, which is unfinished and probably not aesthetically pleasing to most, [cover it] with some kind of cloth to make it more attractive," I say, "Not so fast." The same could be said for a lot of people, too. I happen to love that side. It has a beauty of its own, and the heavy-duty casters of a good upright make it easy to move around the music room. For the sound, for the views, for the natural light on the music desk... again I say, move it where you like, and be happy.

With my best regards,

Clef

PS- OH--- those Kawai uprights. Never mind the cloth. They do make some dandy uprights; even the smaller ones have a lovely voice and touch, and can really tuck into the registers (if you have a room where you can let it out and play with a couple or three fffs). I used to play one regularly, and I felt so happy that this big company, so far away, had given so much thought and care to provide for the needs of the pianist of less than wealthy means--- me, for example.

I also have my piano almost in front of the window. Yes, it is really nice to look up and see a view, with snow in april and everything.
But I have also seen a picture somewhere on this forum with a piano in front of a wall with a lot of print-outs that are relevant to playing the piano, and I am a bit jealous of that.

Well, yes; but unless the piano is a spinet or a console and/or unless the pianist is very tall, the best view one has sitting at an upright is the upright!

Regards,

Hah, you just need to have a good really tall upright, position it appropriately ... and have a good mirror finish on it :-)

People have justified more with less. If you have the disposable income, why not? Go for it, life’s too short to wait around until it’s perfect.

For most of us here, we wouldn’t own the piano we have if auditioning for it, and filling out a questionnaire to justify the purpose/expense were required. I love the fact I have a great view of the backyard when I practice..... good enough reason for me! 😊 (and should be for you) Giving you continued pleasure is enough

Thank you dogperson. I started practicing extra hard and put a notebook of music together for just trying out pianos! Playing while shopping pianos made me as nervous as a piano recital. My performance would probably have earned me a short, out of tune upright with some missing keys😁. Of course the store owner and salesman, who was a professional pianist was extremely gracious and did compliment my playing, but I was taking piano classes at the university at the time so I knew better 😛. I bought the piano I could afford, thankfully not the piano my playing deserves.
To the OP, get whatever piano you want and place it so you have a great view out.

Everyone,
Thank you for taking the time to comment.
I really appreciate your thoughts; they were very helpful.
And here I thought I was alone on wanting to see outside.
Now, all I need to do is talk myself into a grand piano!
Have a good weekend.
Joe

Joe you are not alone. In fact in a recent video I had posted the dealer was promoting baby grands in a similar way.

Being close to a window with a view is certainly a positive experience. My keyboard is actually setup to be close to a large window to take advantage of the natural light but at the same time not cause distractions when playing. Directly in front of the window include a few high-rise buildings, a school and a park behind. You see people walking down the path in the park all summer. When your eyes wander into the scenery, there is a chance you'd lose your place in your music.

There's the view INTO the piano, also. 😁

https://images.app.goo.gl/uNUossiLbu6WJeCs5

It certainly does not bother me that I have no view with my piano.
To me it seems a strange idea.That one should want a view as
well.?
Its tricky enough trying to place the piano in a place so the insrument
remains stable.Besides I would need a very,very long neck to see over the top of a 130 size upright.
So I would say if that is so important, then yes a grand or a spinet are
are essential.

I know that when I practice that I have "tunnel vision" and only concentrate on the sheet music. I do not notice anything around me, including the pretty view that I do have.

I guess playing by ear has some advantages; I seldom even put up the music desk, which gives me an unimpeded view of both the inside of the piano and the scenery outside.

I am definitely a view person, yet really can’t see much past the piano music stand, so I guess it doesn’t matter to me.