Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Angular positioning of upright piano in corner of room

Will it sound better?

Due to space limitations, this is how my piano is placed currently. I don't really like how it sounds, but there are no other good options in my living room. I put up a furniture moving pad on the wall behind the instrument and it may have helped smooth out the sound a little.

Try putting the pads between the backposts and the soundboard.

Well an upright piano is supposed to have the wall behind it, to help project the tone.

I had an organ which had a speaker cabinet. One side was fully finished, and the speaker side was barle. The intention was to place the speakers facing the wall to reflect it out I guess.

From where do you get your information?

When placed against a wall, the wall echoes the tone back into the piano, not into the room.

Thats about what I recall the piano store told me.
I think he stated something about wall=projection, or just better volume when on a wall-
as that is why most always an upright is put against a wall,. Notice the backs of uprights are not finished, or painted.

Lets see, Brandon...

Physics tells us that the sound from the soundboard of an upright, which is in the back of the piano, will travel out from the back, and, if it hits a parallel wall, will bounce back to the piano.

Its called an "echo".

But a "piano store told you"..."I think he stated something about wall=projection..."

Wow.

ps...the backs of uprights are not "not finished", as you claim, but rather have a clear finish. Again, that is where the soundboard is...To "paint" the back would mean painting the soundboard, not a good idea at all. But it is finished in clear, just like the soundboard of a grand piano.

Furthermore, my antique German upright has a black cloth from the factory that covers the entire back of the piano, so the piano could be placed elsewhere.

Have a nice day, Brandon. Bye.

Well thats kinda what he told me,

Advising people here when the basis is "Well thats kinda what he told me" is a dis-service to those who come here seeking accurate information from those with deep experience.

I know your intentions are good, but you have a record of passing on bad advise.

I'm getting a new Yamaha U3 "Silent Piano" (so-called "U3SG"). Aesthetically, angling (about 45 degrees) the piano near (but not in) a corner would absolutely look the best.

Can any expert out there be more specific about what this will do the the sound of the acoustic component of this hybrid piano, when compared with the usual up-against-the-wall upright piano positioning?

(Of course the digital component comes through headphones and therefore would sound the same if I glued the piano to the ceiling.)

There may be nothing better than subjective opinions but I'm hoping for something more consistent if that's possible. Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

What an odd question. What does "better" mean? For whom? Better could be - louder, or softer, it can be brighter - or mellower. It all depends on the piano, the space, and above all, the listener's perception, personal preference and judgement.

How about you try positioning your piano in a corner and reporting your (subjective) findings? I think that could kick off a more meaningful discussion.

Acoustic science is absolutely complicated, but advice starts with a few "rules of thumb." Uprights, because they are closed, suffer a lack of immediacy in tone. Bringing it away from a nearby wall amplifies this tendency. Corners also tend to trap sound, creating expected and unexpected interference patterns - and you just took dead aim at a corner. It's not the end of the world, but it is an inefficient means of getting a pure sound back to the pianist.

My harsh advice would be to forget the corner because it is rarely, if ever, better aesthetically anyway. It usually happens out of need (like terminaldegree's situation).

My kinder, gentler advice is to roll the piano around a bit and try both. Many things about your new piano will be much more apparent when it arrives.

But mostly, enjoy your new piano!

I've had good results in moving the piano about 6" to 1' away from the wall, and angling it slightly, so that the bass side is somewhat further removed than the treble side. Of course, this means that the piano isn't perfectly "square" to the room anymore, but the acoustic results were so satisfying that I left it angled.

(This is the Ibach listed in my signature.)

I do that with my upright (not in my signature), but with the treble end angled out a tiny bit more than the bass end. The treble sounds much better, freer, in a way.

What about about in the middle with foam??? Like this beautiful Steingraeber 130:

https://www.pianoworld.com/forum/ubb...1/topic/019089/Number/0/site_id/1#import

To what extent do you find this also applying to grand pianos?

If you had a choice between the back and bass sides of a grand being just a foot or so from walls (with the lid opening facing out from the corner) versus getting it a few feet out of the corner on one dimention or the other would you avoid the corner?

Or with grands is it mostly that you don't want to point the lid opening into the corner?

Recently, I angled my grand out so it was a little more cornered. I thought there was a dramatic improvement in the sound, especially less muddiness in the bass. Experiment! (also recording might help you judge the sound with less bias.)_

There is no shortage of sound from a grand, and most people do give aesthetics priority, but for the best acoustic presentation, absolutely the same rules apply...bring the piano more into the middle of the room and then play with the final position until you get a satisfying focal point. Car stereos allow you to center speaker output for the driver's benefit - same principal just more variables in your home.

So have I, but I'm only allowed 4", or 6" at times on sufferance. Wavelengths of piano sounds range from a few inches in the treble to many feet in the bass, giving plenty of scope for trial and error with wall effects and room effects. To hear what you are missing remove the front panels (i.e. sound barriers) from your upright!

Thanks, Sam. I'll see what I can do within my space constraints to find a "euphonious" position somewhat out from the corner. Hopefully even a few feet will matter.

Hope mine wasn't too much of a thread-hijack from doremi's original question.