Comparing Different Types and Sizes of Pianos

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The piano comes in many different styles, designs, shapes and sizes, which fit into two basic categories: vertical and horizontal pianos.

Vertical Pianos

They are called vertical pianos because of their height and the position of the strings. The height of this kind of piano ranges from 36 to 60 inches. There are 4 types:





Horizontal Pianos








Note: All sizes are approximations.

Other Piano Differences

In addition to the dimensions, different styles of pianos vary in their number of pedals and sometimes, their number of keys. Most pianos have 88 keys, though some older pianos have 85 keys, and some manufacturers make pianos that include additional keys (notably, Bösendorfer). Most contemporary American pianos have three pedals: una corde, sostenuto, and damper. European pianos tend to have two pedals. Many older pianos smaller than grands have only two pedals. Some rarer instruments have additional pedals, or pedals with different functions, such as transposition.

Note that this article addresses only contemporary acoustic pianos intended for performance—a wonderful instrument, to be sure, but one that has many predecessors and cousins. There are also electric pianos, player pianos, and a great number of other similar keyboard instruments, including fortepianos and other historical instruments, practice pianos (smaller instruments, with fewer keys), harpsichords, virginals, and a wide variety of organs.