This is a very good question. Many people might not realize that there are many different things that can affect the sound of a piano in a room. Some good, some bad; but they are all things you should be aware of to determine the right size and placement of a piano in your home.
The size of the piano you choose for your home is very important. It is determined not only by the size of the room but the acoustics. Have you ever sung in the shower and noticed how much better your voice sounds? Because of all the porcelain and glass, the acoustics allow your voice to be echoed off the walls and it has a pleasing effect. The same is true when it comes to any live room.
A room with wood floors or slate; lots of windows, and high ceilings may provide an ideal environment for a piano. The sound travels all around the room and reverberates very nicely. If you have a room that is dead acoustically, the piano won’t sound nearly as pleasing. One of the biggest factors in a room is the floor; carpeting will dampen the sound of a piano. Why is this? Half of the sound of a piano comes from underneath the soundboard, so when the sound travels into the carpet or rug it will deaden the sound substantially.
Now there are occasions when you would actually want to deaden the sound of a piano. For example, if you have a room that is too live or has a bigger piano than it should, the sound of the piano can actually become overbearing. To solve this you can put a rug underneath the piano and it will dampen the sound a bit.
Other objects in a room that affect the sound of your piano are things like curtains and couches. Soft and cushy furniture will absorb sound and will actually affect the sound of your piano in the room. In fact, just having people in the room will affect the sound of a piano. When many people are in a room they will actually absorb some of the sounds, making the piano just that much quieter. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone to a hall before a concert and tested out the piano only to find it sounded completely different once the seats were filled for the actual performance.
The bottom line is that you want a room that will enhance the sound of the piano. You don’t want the sound to be too loud or too quiet. Obviously, this can be a challenge if you already have a piano in a certain room and it will be difficult to change anything but little modifications can help to improve the sound of your room. Some people will even put clear plexiglass under the piano if it is sitting on carpeting to help reflect the sound projecting under the piano!
Thanks again for joining me Robert Estrin at LivingPianos.com: Robert@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729
2 thoughts on “What Affects the Sound of a Piano in a Room?”
Greetings : I am in the process of purchasing a Yamaha C3X which will be somewhat large for the size of the room. Opinions as to whether one should put a floor covering under the piano seem to differ according to several specific conditions and personal opinions regarding sound quality. Your comments have been helpful … thank you. (I live in South Africa)
Depending upon how high the ceilings are, how powerful a player you are, and what other sound absorbing materials are in the room (drapes, soft furniture, etc.), you may or may not want to dampen the sound with a rug under the piano.