This myth confuses quality and quantity. While the length of the longest strings and the size of soundboard area may be larger on a big upright than on a small grand, the small advantage of more boom in a piano is more than offset by the other benefits of a grand pianos.

There are three fundamental differences between grand pianos and uprights.

Shape… The grand piano is shaped basically the way it was almost 300 years ago. The design of a grand piano soundboard is very similar to the shape of a violin or guitar, while upright piano soundboards are square. The upright piano stands alone as the only ‘square’ musical instrument. Square does not work as well for tone production.

Sound… A grand piano is open on the top and bottom allowing the tone to resonate throughout a room. Upright pianos are mostly closed boxes placed close to walls, designed to project the sound out the back and off of a wall. The best sound out of an upright piano comes when it is placed three feet from a wall, but this is impractical for most applications.

Touch… Better lever, quicker response… Grand pianos keys are nearly 30% longer than upright keys, giving grands considerably better leverage and more dynamic range. Gravity works with a grand action, bringing the hammer and other parts back to their resting positions quickly and naturally. Upright piano actions have to be designed to counteract gravity, causing them to respond more slowly.

There are some very nice upright pianos, but grands are always feel and sound better. That is why you never see upright pianos on concert stages or album covers.