The chief advantages of upright pianos lie in their modest price and compactness. The springs, in part, account for the characteristic key touch of uprights, which is distinctly different from grands. The action of the upright differs because it returns to a resting position by means of springs rather than by gravity alone, as in a grand. In a grand piano, the action of the hammer and damper design relies on gravity to complete each note. There are more complex mechanisms at work in the action, but too technical to describe in one article. Simultaneously a damper (a small block of wood with felt affixed) is raised from these strings, allowing them to vibrate more freely. When a piano key is pressed down, its tail lifts a mechanism that throws a hammer against the strings for that keyвЂ™s note. The вЂњactionвЂќ inside a piano produces the music. By the beginning of the 1900вЂ™s, the upright piano became the space-saving and money-saving alternative to the grand piano.

Smart manufacturers lowered piano production costs by introducing uprights which propelled the vertical piano into many homes by the end of the 1800вЂ™s. They had children who wanted to learn piano. Homes that could afford pianos then were usually large, with parlors suited to extravagant grand pianos.Д«ut people who werenвЂ™t rich and didnвЂ™t have large Victorian houses wanted to play pianos. They were sometimes referred to as вЂњcottageвЂќ pianos, in those days, because they took up less floor space. But it was never a fair comparison since the instruments are manufactured for different uses, and to serve the needs of different pianists.Д«eginning in 1805, uprights found their place in the piano market.

It no longer holds true, however, as in the latest piano renaissance, uprights have come into their own. Upright pianos have been very popular for decades, but were once highly disparaged by critics who prefer the performance of grand pianos.

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