Why do some pianos last longer and sound different than others?

In the search for universal truths regarding acoustic pianos – the list usually comes up short.  We’ve developed a simple concept called the “two triangles” that attempts to explain differences between ALL pianos. Lofty goal? Yes.   Impossible? You be the judge…

What pianists experience (the inner triangle):

1. Touch: How it feels, the weight, the consistency, the response. Everything you feel.
2. Tone: Color, Timbre at different dynamics, Depth, Sustain, Overtones. Everything you hear.
3. Time: Age degrades touch and tone. Physical reality of piano design and the variable impacts of environment, and use. Hugely variant between makes, models and circumstance.

Where the experience comes from (the outer triangle):

1. Materials: Wood type and specifications, all parts quality and materials.
2. Workmanship: The care, experience and detail of assembly, the tolerances maintained.
3. Design: The big one! Specifies the materials and prescribes the workmanship. Patents, etc.

Not all pianos are created equal, and furthermore, time plays a huge role in the musical life of a given piano. There are so many myths spun about old pianos, it’s hard to know where to begin! Hopefully this video is a start and sheds some light on how and why pianos sound and feel different (over time!).

More articles on pianos, costs, comparisons in our Resource Center

Ms. Ranko Konishi-Houston of Cambridge is Elected to Steinway Piano Teacher Hall of Fame

Boston, MA (December 3, 2019):  Ranko Konishi-Houston, a Cambridge piano teacher, has been inducted into the national Steinway & Sons Teacher Hall of Fame, a prestigious designation recognizing the work of North America’s most committed and passionate piano educators.  Ms. Konishi-Houston was nominated for the honor by M. Steinert & Sons, the nation’s oldest music retailer and the region’s only authorized representative for Steinway pianos.

Ranko Konishi-Houston is the owner of RKH Piano Studio and is the immediate past-president of the New England Piano Teachers’ Association (NEPTA). She is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music, where she earned both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in piano performance. Ms. Konishi-Houston is an active member of various music organizations in the Greater Boston area including the Massachusetts Music Teachers Association (MMTA). She is a recipient of Steinway & Sons Top Teacher Awards in 2017 and 2018, and is a Steinway Teacher and Educational Partner.

Forty-three teachers from the United States and Canada were inducted into the Steinway Teachers Hall of Fame with special events hosted at the historic Steinway factory in New York City. The teachers’ names are now displayed on a commemorative display wall inside the iconic factory.

“M. Steinert & Son is proud to work with some of the finest piano teachers in the world,” said Brendan Murphy, Vice President and director of Institutional Sales at M. Steinert & Sons, whose family has owned the company for four generations. “We are so pleased that Ranko Konishi-Houston has been recognized for her important contributions to music education.”

About M. Steinert & Sons

Founded in 1860 by Morris Steinert, a German immigrant, M. Steinert & Sons is the country’s oldest continuously operating music retailer, and the exclusive regional dealer for world-renowned Steinway & Sons pianos, Boston pianos, Essex pianos, and Roland digital electronic pianos. The company has showrooms in Boston and Natick, MA.