Seeking advice: should I move my piano?

[plobotta]

Hello, I'm new to this forum and I hope I can find some advice.
Some months ago I finally made the big step of buying a grand piano, upgrading from my old digital. The piano is a Kawai RX5, which I really love. At present, it is in my study, a room 3.5 x 3.5 meters wide and 3 meters high, but I'm planning to move it in another room, a bit larger and far from where my wife and my doughters wathc TV, study, read and so on. I'd like to be able to play with some friends (and so I need some more room), and to not disturb my family when playing.
The new room would be approximately 4.5 x 4.4 meters wide and 2.3 meters high.
My main doubt is that the lower roof can cause bad sound, too much reflexion, worsening the pelasure of playing.
My technician told me that this could be the case if I don't put some phono-absorbent material on the ceiling, but if I treat properly the ceiling I should have no problem.
What do you think? Can the lower ceiling be a serious problem in how my piano will sound?
You think that I should let the piano where it is, possibly trying to isolate a bit my study?
Thanks!
Paolo

[Pianomate]

Heavy curtains, carpets and soft furnishings can all help.

[plobotta]

Heavy curtains, carpets and soft furnishings can all help.

No difference with respect to the ceiling height?

[Barrie Heaton]

Heavy curtains, carpets and soft furnishings can all help.

No difference with respect to the ceiling height?

A low ceiling can be a problem when the lid is open A heavy ceiling paper can make a deference. The problem with acoustic tiles they look OK in a studio but no so pleasing in a home.

Your wife may not like your playing when Corris is on but will she live with the tiles


Barrie,

[plobotta]

A low ceiling can be a problem when the lid is open A heavy ceiling paper can make a deference. The problem with acoustic tiles they look OK in a studio but no so pleasing in a home.

Your wife may not like your playing when Corris is on but will she live with the tiles

Life is full of tradeoffs...
My advantage, here, is that I don't want to put tiles in our living room, but in "my" music room.
Clearly, I'd do this if I know that they solve the problem.

[Barrie Heaton]

A good one is, if you have a long wall opposite the treble end of the piano and less than 10' away. Hang a very think carpet about an inch form the wall its needs to cover a large area of the wall. You can get some very nice looking ones and it be come a feature of the room as well as killing the unwanted harmonics.

One of my clients got some big very big balloons and made some fancy spheres in different colours out of paper mache put some small lights in them, hug them form the ceiling he got the idea form the Albert Hall

Barrie,

[plobotta]

Thankyou for the advice: I'm still a bit confused and not sure if I'd better leave the piano where it is, or move it, but I seem to have understood that none of my rooms is perfect and in both of them I can try many small changes to improve the sound...
Probably the choice of where to put the piano must depend more on the use I want to make of the piano, then on the possibility of obtaining a slightly better sound.

[bobmorton]

I think you should move your piano. But I think also that there's no good room where you can put your piano. Just go in a place of your home where you are comfortable playing your piano and where you get the great sound playing it.




Bob Morton
user / pianist

[daavidfischer]

It would be better if you move the piano to your music room itself. This would cause fewer disturbances to your family. It would also be better if you put a thick carpet below it and hang thick curtains around the room. Having a low ceiling will cause the sound to distort but the effects are minimal.



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