Musical Instruments

Types Of Piano And Its Average Cost In 2023

By Sapana Bishwakarma | 4 August 2023 09:38 AM

Yamaha G5 Grand Piano L 200 cm
Source : instagram

The piano, invented by Bartolomeo Cristofori of Padua, Italy, is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when pressed on the keys. New model pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys.

Having 88 black and white keys, the instrument has 52 white keys for the notes of the C major scale including C, D, E, F, G, A, and B, and 36 shorter black keys grew up above the white keys for sharps and flats.

The black keys are not a member of the scale or mode, they are needed to play in all twelve keys. Basically, there are two kinds of piano such as grand and upright piano.

The top 5 manufacturer company that produces piano are:

  • Steinway & Sons
  • Bosendorfer
  • C. Bechstein
  • Yamaha
  • Kawai Musical Instrument

Among these manufacturer companies, Steinway & Sons' brands might be more expensive than other brands. The company manufactures products in the range of $30,000 to $ 700,000.

The cheapest model of Steinway is the Steinway model 4510 (upright piano) which costs around $35,000. There are other expensive brands of piano that are available up to the cost of around $1.5 million as well.

Here in this article, we discuss the average cost of buying a piano along with its types and brands.

Average Cost Of Buying A Piano In 2023

Types of PianoAverage Cost ($)
Grand Piano$10,000 - $200,000
Silent Piano$5,000 - $100,000
Upright Piano$2,000 - $25,000
Hybrid Piano$4,000 - $20,000
Player Piano$2,000 - $20,000
Spinet Piano$3,000 - $6,500
Stage Piano$900 - $4,500
Digital Piano$500 - $3,000
Electric Piano$100 - $1,000
Toy Piano$20 - $200

Related: Different Types Of Guitars With Pictures

1. Grand Piano ($10,000 - $200,000)

Concert Piano is mostly used for the big hall or big stage.
Source : kawaipianogalleryofmi

The grand piano produces better sound and more precise key control. This piano is basically for big concerts

The price of the piano is based on the size, sound, durability, and the manufacturers however a brand new grand piano costs you around $10,000 to $200,000. Compared to the other piano, it is a little expensive due to its characteristics. The materials that are used for making the piano are top-grade wood such as tough rock maple or top-quality spruce, high-quality plastic, and durable wool.

Grand Piano TypesPrice ($)
Petite Grand (4'11")$7,000 - $20,000
Baby Grand (4'11" - 5'1")$8,000 - $50,000
Parlor Grand (5'9" - 6'2")$10,000 - $50,000
Medium Grand (5'2" - 5'8")$25,000 - $70,000
Ballroom Grand (6'10" - 9')$60,000 - $250,000
Concert Grand (7' - 10")$130,000 - $300,000

If you are a beginner and want to buy a piano for your house and small spaces a Baby or Petite Grand piano will be the best choice. Out of this, the Concert piano is for professional settings and large concert halls. 

2. Silent Piano ($5,000 - $100,000)

This is a Yamaha brand SC2 type SILENT Piano.
Source : yamaha

A silent piano is developed for private silent practice. It offers acoustic sound, build quality, and design as its standard counterparts.

These pianos are available in various brands such as Beshstein, Grotrian-Steinweg, Steinley, Bosendorfer, Yamaha, Kawai, Petrof, and Seiler. It costs according to its brand however the average cost of silent piano ranges from $5,000 to $100,000.

The main feature of buying the silent piano would be that it provides the player a chance to have a private silent practice which might be in the early mornings like 2 am. The player also can record their performance and hear the playback via the headphones. It is the mindblowing feature of the silent piano. The affordable Yamaha brands are mentioned in the table:

Silent Piano BrandsPrices ($)
Yamaha U1J SGD$5,900
Yamaha U1J-Silent SGD$7,900

 

3. Upright Piano ($2,000 - $55,000)

Kawai 49'' Studio Upright Piano Polished Aspen Green costs around $5.790
Source : carusopianos

Upright pianos are popular musical instruments. It is less in size than the normal grand piano.

John Isac Hawkins made the first upright in the 18th and 19th centuries. The piano made in the 18th century was made advanced in the 19th century by adding various features such as sound quality, spring, and the weight of the keys.'

These pianos are manufactured by different companies like Yamaha, C. Bechstein, Mason & Hamlin, Steinway, and Fazioli. The cost $2,000 to $55,000 for a single piano. Different brands carry different promises of quality, and years of heritage for hundreds of years. The prices of upright pianos are:

  • Yamaha b2: $7,499
  • Yamaha YUS5: 21,699
  • Yamaha SU7: 39,000
  • G. Steinberg GS123: $8,480
  • Steinway K: 51,600

4. Hybrid Piano ($4,000 - $20,000)

Picture of: Yamaha N3X Avant Grand Hybrid Grand Piano
Source : cunninghampiano

A musical instrument well known as the hybrid piano has incorporated the mechanism of an acoustic piano. It was first developed in the 1930s.

The hybrid piano is designed with a combination of grand piano or classical piano technology and digital technology. The piano costs around $4,000 to $20,000. With all the brands, Yamaha (AvantGrand N3X) and Kawai (Novus NV10) be a few more expensive than over models that cost you around $17,000.

The piano was developed by Professor Walther Nernst with the companies Bechstein for mechanics and Siemens for electronics. The target group of pianos was the musicians from the pop, rock, and jazz artists. It is only suitable for the professional fields and able to assert itself for a short time. 

5. Player Piano ($2,000 - $20,000)

This is a Steinway & Sons’ 21st century player piano.
Source : msteinert

A player piano contains an electro-mechanical mechanism and is a self-playing piano. Edwin S. Votey made the first piano player in 1986.

 It is basically used for piano action through programmed music recorded on perforated paper or metallic rolls. When the pianos are produced in high volume for home use, the number of player pianos grew up in the late 19th and early 20th century. Steinway & Sons, Bosendorfer, Yamaha, Balwin, and Kawai are the best manufacturers brand that manufactures quality pianos.

The brand new player piano cost ranges from $2,000 to $20,000. If you are a beginner, you can buy a used or second-hand piano according to your budget. The buyer can look at its style, connectivity, and sound while buying the piano. Among all the bands Steinway & Sons might be costly compared to others. The different brands' prices listed below:

BrandsPrices (Approx.)
Steinway & Sons18,000
Bosendorfer$8,000
Yamaha$15,000
Kawai$10,000

 

6. Spinet Piano ($3,000 - $6,500)

Baldwin Howard Spinet Piano which costs $2,500.
Source : alamomusic

The stage piano was named Harpsichord in the 17th century. It was popular in American homes from the 1930s.

The piano is mostly available in numerous Americans' homes corners and most probably gathering dust. The smaller type of keyboard instrument was built by Johann Heinrich Silbermann in 1965 in Germany. The features of the piano include a soundboard, action, and case construction.

The secondhand piano might cost you under $1,500 however the brand-new spinet piano costs an average of $3,000 to $6,500. It will be available for its main two brands including Yamaha, Wurlitzer, and Baldwin Acrosonic. The Baldwin Acrosonic is better for its action hammers, Wurlitzer is famous for its durability, and Yamaha will be the always better choice for a piano player.

7. Stage Piano ($900 - $4,500)

The Yamaha CP88 88-Key Graded Hammer Action Stage Piano with Sustain Pedal.
Source : amazon

Stage pianos are usually made for the use of live performances on stage or in a studio. It is also used for music recording in jazz and popular music. 

The piano provides more sound quality, portability, and durability. They are always connected to external amplification systems. The well-known brand of stage pianos are Yamaha, Nord, and Roland. The prices will cost you according to the number of sounds, build quality, quality of key action, and the presence of performance-enhancing features like splitting and layering.

With this, the price of the piano ranges from $900 - $4,500 depending on its modeling. The kind of stage piano available in the market includes:

  • Casio Prilivia line
  • Nord Stage line
  • Korg SP-series
  • Kurzweil SP88X
  • Roland RD series
  • Yamaha P-250 and CP300

8. Digital Piano ($500 - $3,000)

Yamaha YDP-161 Arius digital piano costs $700.
Source : carousell

The well-known electronic keyboard instrument Digital Piano is a mix between an acoustic piano and an electric keyboard. It offers a more authentic playing experience.

Digital pianos' costs range from $500 to 3,000. The famous brands include Yamaha, Kawai, and Roland. So, the price of the piano depends on its features such as key action, the quality of the sound engine, and other additional features including built-in recording functions and Bluetooth connectivity. The brands and their prices are mentioned below:

  • Yamaha Digital Piano: $500 - $3,000
  • Kawai Digital Piano: $900 - $2,000
  • Roland Digital Piano: $600 - 1,250

9. Electric Piano ($100 - $2,000)

Electric Piano is an affordable piano amongst others.
Source : creativesoulmusic

A musical instrument electric piano named Neo-Bechstein was built in 1929. Famously known as electric piano normal strings and hammer action but no soundboard.

This type of piano was designed as a less expensive for school and home use. Normally, it costs $100 to $2,000 which is an affordable price for everyone. These pianos are made by numerous manufacturer companies under their brand names such as Yamaha, Helpinstill, Baldwin, and Kawai. Their respected prices include:

BrandsPrices
Yamaha$500 - $950
Helpinstill$ 575 - $1,000
Baldwin$100 - $1,995
Kawai$500 - $1590

10. Toy Piano ($20 - $200)

Toy Piano known as Mini Piano has Toy Keyboard, Pink 24 Keys, Toddler Piano Music, Toy Instruments with Microphone.
Source : amazon

The toy piano was invented first by the Schoenhut Piano Company in 1872. This piano is small in size like musical instruments.

Today's piano is built with round metal rods just opposite to strings which helps to produce the sound. It comes in various shapes from scale models of upright or grand pianos to toys. These pianos are around 50 cm in width and are made up of plastic or wood. 

The piano provides sound by way of hammers hitting metal bars or rods which are fixed at one end. It has been used in classical and contemporary music contexts including Suit for Toy Piano by an American music theorist John Cage. For any brand of toy or child piano, it costs an average of  $20 to $200.