When you think music, pianos are the most common instrument that comes to mind.

And with good reason.

Pianos are the most popular acoustic instrument. With a 300 year track record, they have an incomparable tone, and a sound producing mechanism that has been refined to match and produce just about any kind of music possible. Very few instruments are as versatile and show up in as many places – from jazz bands to orchestras to rock groups – you’ll always find a piano as the center point.

And when it comes to pianos, the top piano in everyone’s mind, the one piano that piano players desire to have more than any other, is a grand piano. Its their look, their style and their tone. Nothing says class quite like a baby grand showcased in your living quarters.

Grand pianos themselves are large and take up a lot of space in your home. Ranging anywhere from 5 to 7 feet and beyond, the aren’t something you buy without taking into consideration its final location. (You wouldn’t buy one for a 900 square foot apartment already stuffed with furniture.)

Add into it a grand piano goes beyond taking up horizontal space; it also takes up vertical space. The enormous lid is the one feature that gives a grand piano a further unique look and quality.

But have you ever asked yourself why? Is there a reason you prop open the lid to the piano?

Actually there is.

By propping open the lid, you can see the metal strings and other mechanical components. The look alone can be fascinating to those enjoying. But there’s more.

Because the sound of a piano starts inside the instrument with all of those strings and mechanical parts, you’ll get a louder, more resonant sound when you leave the lid open. It allows sound to project off the wooden soundboard. And in the grand piano, the strings are horizontal, which means they are parallel to the ground. Sound travels upward, meaning if the lid is left open, the sound moves from the ground up towards the ceiling, filling the room.

Whether you simply play by yourself, or love to entertain on a regular basis, a grand piano is truly an experience you’ll treasure for always.