Comparing pianos at the viewing gallery: a repeatable method.

Before the visit

Prepare three things before you travel.

A comparison visit works best when you arrive with:

1. Two or three pieces you can play from memory. The same pieces on every instrument, so the only variable is the piano. One soft, one loud, one with pedal work. If the student is the player, bring pieces they know well enough to listen rather than read.
2. A way to take notes. Write down or dictate your impressions while you are still at each piano. A phone recording of the same passage on each instrument can also help you compare at home, though ask the viewing gallery first.
3. The room measurements. If you are choosing between a smaller and a larger instrument, knowing the room dimensions and the delivery route avoids choosing a piano you cannot get in.

Contact the viewing gallery with the models or sizes you want to compare and ask about availability and appointment time. At Music Companion, book a viewing and say which instruments you want to see.

02

The same passage, on every piano.

Play the same things on each instrument, in the same order, before playing anything else. The comparison only works if the variable is the piano, not the piece.

• A slow passage, softly. Listen to how each piano responds at low volume.
• The same passage, loudly. Listen to whether the tone opens up or hardens. Play it twice on each piano.
• A passage with the sustain pedal held. Listen to how long the sound carries and how cleanly it stops.
• Repeated notes on a single key at a speed comfortable for the player. Notice how quickly the action lets you repeat.
• Octaves and chords across the keyboard. Note any sound you want the seller or technician to explain.

Then go back to the first piano and play the same passage again. The second hearing often clarifies a preference the first one left uncertain.

03

Comparison worksheet.

Use this list at the piano. Fill in the same fields for each instrument so you can compare them side by side afterwards.

If the teacher is present, ask for their impression separately. What matters to a teacher (action responsiveness, tonal evenness for exams) is not always what matters to the buyer, and both opinions count.

04

Compare the written quotations.

The sound and the touch narrow the choice. The written quotation completes the picture. Ask for a complete quotation on each instrument you are considering, and compare:

• The instrument: exact model, serial number, year and condition.
• The price of the instrument on its own.
• Delivery and placement, quoted on the access at your address.
• The first tuning and whether it is included.
• After-sale cover: what is included, what is excluded, and for how long.

Compare the complete numbers, not the headline price. A piano that sounds slightly better but costs significantly more to deliver and maintain may not be the better purchase. The dealer comparison guide covers how to compare quotations from different dealers.

05

After the visit.

If you have a clear preference after the visit, ask about next steps. If you are not ready to decide:

• Review your notes and any recordings at home, away from the viewing gallery.
• Ask the dealer whether the instruments you are considering will remain available and for how long.
• If a teacher was present, discuss their observations.
• Compare the complete quotations side by side using the worksheet fields above.

The decision is yours to make on whatever timeline works for you. The comparison method in this guide is designed to give you enough information to decide with confidence when you are ready.