Among the interesting things I receive because I have a blog is this recent email about a piano: “I hope this message finds you well. A friend of mine is giving away her late husband’s Yamaha Piano to an instrument lover. This instrument holds profound sentimental value for her, and she’d love it for it to find a new home with someone who’ll cherish it as much as her late husband did. She’d be delighted to share its history, condition, or other details if you’re curious. Thank you for considering this. Any help or advice is appreciated.”
It is astounding how many people are trying to unload what had been in the heart of the household. Please think of the last three minutes of It’s A Wonderful Life. Fillyjonk noted,” I knew people growing up who had pianos or guitars or other instruments, and they played for their own or their family’s entertainment.” She links to an on-point video.
When I was growing up, we had an upright piano at home. Though no one could really master it, we all noodled around, playing Chopsticks and the like. My maternal grandmother also had a piano; my father is sitting on the piano bench. The one year I took piano lessons, I practiced more at Grandma’s because it was a better instrument.
Sales
According to the Blue Book of Pianos, piano sales were estimated to be as high as 306,984 annually in 1925 for a population of about 116 million people. In 2024, per the Music Trades Corporation’s Music Industry Census, it was 17,294 pianos annually in a population of 340 million.
Hannah Beckett, a piano technician in northern Virginia, notes the increased popularity of alternatives. “‘At least a digital piano is going to have accurate sounds and notes, the keys are going to go up and down,’ she explains, a problem that older acoustic pianos can pose for beginners.’
“Beckett is optimistic about the future of playing the instrument.
“‘At some point, you’re going to start looking for musicality, for emotional expression, for shaping phrasing, for some of the things more advanced musicians are interested in,” she says hopefully, adding, ‘we’re going to see a resurgence of piano playing. I think we’re all kind of weary of screens at this point.'”
