The purpose of any piano lamp is to provide the best possible light so that the pianist can flawlessly read the music without difficulty in order to avoid eye strain. Because pianos differ in style and height there are piano light designed specifically for certain kinds of pianos. In order to choose the right lamp for your piano, you must first know exactly what type and size of piano you have.
Upright pianos have vertical strings and are available in many different heights. Spinet, Large Spinet, Console and Full Upright are all kinds of Upright Pianos. Spinets are available in heights ranging from 36-38”. Large Spinets are from 40-42”, Consoles are usually 45-46” and Full Uprights are the largest and range from 50”-56” in height.
The Grand Piano has horizontal strings. There are three kinds of Grand Pianos classified by size. The Baby Grand is the smallest of the grand pianos and measures anywhere from 4’ – 5’. These are typically found where space is an issue or in studios as practice pianos. The Standard Grand Piano ranges in size from 5’ -7’. This is the size most people think of when they use the term Grand Piano. The biggest in length is the Concert Grand Piano. It measures between 7’ and 9’. Concert Grands are used for what the name implies… large settings and concerts and are the #1 choice for performing artists around the world. The longer the piano means the bigger the sound board and thus the greater the sound resonation.
When choosing the proper lamp for your piano it is best to stick to those lamps designated specifically for your type of piano. If this is not easily determined, then follow these general guidelines: A Spinet piano lamp may be used for any upright piano however an Upright Piano Lamp is too short for most spinet pianos. Lamps listed as Grand Piano Lamps are usually too big for a Spinet or an Upright Piano. Sheet music is typically 12” wide and a well positioned lamp will be about 3-6 inches above the music. The light should be pointed towards the music and away from the player’s eyes to avoid glare. Overhead room lighting is never good enough light for playing music for any length of time and may cause eye strain and headaches.
Piano Lamps can fulfill another purpose as desk lamps because they are so good for reading (as long as they are not the clip on variety) and so are well worth the expense. Because these lights offer a way to put the light specifically onto the reading material (goose neck lamps work especially well for this) they are purchased by many non-piano-playing folk as well. The piano lamp’s ability to avoid glare (due to the construction of the lamp shade and the special treatment of the inside of the shade) make this ideal for reading and seeing notes on a page so that the piano player can flawlessly flow from page to page easily without hurting their eyes.