What your child needs to get used to on a grand piano before an exam or competition
At home it is an upright; on the exam or competition platform it is a grand. The two play differently. This piece sets out the three main differences, and how to plan practice before the exam.
A student sitting at a grand for the first time usually plays a few notes and pauses.
Not a wrong note, and not nerves. The instrument simply responds differently from the one at home. And in Macau there are not many grands a child can sit at and take their time with.
Why a grand plays differently
Because the keys return at different speeds.
On a grand, the hammer falls back into place under its own weight. On an upright, the hammer does not fall back; a spring pushes it. A spring is a little slower than gravity, and the fingers feel it.
That one difference shows up in three places.
Three things to get used to
Fast repeated notes are much easier on a grand
On a grand the key only has to come halfway up before it will sound again; on an upright it has to come nearly all the way. In slow music you would not notice. In fast repeated notes or a trill, the difference shows.
The same pedal does different things on the two instruments
Press it on a grand and the hammer moves from striking three strings to two, so the tone changes with it. On an upright it only brings the hammers closer to the strings: quieter, but much the same tone.
Loud enough at home may not be loud enough on stage
With the lid raised, a grand sends its sound up and forward. An upright usually stands against a wall, so some of the sound bounces off it first, and it seems louder from the bench than it really is.
How to plan practice before the exam
Record on a phone and you will hear things you miss in the room
What you hear from the bench and what comes back on the recording are often different. A pedal held too deep, one phrase suddenly louder — hard to catch in the moment, obvious on playback. Record once, then listen again a day later.
Some competitions now take video entries as well; the 2026 Asia Music Festival youth open performance competition, for instance, is submitted online. In that case, how quiet the room is and how loud the air conditioning runs go straight into the result.
Where to find a grand piano to practise on in Macau
Grands in Macau are mostly in four kinds of places: school music rooms, concert halls and theatres, showroom instruments in music shops, and practice rooms open to the public. The first three usually need a school arrangement, a performance date or a purchase discussion, and few of them can be booked by the hour.
The SOLO Red Market branch has one grand piano room with a Shigeru Kawai SK-6, open 24 hours, and an upright room with a YAMAHA U1. Times and prices are on Rooms and rates。
If you are coming to Macau from elsewhere for an exam or competition, count the travel in. The Macao Youth Music Competition category rounds, for example, are held at the University of Macau, which means crossing over from the peninsula — so plan practice slots and the journey together.
Questions parents often ask
Want to bring your child for a first try?
For a first visit, message us on WeChat or WhatsApp to set up your account. After that you pick your own slots on your phone, without having to ask each time.