Buying guide · silent grand piano
Silent grand piano: Yamaha GB1 SC3, Kawai GL-10 ATX4 or Yamaha GC1 SH3?
A grand piano with the lid open during the day – and silent practice on headphones at night. Here are three silent grands between 151 and 161 cm long.
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How a silent grand works
A silent grand is an ordinary acoustic grand piano. During the day you play on the strings, with the lid open and the whole sound out in the room. In the evening you move a small lever under the keyboard: a rail slides in under the strings, the hammers stop just before they reach them, and sensors pick up what you play. You hear a digital grand piano in your headphones – with the same action, the same keys and the same bench.
| Yamaha GB1 K SC3 | Kawai GL-10 ATX4 | Yamaha GC1 SH3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length | 151 cm | 153 cm | 161 cm |
| Weight | 265 kg | 289 kg | 299 kg |
| Silent system | SC3 · 12 sounds · Bluetooth | AnyTimeX4 · 90 sounds · Bluetooth | SH3 · 25 sounds · USB recorder |
| Tone | Clear and bright | Warm and round | Richest and most expressive |
Three silent systems
Yamaha SC3 is the simple one: 12 sounds and Bluetooth, so you can use an app or play along with music from your phone.
Yamaha SH3 is the bigger one: 25 sounds, including Yamaha's CFX concert grand and a Bösendorfer Imperial, and a USB recorder for your own playing.
Kawai AnyTimeX4 has 90 sounds and Bluetooth, and its sensors measure the movement of the hammer – not just the key – so even the softest notes are reproduced accurately.
What you feel in your fingers
On a grand piano the hammer falls back by its own weight. That is why you can play the same note again before the key is fully up – it gives you freedom in fast repeated notes and trills, and you keep that freedom when you play silently. When the hammer stops at the rail instead of striking the string, the touch feels slightly different. Switch between the two modes in the same practice session, so your hand knows both.
Three silent grands
The most affordable silent grand: the Yamaha GB1 K – Yamaha's smallest grand, with a clear and bright sound. The middle pedal holds only the notes you are already holding down, and bench and headphones are included.
Yamaha GB1 K SC3 flygel
- 151 cm grand
- Yamaha SC3 Silent: hammer stop + headphones
- 12 voices, Bluetooth MIDI/audio
116.500 kr checked 30.9.2026
See price at ThomannThe warmest tone and the most sounds: the Kawai GL-10 with Millennium III action, a soft-close fallboard and the full AnyTimeX4 system – for only a little more than the Yamaha.
Kawai GL-10 ATX4 flygel
- 153 cm grand
- Kawai AnyTimeX4: 90 voices, Bluetooth MIDI/audio
- Hammer sensing (IHSS) — no contacts under the keys
128.000 kr checked 30.9.2026
See price at ThomannThe most grand piano, and an instrument to grow with: the Yamaha GC1 is based on the well-known C1 grand, and the sound is richer and more expressive than on the smaller models.
Yamaha GC1 SH3 flygel
- 161 cm grand
- Yamaha SH3 Silent: 25 voices incl. CFX and Bösendorfer Imperial grands
- Bluetooth, USB audio recorder
214.400 kr checked 30.9.2026
See price at ThomannSee all models on the silent piano page.
Before you buy: three things
- Space. A small grand is just over one and a half metres long. With the bench and room for you, allow about 2.5 metres from the wall – and the lid needs to be able to open.
- Weight. 260–300 kg. Talk to the retailer about delivery, and check that stairs and doors are wide enough.
- The neighbours – during the day. In the evening the silent system helps, but an open grand is loud. A rug, curtains and a half-closed lid take the edge off the sound. And a silent grand still needs tuning once or twice a year.
Five minutes of sight-reading at night
Since you will be sitting at the grand in the evening with headphones on anyway, try reading at first sight. The Art of Sight-Reading at the Piano explains that sight-reading is not a talent but a habit: good sight-readers do not see faster – they look a little further ahead. Take an easy piece you have never played, and play it slowly without stopping, even when you hit a wrong note.
The Art of Sight-Reading on Kindle
Try this tomorrow
Play the same short melody twice – first with the lid open, then on headphones. Notice what you hear in the room that you do not hear in the headphones. That is what you take back to the grand.
Questions
What is the difference between Yamaha SC3 and SH3?
SC3 is the simple system with 12 sounds and Bluetooth. SH3 has 25 sounds, including the CFX and Bösendorfer Imperial grands, and a USB recorder.
Kawai GL-10 ATX4 or Yamaha GB1 SC3?
The GB1 is the most affordable and has a clear, bright tone. The GL-10 costs a little more, has a warmer tone and the more complete AnyTimeX4 system with 90 sounds and hammer sensors.
Does a silent grand need tuning?
Yes. It is an acoustic grand with strings and needs tuning once or twice a year. The digital sound in the headphones is always in tune.
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