Where to place an upright piano

[apeman]

Currently my upright piano (1967 p2 yamaha) is next to a wall. When I play the piano, I think it is too loud. I think it part of it because the sound echo from the wall (a wall made of bricks). I am thinking of turning the piano around so that it faces toward the center of the room, so that the sound generated at the soundboard can travel in all directions and not echo directly back to my ears.

Anybody has any idea about this? Or any reasons I should not do it. (One thing is that the back of the piano is not a beautiful thing to show.)

[bonbonbon]

keep it in front of the wall but put some cushions behind, place a carpet /rug under the piano.

[gjkoster]

Hi,

I have the same thing, my upright (yamaha U1) is against a hard wall as well and within a separate sort of space of the room with a lower ceiling. I also think this makes the sound too loud from time to time and it gives me the tendency to play 'too carefull'. I sometimes play an upright in a much larger room and I don't feel the same there because it feels as if the sound can escape more into the entire room and not only to my position. Perhaps my hearing is a bit sensitive to load sounds, I noticed before that when I think something (TV whatever) is too loud, others didn't think so yet...

[steinman]

I have my upright piano (a Steingraeber) against the wall - made of brick with no problems (other than for my neighbours), and this piano is very powerful for an upright.

Because of this, (the neighbours) I have considered putting sheets of polystyrene behind the piano - which may also help in your case as you mention the acoustics.

I dont think upright pianos look any good apart from against the wall = which is the point
of them (in order to save space).

[apeman]

I turned the back of the piano from the wall. I put a sofa bed behind it. It helped. It sounds better, but the room does not look good.
I will try putting a curtain on the wall, and put a carpet on the floor later.  Thanks.