Shadowing Practice: Why Steinway Grand Pianos Are So Expensive | So Expensive - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creando lección...
1
It takes about 11 months to craft just one Steinway & Sons grand piano.
2
And these instruments don't come cheap.
3
A Model D concert piano in ebony, the most affordable finish of any Steinway piano, will cost you about $187,000.
4
But that's nowhere near how high prices can reach.
5
Steinway has produced two of the most expensive pianos in the world, worth over $2 million each.
6
The next most expensive piano is half the price, at $1.2 million.
7
But with several other premium pianos on the market, is there something about Steinway's sound that stands out?
8
And is that what makes these pianos so expensive?
9
Named the Rolls Royce of pianos by the BBC, Steinway has produced some of the most sought-after grand pianos for over 160 years.
10
It's the piano of choice for Billy Joel, Lang Lang, and many other professional musicians.
11
But compared to other high-end piano makers, it's often Steinway's sound that sets it apart.
12
As a performer, I can wear many different masks depending on the piece that I'm playing.
13
There's some pieces you want to be very, very diabolical, you know, enlist.
14
And at the same time, lightness.
15
Creating that sound starts here in New York, at one of only two Steinway factories in the world.
16
Each grand piano is 5 to 9 feet long, and weighs between 540 and 990 pounds.
17
Often, the bigger the piano, the pricier it will be.
18
About 85% of a Steinway piano is made of wood, and one of the most crucial woods is used for the soundboard.
19
The soundboard is the life of the instrument, the soul of the instrument.
20
This is Alaskan Sitka spruce.
21
This is the most expensive wood that we have in the piano.
22
And we actually get it from the trees primarily that are on the shady side, the north-facing side of these islands.
23
So they grow very little each year, and that means that we have growth rings that are very close together, not spaced apart.
24
Sitka spruce is used in other stringed instruments like guitars.
25
and it grows in a few areas in the northwest US.
26
But more than 50% of the Alaskan sickest spruce they source won't meet Steinway's standards.
27
The wood must have a very specific grain density and direction, both which can impact the quality of sound.
28
Steinway looks for closely packed, straight grains, no more than plus or minus 15 degrees off a 90-degree vertical grain.
29
There's a reason it's so strict about this.
30
That's partly why, when you press a key on a Steinway piano, you hear a distinctly long, sustained tone.
31
The soundboard's edge must attach perfectly to the piano's rim, the curved wooden frame of the instrument.
32
The full rim is made up of an inner and outer rim.
33
Some piano makers attach each of these pieces separately, but at Steinway, a team of artisans bends both together.
34
Steinway says this method gives the piano a stronger foundation, lowering the chances it will break.
35
Steinway uses hard rock maple for both the inner and outer rims.
36
The key here is to use wood that will, again, allow sound to flow freely.
37
Some companies, as an example, will have hard rock maple for the outside rim, but the inside rim, to save money, they'll use something like Luan.
38
Luan is not as dense and hard as hard rock maple.
39
And when you have your sound waves in that soundboard, some of them are being absorbed a little bit by that luon, more than they would be by hard rock maple.
40
The consistent touch of the keys is another valuable element unique to each sideway piano.
41
There are just two artisans in the entire factory, trusted with weighing off all 88 keys of every keyboard.
42
This ensures each key is balanced, so a pianist won't have to use more force to press one key over another.
43
I used to dream about the pianos chasing me.
44
Now it's not a problem.
45
It's up to me.
46
They the boss.
47
I listen, you know, I pay attention to what it wants.
48
The key to it is pay attention and watch that hammer.
49
That's the key to it.
50
Each key is connected to a felt hammer.
51
When pressed, the hammer strikes the strings to create sound.
52
A key shouldn't respond to the finger's touch too quickly or too slowly.
53
So when I go to check the return, it stays.
54
You see the hesitation?
55
It's no good.
56
That means it'll stay up in the piano.
57
You see how fast that one is?
58
That's too fast.
59
So I take this one away.
60
Then I put this one back, and it wants the small one.
61
You see?
62
So I put the small one.
63
You see how nice it is?
64
And that tells me what it wants.
65
So that shows you the difference.
66
Everyone is different.
67
One of the most difficult jobs is the final tone inspection.
68
The goal is to create a balanced tone throughout the piano by slightly adjusting the hammers as needed.
69
From note to note, we can soften or harden these mallets, or hammers as we call them,
70
and balance the sound that they generate into the string.
71
The quality of the piano's tone is incredibly nuanced, something only an experienced ear can decipher.
72
If I take this note and then soften it, In this case, I will put a needle in the hammer to soften it.
73
Then you'll hear that tone change.
74
It's a little bit smaller.
75
And in increments, small steps, I can go through and find the notes that are too big, too bright, and step them down.
76
Well, I'm 58, and I started when I was 28, so that's 30 years and counting.
77
I'm still learning how to do this.
78
It never stops.
79
Unlike the ways you can customize a Rolls Royce car, you can do similarly with a Steinway piano.
80
Depending on special editions, veneers, and wood finishes, prices for a single piece can reach $500,000,
81
like these pianos designed for Steinway by Lenny Kravitz.
82
In the piano vault underneath the factory, Steinway houses one of the most expensive pianos it's ever produced, worth $2.5 million.
83
On average, the price of a new Steinway piano increases about 4% every year.
84
This is partly because the cost of Alaskan Sitka spruce increases at a higher rate than inflation, according to Steinway.
85
And while the new pieces get more expensive, old ones become more valuable too.
86
A Steinway piano can last several decades with the required touch-ups and restorations.
87
A 1965 Steinway Model D piano is worth over $98,000 today.
88
That's more than 13 times what it likely sold for.
89
And although there are several elements that greatly impact the price, it's the musician who ultimately decides what the piano is worth to them.
90
Thank you.
📺 Mismo canal
B2The Rise And Fall Of The Mall
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B21
Why This Watch Costs Over $450,000
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B21
Why Rolls-Royce Cars Are More Expensive Than Ever (with Supercar Blondie) | Well Spent
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B27
Sneaky Ways Fast Food Restaurants Get You To Spend Money
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B22
Why Japan Can't Keep Up With America's Matcha Obsession | So Expensive | Business Insider
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B25
Why FIFA Spends Millions On World Cup Grass
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B26
Why Jasmine Oil Is So Expensive | So Expensive | Business Insider
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B23
The Rise And Fall Of Forever 21 | Rise And Fall | Business Insider
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B24
The Real Reason Disney Is So Expensive
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B22
Tony Robbins One-On-One Coaching Session
Business EnglishWorking Adults
B22
Can Bamboo Replace Paper And Plastic? And Should It? | World Wide Waste | Business Insider
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
C19
Why Single-Origin Coffee Is So Expensive | So Expensive | Business Insider
Business EnglishWorking Adults
B21
How Toxic Green Mussels Feed Millions In Indonesia's Biggest City
Business EnglishWorking Adults
B26
Why Stockfish Is So Expensive | So Expensive Food | Business Insider
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B21
How Ultra-Processed Foods Took Over America And Can Even Pass For Healthy | Business Insider
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B23
This is how much it would cost to follow Argentina through to the finals at the #2026WorldCup. #FIFA
Travel EnglishWorking Adults
B22
The Hidden Process Behind Every FIFA-Certified Football | Big Business
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B14
How To Make Small Talk
Business EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B27
Why Mangosteen, The Viral TikTok Fruit, Is So Expensive | So Expensive | Business Insider
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B22
Why Owning Nothing Is So Expensive
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
✨ Recomendar Video
B2178 oraciones
Buying Your First Acoustic Guitar (5 Things You MUST Consider) | A Beginner's Guide
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
C11
59 oraciones
#V7101 | Wood, a valuable resource in New Zealand's economy
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B21
163 oraciones
Inside Fallingwater: Frank Lloyd Wright's Architectural Genius in Pennsylvania | House Tour
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B21
146 oraciones
【English Podcast】Is a College Degree Still Worth It? — 4 Things to Consider
Business EnglishInterview EnglishUniversity Students
B21
142 oraciones
The Most Expensive Laptop Money Can Buy: Mac or Windows?
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B2131 oraciones
what chess does to your brain
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B268 oraciones
Lesson Eight: Placement of the Orchestra, Leonard Slatkin's Conducting School
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B22
7 oraciones
Billy Sheehan talks Harte amps
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B21
273 oraciones
I Built The World's Most Scientific Gym
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B21
454 oraciones
Most Expensive Mistakes In History
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
Vocabulario y notas de pronunciación para esta lección
Esta lección de conversación de nivel B2 se basa en el vídeo “Why Steinway Grand Pianos Are So Expensive”. Las palabras que más se repiten: piano, Steinway, key, sound, rim. Este vídeo tiene 90 frases y 1119 palabras para practicar shadowing. La parte hablada dura 8:40. El hablante mantiene un ritmo constante de unas 129 palabras por minuto, cómodo para el shadowing. Solo el 77 % de las palabras está entre las 3.000 más comunes del inglés, por lo que el vocabulario es exigente.
Vocabulario clave de este vídeo
Las 15 palabras más avanzadas del vídeo, con su pronunciación y significado:
| Palabra | Pronunciación | Significado |
|---|---|---|
| hammer sustantivo | /ˈhæmɚ/ | martillo |
| spruce sustantivo | /spɹuːs/ | pícea |
| maple sustantivo | /ˈmeɪpl̩/ | maple, arce |
| soften verbo | /ˈsɑfən/ | ablandar, suavizar |
| grain sustantivo | /ɡɹeɪn/ | grano |
| artisan sustantivo | /ˈɑɹtɪzən/ | artesano |
| attach verbo | /əˈtæt͡ʃ/ | adjuntar, atachar |
| weigh verbo | /weɪ/ | pesar |
| musician sustantivo | /mjuˈzɪʃən/ | músico, música |
| depend verbo | /dɪˈpɛnd/ | depender/pender (de), ser dependiente (de) |
| customize verbo | /ˈkʌs.tə.maɪ̯z/ | entallar, customizar |
| decipher verbo | /dɪˈsaɪfə(ɹ)/ | descifrar, decodificar |
| diabolical adjetivo | [ˌdaɪəˈbɑlɪkəɫ] | diabólico |
| enlist verbo | /ɛnˈlɪst/ | alistar, enlistar |
| lightness sustantivo | /ˈlaɪtnəs/ | liviandad |
Phrasal verbs que vas a escuchar
| Palabra | Significado |
|---|---|
| go through verbo | atravesar |
Frases que vale la pena repetir
Frases cortas y completas del vídeo que puedes reutilizar en la conversación diaria:
- You see the hesitation?
- You see how fast that one is?
- You see how nice it is?
- Then you'll hear that tone change.
- I'm still learning how to do this.
Gramática en este vídeo
Las estructuras que más usa el hablante, con las palabras exactas del vídeo:
| Estructura | En el vídeo |
|---|---|
| Voz pasiva be + participio pasado — importa lo que ocurre, no quién lo hace | is made · being absorbed · is balanced |
| Present perfect have/has + participio pasado — una acción pasada que sigue importando ahora | has produced |
Pronunciación a tener en cuenta
El hablante usa 10 contracciones y formas reducidas, como I'm, won't, don't. Dilas en su forma corta, tal como las oyes.
- Los sonidos de “th”: underneath /ˌʌndɚˈniθ/, northwest /nɔɹθˈwɛst/
- Los sonidos de “sh” y “zh”: musician /mjuˈzɪʃən/, hesitation /ˌhɛzɪˈteɪʃən/, shady /ˈʃeɪdi/, restoration /ɹɛstəˈɹeɪʃən/, inspection /ɪnˈspɛkʃən/
- Palabras largas — cuida el acento: diabolical [ˌdaɪəˈbɑlɪkəɫ], hesitation /ˌhɛzɪˈteɪʃən/, restoration /ɹɛstəˈɹeɪʃən/
Sonidos difíciles para hispanohablantes:
- /v/ — no es /b/: los dientes tocan el labio inferior: veneer /vəˈnɪɹ/, vault /vɑlt/, curve /kɚv/, vertical /ˈvɝ.tɪ.kəl/
- /z/ — sonora, no /s/: artisan /ˈɑɹtɪzən/, musician /mjuˈzɪʃən/, customize /ˈkʌs.tə.maɪ̯z/, hesitation /ˌhɛzɪˈteɪʃən/
- /h/ — una aspiración suave, no la “j”: hammer /ˈhæmɚ/, harden /ˈhɑɹdn̩/, hesitation /ˌhɛzɪˈteɪʃən/
Cómo practicar con este vídeo
- Escucha el vídeo entero una vez sin hablar y anota las palabras que no conoces.
- Haz shadowing frase por frase a velocidad normal, repitiendo cada una hasta que tu ritmo coincida con el del hablante.
- Grábate y compara con el original, prestando atención a palabras como hammer, spruce, maple.
¿Qué es la Técnica de Shadowing?
Shadowing es una técnica de aprendizaje de idiomas respaldada por la ciencia, desarrollada originalmente para la formación de intérpretes profesionales y popularizada por el políglota Dr. Alexander Arguelles. El método es simple pero poderoso: escuchas audio en inglés nativo y lo repites en voz alta de inmediato, como una sombra que sigue al hablante con solo 1-2 segundos de retraso. A diferencia de la escucha pasiva o los ejercicios de gramática, el shadowing obliga a tu cerebro y músculos de la boca a procesar y reproducir simultáneamente patrones de habla reales. Las investigaciones muestran que mejora significativamente la precisión de la pronunciación, la entonación, el ritmo, el habla conectada, la comprensión auditiva y la fluidez al hablar, convirtiéndola en una de las metodologías más efectivas para la preparación del IELTS Speaking y la comunicación en inglés en el mundo real.