How To Choose Your First Piano

UPRIGHT ACOUSTIC PIANOS

A standard, traditional piano. Most have 88 keys, although I have come across some with less.

Pros:

• Best quality
• Long-term reliable option
• Less shock when you need to play the piano in an exam or concert
• Authentic sound

Cons:

• Upkeep and ongoing costs – will need to be tuned every 6 months to 1 year, depending on the climate and humidity where you live. Humidity for an acoustic piano should be regulated to between 50-60% in the room where it is positioned.
• Tuning should cost $100-250 (more for extra repairs)
• Difficult to move – if you are in rented accommodation or maybe moving soon, you need to think about moving costs, usually about $150+

Price:

You can pick up a second-hand piano from about $150 upwards in auctions and on listing sites such as PianoBuyer or PainoMart. New pianos usually start at about $995+ but a well-maintained second-hand piano should be sufficient for most beginners. 

*ALERT*WARNING*ALERT:  Please, have your piano tuner preview the piano before purchasing and accruing moving costs.  I've run into *free* acoustic upright pianos that have been nested, eaten, and ruined by mice over a long period of time because of poor storage care of the instrument. It would take more money to rebuild an acoustic piano in this condition than to purchase a new one.

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UNWEIGHTED KEYBOARDS

By unweighted we mean that the keys are light and easily depressed. You can normally tell if a keyboard is unweighted as it will have space under the keys rather than being solid.

I do not recommend an unweighted keyboard as a practice instrument.

“Touch-sensitive” is a term used in descriptions of keyboards and it just means that if you press a key softly (or tenderly), the note sounds quieter, and if you press the key hard (or with strength) the note will sound loud. This is a step up from a toy keyboard but it will not allow students to develop the technique they need to be successful in their lessons.

It’s cheap, but it’s ultimately a false economy. You will not be making the most of your investment in piano lessons if your child has an unweighted keyboard

Pros:

• Cheap
• Lightweight

Cons:

• Will hold back student’s technique development
• Even beginning students will not be satisfied with practicing on an unweighted, touch-sensitive keyboard

Price:

Second hand about $100+, new about $250+.

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WEIGHTED KEYBOARDS AND DIGITAL PIANOS

The next step up for those who want the quality of a piano (almost!) but the flexibility and movability of a keyboard. Weighted keys are designed to feel like a piano, and require as much pressure to press the key down, simulating the hammer action in a traditional, acoustic piano.

Be careful to research the fine print revealing the polyphony of digital pianos. You do not want anything less than a polyphony of 128.  Polyphony has to do with the tone quality when pressing down more than one key simultaneously. For instance, when a student begins playing chords, up to 5-6 tones simultaneously, the higher the polyphony level the better it will "sound" to the student and bring joy to their rehearsing or practice sessions.

Pros:

• Adaptable
• Reasonably realistic piano sound
• Lightweight
• No tuning needed

Cons:

• Still not the full texture and rich sound of a piano
• Can be more expensive than second-hand piano

Price:

Second hand about $100-300. New fully-weighted upwards of $500+. 

Recommended Models

If you’re going to invest in a new digital piano I strongly recommend you get one with 88 weighted keys, a polyphony range of 128 to 256 (tone quality), plus a “furniture stand” and 1-3 pedal unit. This just means that it’s shaped sort of like an upright acoustic piano with pedals underneath and a solid base. (Although it’s still much narrower than an acoustic piano if space is a concern.)

• The Yamaha P-series are very reliable option and you can get a bundle deal like this which includes the stand and pedals. 
• Kawai ES120 is my current favorite. Make sure to get the option with the furniture stand, like this one.
• The Casio PX series is also very popular with piano teachers and students. Again, make sure you get a full stand set with pedals like this one.

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HYBRID PIANOS

Just like a hybrid car, a hybrid piano is designed to be the best of both worlds. They have real hammers inside and wooden keys just like an acoustic piano but they’re electric.

Pros:

• Can be used with headphones for silent practice
• Will connect to computers and iPads via MIDI cable
• Won’t need tuning
• Can imitate different types of pianos by switching modes

Cons:

• Expensive $4k-25k

Price:

Hybrid pianos are expensive, putting them out of the range of most beginner budgets. See a variety of Yamaha and Casio options HERE. And if you prefer Kawai options, you can preview them HERE. Hybrids are a great upgrade option to keep in mind if you start with a more basic keyboard and are well worth the investment if you want to get the best long-term solution straight away.

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THE OFTEN OVERLOOKED PIANO BENCH

When you’re buying your child’s first piano or keyboard, don’t forget about the bench! This is as critical to a beginner pianist as proper shoes are for an athlete.

Many people think they can simply use a dining room chair. While that might be sort of OK for an adult, it’s far from ideal for a child. You must have an adjustable bench that is designed for playing piano. This HOOBRO  is perfectly adequate and very affordable.

If you’re buying a piano or keyboard from a store ask them if they will throw in an adjustable bench.

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THE RIGHT PIANO OR KEYBOARD FOR YOU

I hope this makes some of the terminology in the different types of keyboards clear and helps you to make a decision on your first instrument.

Ultimately, you’ll need to balance budget with long-term value and other factors such as the space you have available. Make sure to talk to me about the options you are considering BEFORE you purchase!   Just email or text me the link, picture, serial, and/or model number and I'll get back to you on my findings ASAP!