# What kind of piano should I purchase?



## donniexsmith

I'm sure every new piano player asks the same question but there are so many options and so many different styles...what is the difference between them and what should i buy?


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## DanAllen

Pianos come in three categories. First things first I think you need a little background on the different kinds of pianos…

Grands, verticals and digitals. Grands (baby/parlor/concert) and verticals (uprights/studios/consoles) are acoustic. The sound is produced by a felt hammer striking a string or strings with 34 moving parts per key. Digital pianos are computerized with the key contact triggering a digital sample (digital recording of an acoustic piano). Acoustic pianos have soundboards that project the sound, while digitals use a speaker. Some experts feel acoustic pianos are the only way to really learn the instrument and its capabilities, while others feel digital pianos are a great alternative for beginners or a second piano where climate control is impossible. Digital pianos change on a regular basis due to technology, so it's probably a good idea not to spend too much on one. I also suggest you get a refurb piano to begin with. Frank and Camille's West has the largest selection online. check them out....they sell a lot of used/refinished pianos.


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## Romantic Geek

Unless you're loaded with cash, buying used is always a great thing. For something like a piano, I'd absolutely stay away from buying it online unless it's craigslist and you can physically try the piano before you purchase. My first piano was used and we got it from our local piano dealer. They had just refurbed it and did a good job and the price was certainly right.

As far as brands, be less concerned with that. If you truly stick with piano, in time, you will trade in your used piano for a better piano. Maybe used, maybe new (as long as you take good care of it, the piano shop you bought it from would probably be willing to buy it back and sell it to a new family starting out on piano).

But I urge you, please actually see and play the instrument before you buy it. Especially with such a large instrument that is difficult to ship.


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## Ravndal

Don't buy an electric piano, like i did. It's good to practice notes, and is very practical. But thats about it.


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## mensch

I've heard that said before, but what are the negative aspects of digital pianos that are absolute showstoppers. I mean the digital instruments I've recently sampled are quite good (even the cheaper models have graded hammer action and 128 note polyphony). Yes, they're not performance grade instruments, but they're very suitable for practice and casual playing, I believe.


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## Ravndal

I agree. It's good for casual playing. But if you want to play a piece as beautiful as possible, i would not recommend it. You can't get the same delicate touch, like you can on a acoustic piano. I believe that if you practice the dynamics on a digital piano, you're doing it wrong.

Just my opinion.


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## kv466




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## mensch

Ravndal said:


> I agree. It's good for casual playing. But if you want to play a piece as beautiful as possible, i would not recommend it. You can't get the same delicate touch, like you can on a acoustic piano. I believe that if you practice the dynamics on a digital piano, you're doing it wrong.
> 
> Just my opinion.


In that case, I agree. Touch is indeed different and the dynamics on an acoustic are more subtle. But the day when digital pianos were basically overgrown keyboards with the light touch characteristic for those instruments is long gone, thankfully.


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## BurningDesire

If you do consider a digital piano, I recommend Yamaha, personally. I have occassional access to acoustic pianos, but I don't have the space nor the money for an acoustic one, so a great digital one really worked for me. I can tell you what kind I have if you're interested. It has pretty accurately weighted keys, and the piano sound on it is very good.


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## mensch

If the topic starter doesn't bite I would like to know. I currently have a rather old Kurzweil which has a rather nice piano sound, but the keys are like that found on a keyboard. I'm planning on buying a new digital piano in the near future and was thinking of purchasing the Yamaha Arius YDP-161.


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## OnceUponAtrocity

BurningDesire said:


> If you do consider a digital piano, I recommend Yamaha, personally. I have occassional access to acoustic pianos, but I don't have the space nor the money for an acoustic one, so a great digital one really worked for me. I can tell you what kind I have if you're interested. It has pretty accurately weighted keys, and the piano sound on it is very good.


Yes! I played on my grandma's old piano (fully tuned and it great shape) and I tried the Yamaha P155 and the CP33. Both had excellent action and were not so different from the acoustic action that it seemed like a giant leap from one to the other. The high-end Yamaha's have a featured called "graded hammer effect" (not 'action') that feels as close to the real thing that's available on the digital market.

It depends really. Are you just starting out? Do you have a lot of space? Most people I know that are younger don't have the space for a real piano and that's fine. For beginner-intermediate, a digital piano works fine and sounds fantastic. The only picky people are the ones who have expertise on acoustic pianos. Well of course, the dynamics of a digital instrument will never match an acoustic one, but that doesn't mean they aren't excellent learning tools. If you want to be a virtuoso, yes, don't play a digital your entire life, but to outright dismiss them is foolish IMO.


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## Ravndal

BurningDesire said:


> If you do consider a digital piano, I recommend Yamaha, personally. I have occassional access to acoustic pianos, but I don't have the space nor the money for an acoustic one, so a great digital one really worked for me. I can tell you what kind I have if you're interested. It has pretty accurately weighted keys, and the piano sound on it is very good.


It's pretty cheap to buy a used acoustic piano. Plenty of people who gives away for free also.

Or else this happens http://www.talkclassical.com/20574-end-line-pianos.html#post336391


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