5-Minute Piano Lessons

Which Piano Should You Buy?

I love digital pianos in spite of the fact that many traditionalists reject them. Digital pianos have been around since the late 1980′s, constantly getting better and better. However, even now, in 2010, you will find a ton of websites that explain how digital pianos have some good features but just don’t measure up to a “real piano,” meaning an acoustic piano, one with strings. I guess I’m not a traditionalist because I disagree intensely. Digital pianos are BETTER than most acoustic pianos for most average pianists and I’m here to tell you why. This is the first of a two part essay that could save you a ton of money while increasing your enjoyment of piano playing and piano practice dramatically.

There are two main reasons the traditionalists favor acoustic pianos over digital pianos.

Tone

My Yamaha digital has a better tone than the majority of “real” pianos (acoustic pianos) found in piano stores and homes. This is the opinion of a VERY experienced pianist. When I taught from piano stores, I made it a point to play huge numbers of different instruments. Additionally, I’ve performed on living room pianos for decades. I’d estimate I’ve played several thousand acoustic pianos over the course of 40 years. To my ear, only the very large and very expensive grand pianos have a better piano tone than a modern digital piano.

While we are on the subject, just what does “better” mean anyway? I’ve been continuously surprised at the amazing variety of opinions on this subject, even amongst the traditionalists. One player loves the Steinway. Another can’t stand it but adores their Yamaha.  As for the tone of digitals, the same variety of opinions thrive. I vividly recall one gig in which I played a low end digital through a low end amp and didn’t like the sound at all. Imagine my surprise when several folks in the audience commented, “that thing sounds just like a real piano.” They loved the tone, and I was wise enough to simply say, “Thank you.”

This tone fixation may be just part of the world view of the piano traditionalist. It IS certain that every person has an idea about the tone they prefer and digital pianos handle this in a very simple manner – you just choose a different piano sound from the many, many offered on any good digital.

Touch

Go into any piano store and play 20 acoustic pianos: grands, verticals, spinets. You will find 20 different “touches” from VERY stiff to those whose keys that seem to go down if you merely breathe on them. Touch varies tremendously and the more important factor is to have a touch you personally like and which assists your learning. You will quickly acclimate  to this touch and can thus milk the maximum music from your instrument. There is no “standard touch,” no “good touch,” no “better touch,” just DIFFERENCES in touch that some pianists prefer and some don’t.

That idea carries on with digital pianos. Each has a different touch. For me, I love the feel of a Yamaha digital and have never liked the feel of Roland digitals. However, I know tons of excellent professional musicians who prefer their touch the other way around.

To wrap up this essay, I’d like to speculate on the source of the traditionalists’ objections:

Fear of technology Gosh – what do all those buttons do?

Fear of becoming obsolete I just bet similar statements were made by harpsichordists regarding that new fangled high tech instrument called…the piano.

An essential lack of creativity So many of these people do not compose, improvise, orchestrate, or arrange that the potential of the digital piano to make these things possible for everyone just leaves them cold.

An huge ego investment in their status as “elite artists” in the arcane art of classical music They see the chance for the ordinary person to make their own music on their own terms as very threatening to their status.

Whatever the reasons, the fact remains that the digital piano offers the non-professional the optimum music making experience. I expect that the future will see two major types of keyboard instruments being sold – digital pianos and high quality grand pianos. For more advanced coverage of  this topic and many others see the ebook “Dan Starr’s Big Book of Adult Piano” available here.

Tags: Acoustic Piano, Acoustic Pianos, Digital Pianos, Piano, Pianos, real piano