Buying our first piano but don't know where to start

If you are buying a second hand one take a piano tuner with you, I speak from experience. When the blind tuner arrived he knew right away it was no use. It was very old but sounded okay to our ears, not honkytonk. He suggested that we take him to a piano shop. He listened to every one there and told us which brand new piano in the shop sounded the best. Then he told us to write down the number inside the piano and ask for that one to be delivered as they differ even when new.

You can retrofit an acoustic piano with a digital component. It detaches the keyboard from the hammer mechanism so you can use headphones or an amplifier, use special voices, record and hook up to a computer.

We did this when we bought DC1 a second hand piano for University digs. The whole thing (KAWAI piano, retrofit, delivery and 2 tunings) cost €1300. But the seller was a highly qualified impoverished expert on piano conservation.

Don’t know much about digital pianos but for acoustic ones (as a general rule)

• English pianos have a mellower tone
• Japanese pianos have a brighter, crisper tone
• German and Korean ones are in between
• Make sure you can put it in a warm, dry, non-draughty spot or you may need to buy an internal piano heater
• As others have said, a good, well-maintained second-hand piano usually costs most of the price of a new one

We have a yahama digital which serves our purposes well. It does not take up too much space, is always in tune and can be used with headphones. However, none of the kids are first study piano. 2 of the 3 have had lessons, and for ds who was the youngest to have piano lessons the ability to change the sound made practice much more fun (and i'm a big fan of that 😁).

P.s. but if you can find a hybrid nu1x for 4.5k go for it as that also has proper key action (cheaper yamaha hybrids don't in my view) else kawai hybrid

We have been through a similar process a few years ago. You will probably start with an electric £500 instrument like we did, but they will outgrow it within a year or two, as key action matters already for grade 1 and will need pedals for grade 3.

We were very budget conscious but soon realised that you'll need to invest around 3k if you want good sound and key action for grade 2 and above. Then you'll have to consider the acoustic trade-off as they are loud instruments. We also found that most used pianos at a lower price point are almost always problematic.

We settled on a new Kawai CA-79 which has real key action (closest to a grand Steinway under 10k) and great sound, headphones, etc. Hybrid Yamahas are excellent too, but key action is very different (NOT grand piano like at all, as Yammy keys have resistance near the top). The Yamaha sound was also bit too bright for us.

Huge apologies @MrsAvocet!!!!!!!!

I got myself a Yamaha clp 725 at Christmas and I'm happy with it. No, it's not the same as a real piano but is perfect for learners/those short of space etc

By the way dd started at 4 ... you do need an adjustable piano seat though

Tuning is about £50, never had to do it more than once every 2-3 years

We got a free piano off Freecycle, dd went through to grade 8 on it! You do need to rent a tail lift truck and co-opt some strong friends to move it and get it tuned once in situ. Look for overstrung, they are better I was told. My "free" piano is apparently a very good one according to my tuner who comes whenever I move it (otherwise it stays in tune)

I'm an adult returner having passed my grade 8 at 18. Recently bought a yamaha hybrid (nu1x) which is a digital sound but with real weighted keys and actual hammers. It's wonderful and by far the nicest piano I've ever played, except for the ones in the rooms I took my graded exams in. There's absolutely a place for digitals and as a beginner or instrument they can be perfect. If you or your child end up at an advanced level you may need to increase the budget for either a high end digital/hybrid or a mid range acoustic. Worth noting that the amount I spent on my hybrid (4.5k) would have probably bought a much nicer second hand acoustic, but I live in a flat and want to be able to play after my young children have gone to bed, and without disturbing the neighbours. So if you're thinking purely in terms of value for money, a second hand acoustic probably offers better, in the longer term.

I'd love an acoustic and one day I hope to live somewhere where it's more practical. But for just starting out, buy an instrument that works for your own circumstances and don't let anyone shame you if that's a digital!

Fwiw I started lessons at 7. My current teacher also doesn't teach kids until they're 7, although some teachers will take kids younger than that.

Its feel is indistinguishable from any low-mid range grand piano your children are likely to take exams on.

That's the bit I am on about.

Err, I never said that @HappySM1 I said I thought electric pianos have their place and that there are some pretty good ones available now, but I definitely didn't say, or even imply, that there was no difference.

There is no way that an electric piano is "indistinguishable" from a real piano @MrsAvocet!

Electric pianos have their uses and benefits, no doubt. They are related in some ways to pianos, but they are fundamental different instruments.

One is a recorded sound of a piano, one is a piano.

Listening to a recording, however good the speakers, is not like listening to live music.

Even beginners feel this. For the more advanced, There are many effects you cannot create on an electric piano. And the feel of the keys, even the best ones, is plastic-y in comparison (which I really hate, but appreciate others are less sensitive).

You might decide you don't mind the inferior sound of an electric piano because other benefits outweigh. But in pure musical terms, an electric piano does not come close to a real piano.

I disagree about electric vs real pianos. I have a Yamaha CLP775. It will easily take a student to grade 8 and beyond. Its feel is indistinguishable from any low-mid range grand piano your children are likely to take exams on. It is more versatile for students who may pursue music but not necessarily piano lessons. Headphones make it great for family living/neighbours. It is much better value for money - an equivalent standard real piano would cost oodles more.

I get the emotional attachment to a real piano - I have it too! - but Clavinovas are really a very sensible choice, especially if you yourself don't play or have knowledge of piano care.

I agree that age 7 is usually a good age to start formal lessons. My children had the dexterity & concentration at that age. When they were younger they still enjoyed the piano though & played around on it

Get an electric. We have a real piano and it's absolutely lovely, but I definitely think there is a place for electric pianos, and in your situation I think it would be better. They are smaller, don't require maintenance, can be played with headphones when appropriate and would almost certainly be easier to sell on if you/your children don't take to it. We have a fairly basic Kawai electric as well as our main piano. We just bought it as a stand in when our real piano was away being restrung and did intend to sell it afterwards but DS wanted to keep it, so he can play in his room with headphones on if he wants, plus it will fit in the car so we've taken it for him to play in old people's homes etc which obviously you can't do with a real piano. It's proved a useful buy.
As a PP said, if you do buy a second hand acoustic piano it is a very good idea to get someone who really knows what they are looking at to check it over first. Even if it's free. Otherwise you may very well end up with a heap of useless junk sitting in your house. People always say "oh it's not been played for a while but it will be fine after it's tuned" and to be fair, I'm sure they often think it's true. Unfortunately, it frequently isn't.
We are good friends with our piano tuner/restorer and he says his heart sinks whenever he gets a call from someone saying they've picked up a free piano that "just needs a quick tune" because more often than not he is going to be breaking bad news when he sees it. Or us going to be landed with a grumpy customer who doesn't understand why he can't just pop in for half an hour and have their old upright, that quite possibly wasn't a high quality instrument when new and has just spent the last 20 years unplayed and sitting next to a radiator, sounding like a concert grand in one tuning.
Remember that in the past, pianos weren't luxury items and huge numbers of cheap, mass produced instruments were sold, particularly in late 19th and early 20th centuries, much in the same way as TVs are now. People buying old pianos often think they are getting valuable, antique items but really they are frequently buyjng the equivalent of a cheap TV bought from Argos in the 1980s. You can get lucky of course, but even if you do get a good quality instrument you are going to have to look after it. You might get away with a once yearly tuning if it's a decent quality piano, not too old and kept in optimal conditions, but we get ours done at least every 6 months sometimes more and it's kept in a room with the radiator off and the temperature and humidity monitored. To be honest I don't have a good enough ear to spot when it starts going out of tune, but DS does and he plays it several hours most days so if he says it needs tuning I don't argue. Oh, and piano tuners are a dying breed so depending on where you live it might not even be that easy to find someone.
I do think there are advantages to an acoustic piano if you're taking it seriously and there have been several occasions at competitions when adjudicators have commented that it is obvious to them that DS does most of his playing on a "real" piano (I don't know enough to know how they can tell though) but I sometimes feel that the piano is almost like a pet that needs pampering. I used to be a diehard acoustic fan, but I've seen some very good electrics recently and they are nothing like cheap keyboards. I think that for most people, especially children just beginning they are the way to go. I hope real pianos never disappear completely though!

My dd is grade 7 and manages fine with the clavinova. She does have her lessons on a real piano and says you do have to make adjustments but it's fine.

If you’ve got the space and a good place in your house for it, would be lovely to get a second hand real piano. But if you’re unsure about where it might end up living in the house, or if you are in a terrace with thin walls, or you’ll like the facility to be able to be able to move it around easily or record one hand while you play back the other, then a good weighted keys electric piano is totally fine. You are all potential beginners - you’re not trying to buy a piano for an experienced music student. It’s really not going to be a significant compromise. It’s a very good compromise, with a lot of advantages as well as disadvantages.

I played piano and guitar as a child, and I loved practicing guitar much more because it felt more private. I could play quietly to myself in my room and knew the whole family couldn’t hear my playing over and over again. My son is able to have his piano in his bedroom because it’s electric, and he plays it so much for relaxation, he can play it out loud, or turn the volume down and play quietly, or put headphones on. I’d have loved to be able to do that, though I loved our ancient poor quality actual piano too. Go and try some out and see what you think!

Real pianos don't come in small sizes so age 3 is quite young- fingers might not stretch that far. Some children start violin at 3/4 but not many other instruments. At that age age singing and percussion instruments are usually recommend in a general fun session. Unless you are planning to be a prodigy, they will learn plenty starting at 6/7.

Age 3/4 isn’t usual. I think it more 7 or 8.

What is their reason for saying 6 is the perfect age?

The general rule for learning music is the younger the better. Starting at 3/4 is more usual. 6 seems quite late.

Retuning isn’t a major cost. They are pretty intricate and things like refelting or replacing hammers etc can be costly. Better to buy second hand from a reputable showroom which will come with a warranty. Or rent to begin with.

I can understand why people like the idea of an electric piano as it’s easier for home life. But it is a significant compromise on the real thing.

As a mature student you could try some online teaching, although I have my doubts it will be of much use, but I definitely wouldn’t encourage self exploration for your kids as they will learn poor habits.

You don’t say where you are but there are quite a few specialist showrooms. In London I can recommend Steinway in W1 who do new and used pianos and Morley & Co in Lewisham.