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Original poster

Piano vs Full Size Digital Keyboard

33 replies

DoItAfraid · 30/07/2022 10:37

Posting here for traffic.

My DC attended some “taster” piano lessons at school and loved it.

I am in a bit of a standoff with my husband at the moment.

He wants to buy a refurbished piano from a friend of a friend. 🤔.

I want to buy an 88 key digital keyboard with stand and seat and and 1 pedal. My reasoning is that we just dont have the space for a full size, hard to move piano. The keyboard is portable and also has other features that appeal to the younger generation eg mixing, recording, making beats etc. He is saying an old fashioned piano is best for classical training.

I am worried about losing a whole room to this massive, hard to move piano. I also think things have moved on and that surely a more modern iteration is best.

Any thoughts / suggestions?

OP posts:
Undercoverdetective · 30/07/2022 10:47

If you buy a reasonable quality keyboard with velocity sensitive weighted keys it can feel like playing a real piano. It would be best to go to a showroom and try them out so you can see how they feel. As you say they can have the advantage of being easy to move, don't need tuning and have lots of gadgets and gizmos.
But there is still something about playing the real things- I suppose it's like having a real book in your hands as opposed to a kindle. Maybe that's where your husband is coming from.

Anytimeiseeit · 30/07/2022 10:55

Do you mean an electric piano op or a keyboard? They’re quite different.
we have an electric piano which is great, weighted keys and feels and sounds just like playing a proper piano.
I wouldn’t get a keyboard for a piano player

ladygindiva · 30/07/2022 10:59

I'm a piano teacher and would urge you to buy a proper upright or top of the range digital piano.

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nightshade · 30/07/2022 11:03

We bought a mid range electric piano for exactly the same reasons....it is upstairs in the little office...daughter can plug her earphones in when using it...ideal!

ISeeTheLight · 30/07/2022 11:07

A keyboard doesn't have weighted keys and is not suitable.
A good digital with weighted keys would be fine. Eg Kawai, Yamaha etc.
An upright acoustic is not necessarily great if it's in poor condition and action (hammers etc) sticks or needs fixing. Obviously a good quality acoustic upright (or grand) is preferable but not everyone has the space for that.

BoxOfCats · 30/07/2022 11:26

I'm with your husband on this one.

ladygindiva · 30/07/2022 11:48

Back again with another thought, in my experience, keyboards / electric pianos that are easily put away, are often kept put away because it's actually a faff getting them out to practise and therefore another hurdle to regular practice. Easier to open the lid and pop on the upright for a 15 minute practise and tends to happen more often.

ladygindiva · 30/07/2022 11:49

Also you don't lose a room. You lose about 140cm across, the size of a large bookcase. You can put shelves above it and even folded dried washing on the top 🤣

larkstar · 31/07/2022 01:49

About 10 years ago we looked for an electric piano for my daughter and narrowed it down to pianos by Roland and Nord - we would have bought the Nord of the dealer hadn't been so unresponsive and unhelpful - we bought a Roland 207e - the feel of the keys and sounds from the built in speaker system are very good - you really need to go and try them out. The big pluses of an electric piano are that you can practice through headphones (an acoustic piano would not be fair on my neighbours) and it does not need tuning. There are many piano (and other instrument) sounds and other features but these really are secondary to having an instrument that you can easily use to practice on. I would perhaps think about buying a good quality upright (for several times the price of a good quality electric) after a few years of practice with the electric having progressed through a few grades. No doubt there is a more up to date model that had evolved from the 207e.

Lightning020 · 31/07/2022 05:09

I have a piano diploma but not a teacher. It is sacrilege to prefer a digital piano over a proper piano but it can work in eg flats or where noise may be an issue.

As has been mentioned above a top of the range digital piano may work well. You need a really good make though so you can learn good touch sensitivity and expression.

I would personally always go for a good upright piano though.

DrMadelineMaxwell · 31/07/2022 07:19

We had an upright and got rid of it for a good quality electric piano because it doesn't need tubing and our piano was an inherited, not very good quality one that wouldn't hold a tune.

While I miss the richer sound of a real piano it was a godsend to be able to have the children use headphones when playing around with it. It also has a function for recording which meant I could record what she should be playing and she could play along. Or I could record the 2nd part of a duet and she could then practice playing the first part along with it.
As other posters have said it is the weighted keys that are important. Pedals is also a good feature to get used to.

PhotoDad · 31/07/2022 07:36

My DS has a digital piano with weighted keys. His teacher recommended Roland as a brand. I can see the attraction of an upright, but DS has needed to bring his keyboard with him to a couple of events/music camps which isn't really possible with a traditional piano!

DS himself has no preference between the digital and the upright he uses at school for lessons. He does very much prefer the baby grand he's used for some recitals, but that's a different matter altogether!

MumOfNowGrownupKids · 31/07/2022 07:46

We bought a digital piano with weighted keys. Didn't need tuning every year and was easy to move. Has to be a proper digital piano though not a "keyboard". The ability to play it through headphones was, as has been said, a godsend. Be bought Clavinova but it's worth trying out the different brands and doing some research.

Sadik · 31/07/2022 10:10

DP has a digital piano (a proper one with weighted keys and responsive so if you play harder it's louder IYKWIM). Never needs tuning, he can play through headphones and it takes up a lot less space than our old upright.

While I'm sure a good piano would be better, this is vastly more practical in a small semi-detached house.

Apart from anything else, it means I our neighbours don't have to listen to him playing the same tricky phrase 5 million times - which of course means he feels more able to practice without worrying.

Sadik · 31/07/2022 10:11

DP would also like a baby grand though if anyone was offering and the extra spare room to house it

ODFOx · 31/07/2022 10:22

My DC got to Grade 6 on a Yamaha electric piano before we bought an acoustic, so it certainly doesn't have to be 'top of the range' to suit a learner. You do need weighted keys though so a standard keyboard isn't the same thing.

Heavymetaldetector · 31/07/2022 10:28

Piano teacher here - definitely get the refurbished upright.

alnawire · 31/07/2022 10:31

Can you or your husband play?

I wouldn't be buying either after a child doing some lessons tbh. It's a big purchase which I would have to see some commitment before I considered buying an instrument on that scale.

WellThatsGrim · 31/07/2022 10:39

Second hand Kawai , sell it on when he either gets sick of it or gets to grade 8. If you do want to buy new get one in a proper shop where they can advise you on digital pianos rather than keyboards.

Transformatio · 31/07/2022 10:41

We've got an electric piano (88 weighted keys, three pedals) and it works well for us. I love the fact I can put the headphones on and practice when everyone else is in bed/play the same thing over and over again and not irritate anyone. I also like the volume control and the ability to easily record what I'm playing.

If I could justify the cost I would have a silent Piano - best of both worlds. I've only fairly recently picked up the Piano again and at the moment don't play it consistently enough/practice enough/have attained enough for justify this at all. It is a goal though!

MarshaBradyo · 31/07/2022 10:41

Ds is doing well at piano and his teacher has advised a real one

We did buy quite an expensive digital one so in hindsight we should have got an upright

Dewsberry · 31/07/2022 10:51

It depends how squeezed you are space wise. It's about layout as much as floor area.

Real pianos can be a pain to get rid of and need regular tuning. I would be tempted to get a digital for now and replace in a few years if they are still interested. Of course there is something lovely about a real piano - I'd love to have a dedicated sewing space too, but I just don't have the space. If I were a piano teacher or had a keen pianist child with a few grades under their belt I'm sure we would find the space, but right now it's not a high enough priority.

Anytimeiseeit · 31/07/2022 11:03

The other consideration for us, was where the piano would go. We’ve got room for a proper upright piano but only in the living room and we knew daughter wouldn’t practice on it if it was in there as other people watching tv or gaming or whatever.
the electric piano upstairs in the spare room is the perfect location so she can practice anytime. Obvs we could have had the electric piano in the living room and her practice with headphones, but it’s just a thought to consider- where would a real
piano go and would that location limit its use?

Silvercatowner · 31/07/2022 11:06

OH plays professionally and has a top range digital. It's fine.

Sgtmajormummy · 31/07/2022 11:13

You could have the best of both worlds and retrofit your second hand piano with a silent mode/digital attachment. It cost us about €200 and saved our relationship with the neighbours when 2 hours’ piano practice a day became necessary.

HOWEVER there are a lot of damaged and difficult to tune pianos on offer for a low price. Ask someone who knows about pianos to check out the one you’re being offered.