Piano vs Full Size Digital Keyboard

[DoItAfraid]

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?

retrofit system

Upright piano perhaps?

How much do you want to spend? I have both an old fashioned upright piano and a weighted keyboard (same number of keys on both). I much prefer the real piano but it does need tuning twice a year.

My weighted keyboard is a little smaller but is on its own stand - no way could I move it by myself (it’s surprisingly heavy).

The best piano is one that is in tune, can stay in tune and is acoustic, buy a good 2nd hand one and keep it nice and you'll get most of your money back if not all.

Right, now that's out the way, next best ranked from top to bottom:

a high quality full sized digital that has weighted keys and fixed pedals, so if you look underneath the pedals are there whether you like it or not.
2.
Not as great (less expensive) quality digital, fixed pedals.

1. Weighted keys digital without a fixed pedal but a plug in one
2. Weighted keys without any pedal
3. don't buy a keyboard without weighted keys and expect piano playing, but it is possible to use one for the very first few lessons however I wouldn't recommend if you say they love it.

I’m with the majority here. A “proper” piano is a pain to move, maintain, get rid of when you are finished with it. A digital keyboard with one pedal won’t give you the feel of proper keys, and won’t allow you to learn the pedal use properly. I’d recommend a good digital piano with weighted keys.

I learned on an electric organ, and it feels very different to a piano. We now have a digital piano.

I'm an adult learner.. started with a keyboard, quickly realised it wouldn't take me very far, and went for a Roland Digital Piano, because I wanted a reasonably decent sound and real feel, but without the upkeep and inability to move it. I love it, it sounds decent , won't go out of tune and I can practice with headphones in...essential for family sanity when I'm working on a piece!! It's still quite large but not hefty so can be moved is needed.

I started with a Clavinova and after a few years decided to trade it in at the music shop for an upright piano with silent system. I love it but I definitely wouldn't play it so much if I didn't have the silent system. We have a small flat and we don't really have the space but my piano is more important than having chairs for everyone!

A real piano doesn’t have a volume control or headphone socket. And you have to pay to have it tuned every so often.

Don’t buy any keyboard unless it has weighted keys.

A digital piano though generally feels a bit physically smaller than an upright traditional piano and has the benefits of volume control etc.

Or a stage piano adds in the portable bit.