Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

Flip

Original poster

Digital pianos

20 replies

melodyangel · 31/05/2012 10:01

My Ds wants to start learning piano but we don't really have room for a real piano so we thought we would go for a digital one. We have up to £1000 (if we empty out the coppers pot and look under the sofa) to spend but no idea what to go for. Any tips or advice would be very gratefully recieved.

OP posts:

Dropdeadfred · 31/05/2012 10:04

We have one of these!! It's brilliant sounds almost like a normal piano ( to an untrained ear) and the keys are weighted so it feels like playing a real piano too
We found a local piano shop that offered us to rent it for 6 months. If we buy it then the 6 months rent gets deducted!!! Great idea!! Our dd has loved it!!

Dropdeadfred · 31/05/2012 10:05

Oh and ours is a kawai kdp80

Original poster

melodyangel · 31/05/2012 12:30

Thank you so much for the reply have added it to the long list of ones to check out - my head hurts.

OP posts:

Dropdeadfred · 31/05/2012 12:36

Oh and it was £799 but the piano shop told us it was better than some more expensive ones!!! Good luck and have fun trying them all out!

circular · 31/05/2012 13:24

We have one of these (or a preceding similar model) and it is superb. uk.yamaha.com/en/products/musical-instruments/keyboards/digitalpianos/clp_series/clp-320/

We bought it new form Chappells just over a year ago, for around £950 including stool. They appear to only stock the more expensive models now, so this may have been an end of line offer.

Although it is 'hammer action', we were told it is not the full hammer action needed for higher grades, so would not see us beyond Grade 6.

Beanbagz · 31/05/2012 17:24

We bought the Roland F110 for our DD for her birthday and have been very happy with it. We bought it from Dawsons on 0% over 10 months. I think it's been changed to the F120 now.

Chewbecca · 01/06/2012 13:25

We have a clavinova, it was recommended by both the school and a piano teaching friend. It's important to get one which is possible to do grades on I am told.
Am very pleased with it, no problems whatsoever and can turn volume turn if playing too early on a Sunday morning!!

Cheque · 01/06/2012 20:01

I was very reluctant to get a piano as I dreaded the amount of space it would take up, the noise it would make and I had no idea whether it would sit and gather dust... We didn't get a digital but got the most compact upright one we could find...it is an 'Eavestaff Mini Piano'- came from Gumtree for £250 including delivery. Tuning was £40. The piano tuner told me I should be able to sell it at anytime and get all my money back. It's not too huge and I was able to move it myself the other week when I painted the room. (Well I dragged it two feet from the wall so I could get in behind!) Tuner also said it would happily see someone through to at least Grade 7. Could something very neat and compact be an option? I don't feel so reluctant about it now as i know that it it is disposable.

gelatinous · 04/06/2012 18:43

I bought a Korg SP250 earlier this year and am very pleased with it. I paid £500 (the rrp is nearer £600, so shop around) and according to reviews it compares well against stage pianos costing rather more than this. It's really good for the price.

pianomama · 05/06/2012 12:45

You could get a decent beginner/intermediate upright piano within your budget - there are models which are quite compact and the only difference between clavinova and small upright would be in height.
And you can rent one as well in case your DS will change his mind.

Despite of what lots of people say, digital pianos are not the same instruments.
If you think your DS will study classical/jazz piano, he will need a real piano.
And if his teacher tells you different - change the teacher !
It will be ok for learning notes etc but never ok for playing music, learning articulation etc.

Dropdeadfred · 05/06/2012 12:48

Why pianomama? What are the main issues/differences that a child would notice? My dds piano teacher has both a digital and a grand piano and she teaches her on whichever one dd wants to play that day...

pianomama · 05/06/2012 13:09

I guess it would do at the beginning to learn the very basics.

But it wont last - despite of weighted keys, "touch sensitive" keyboards etc, the way you play different sounds (i.e. staccato when you need springy finger action will not produce the same result on digital , learning dynamics i.e. going from pianissimo to forte will not sound the same on the digital piano).

My DS recently played a virtuoso piece at school on one of these and it sounded absolutely terrible

If you pay around £1000 for a digital piano is an investment that wont last in my opinion.

UptoapointLordCopper · 05/06/2012 19:12

I have only played two digital pianos. One shakes when you try to play at any volume, so I assume that's not a very good one. The other one is much better - seems to play fine, does not shake , but it is so easy - not sure how to describe it properly - it just has no personality, no vagaries, no range. I expect you can play up to grade 4-5 on it but even Fur Elise (which grade might this be?) was a bit beyond it, I felt. But then I have only played two digital pianos ... There probably are better ones out there....

Original poster

melodyangel · 05/06/2012 22:28

I really would love to go for a real piano and I'm sure a good one would hold it's value far better but I just don't know where we would put it. A digital one we would put upstairs in DS2's room, which may become the music room when DS1 goes to uni in Sept.

Thank you so much everyone for all the replies.

OP posts:

tribpot · 05/06/2012 22:30

Based on my ds 'enjoying' his grandma's digital piano yesterday, one of the other advantages of the digi over the real thing may be the availability of headphones

She's a piano teacher and swears by the Yamahas.

pianomama · 06/06/2012 00:46

Diabolical things they are.

Convenient - yes. but not good for playing music.

Fur Elise - ouch on one of these. Should not be allowed. Should be made illegal IMO.

UptoapointLordCopper · 06/06/2012 07:26

at outlawing Fur Elise on digital pianos.

My piano is a so-called silent piano - proper piano which can be turned into digital. You think you are playing so brilliantly on the digital, then play it for real and get the shock of your life! But it's good for recording what you play and disillusioning yourself.

jubilucket · 06/06/2012 07:32

Yamaha Clavinova. As recommended by three different piano teachers - none of whom knew each other - when I did my research. £400 on ebay. Can be lifted and moved by two reasonably sized children, let alone adults.

roisin · 17/06/2012 04:19

We got a digital a couple of years ago, as I'd condemned our ancient upright to the skip! I liked the fact that the tuning was spot on, and no tuning or maintenance costs. But ds2 then suddenly decided he would play seriously and it wa rapidly apparent that he digital just wan't up to it. You can't get anything like the dynamic range that you can on a real upright.

We picked up a drop dead gorgeous secondhand Hopkinson for £800 a couple of months ago. It was fully restored a couple of years ago and has a stunning English tone. We still have the digital, (for doing midi and other computer stuff or for me accompanying him singing if it needs transposing!) but tbh it is rarely even touched now.

ClaireBunting · 19/06/2012 18:38

We have a digital piano which, I think, cost less than £300. It has a full range of weighted keys and is a nice piece of furniture. In addition, it can be played with headphones and has a range of instruments and percussion, as well as recording and connection to the PC.

I got mine new on EBay.

Flip