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Original poster

Piano advice

29 replies

eggandsoldiers · 31/12/2009 13:57

I would like to buy a piano for the dc's. They are interested in learning the piano. I am not musical. What is best? Happy to buy secondhand. We could squeeze in an upright but do not want to buy an electronic one.

OP posts:
mvemjsunp · 31/12/2009 14:01

We bought a digital piano a year ago. It is very similar, although not identical, to a real one. DDs do not have a problem switching between the digital one at home and the string ones at school. It is a very nice piece of furniture and cost less than £300.

Original poster
eggandsoldiers · 31/12/2009 14:12

Out of interest which one did you go for and what made you go for digital as opposed to string?

OP posts:
nickelbabyjesus · 31/12/2009 14:15

i have a friend who has an electric piano.
i'm sorry don't know the moel, but it's a yamaha.
it really isn't that much different to playing a normal piano (we have a proper piano at home), in terms of hitting a key harder makes it louder etc and the tone is the same. the main difference is that there is a volume knob (for learners that's incredibly useful....) and you can plug in headphones too.

Original poster
eggandsoldiers · 31/12/2009 14:16

I think I would like to go for a proper one, any advice on what to go for?

OP posts:
Nyx · 31/12/2009 14:18

I recommend a digital one too. The fact that headphones can be plugged in is wonderful. It is also, as mvemjsunp said, a lovely piece of furniture - I was very favourably impressed when DH got his. I will ask him what model/price his is when he comes home later

Nyx · 31/12/2009 14:18

Sorry, cross posted with you eggandsoldiers!

newpup · 31/12/2009 14:19

We bought a piano about 9 months ago for the DDs to learn on. It is a lovely old second hand one. I would recommend going to a reputable piano dealer.

Lots of pianos are advertised in the paper but unless you know what to look for you may end up with something totally unsuitable. We went to a well known local piano shop and explained our needs,we wanted something that looked good but not too expensive as we were buying it for our dds as beginners. They showed us a few and played them for us to listen to the type of sound we wanted. We chose one that I fell in love with mostly for its looks but it is a great sounding piano too. We paid £2000 for it which is alot but obviously you could spend thousands more on a new one.

Definately get some good advice.

Good Luck

Original poster
eggandsoldiers · 31/12/2009 14:22

Ok thanks all and anyone else with advice please post. It is good to get differing views. Nyx do let me know what you went for when your dh gets back.

OP posts:
goldieandthreebears · 31/12/2009 14:22

I would go for an acoustic piano. Although I second the other posters opinions that a digital piano is very convenient with young children learning to play (volume knob), it doesn't have the soul of a real instument.

It depends on how much you want to spend. Extremely good value are reconditioned yamahas, which look new at a fraction of the price of a new acoustic yamaha

titchy · 31/12/2009 14:24

Agree - go to a reputable piano dealer, expecting to pay £1500+ for a basic one. Do haggle though - I got ours which had a £1700 price tag for £1300! Don't forget you'll need a stool too. Or you could rent one...?

Nyx · 31/12/2009 14:27

Yes, perhaps it doesn't 'have the soul of a real instrument', but the OP is not musical and her children are starting to learn. What if they do not take to it? My DH's piano teacher (she's extremely accomplished, I believe) has a digital at her home for practice and she has played all over the world.

I understand you not wanting to buy a 'keyboard', OP, but some of the digital pianos are just gorgeous. I will let you know what DH has when he gets in.

He's getting to be not bad now, by the way! He is aching to be 'good enough' to buy one of the top of the range digital ones, which cost a fortune

Original poster
eggandsoldiers · 31/12/2009 14:28

If anyone posting on here happens to know of a good dealer in the Tunbridge Wells area please let me know.

OP posts:
mvemjsunp · 31/12/2009 14:29

We went with digital because it was all we could afford. We didn't know whether the children would take to it so weren't prepared to invest a lot.

The other advantages are the volume knob, headphone speakers, all the 'organ' features (different instruments and accompaniments) and the record/playback features (although DD has used this to fool me into thinking she was practising for an hour!).

Also, it is fairly light, so can be moved easily, and it doesn't need regular tuning.

mvemjsunp · 31/12/2009 14:32

BTW, I bought mine new from Ebay from a dealer with a shop in Manchester. It was delivered within a couple of days.

Original poster
eggandsoldiers · 31/12/2009 14:33

I am not a complete novice, I can read music and learnt the piano and violin as a child. Basic levels. My dh is musical but was never formally taught. I think the dc's will enjoy music. My son is beginning the violin and his teacher has commented that he is showing signs of musicality or something similiar can't remember quite what she said. Dd responds to music always has done since babyhood and she is always at ds's violin.

OP posts:
lowrib · 31/12/2009 14:35

I would definitely agree with going for a proper one. Although the mechanics of learning an electronic keyboard are the same as the piano, playing it is not the same experience at all. The sound quality is simply much better and more beautiful on the real thing - unless you're going to get a truly expensive professional keyboard - but then what's the point, why not just get a piano?

I learnt the piano on an upright. I remember as a child playing the piano and losing myself in the sound of the instrument. It certainly encouraged a love of music for me. A keyboard wouldn't have been the same at all!

eggandsoldiers my advice to you when buying a second hand piano is to take someone relatively musical with you - musical enough to play a couple of tunes and hear if it's in tune or not. A lot of things can go wrong with pianos over time if mistreated. If I was buying 2nd hand I'd want to hear it sounding good before I bought it. There is a danger in buying a piano that "just needs tuning" that it could well in fact be broken and in need of expensive repair before it's workable! (Or even be beyond repair).

So take a musical mate with you to have a listen to how it sounds, and buy "as seen" IYSWIM.

Good luck, it is a lovely instrument to lean on.

lowrib · 31/12/2009 14:37

Or to learn on even!

Although as instruments go, it's up there with the best if you want something to lean on too!

Original poster
eggandsoldiers · 31/12/2009 14:41

! Great tip re the friend. I know someone who will fit the bill if he will do it.

OP posts:
titchy · 31/12/2009 14:52

Sheargolds have a base in Kent and are reputable, and on the web!

MrsWeasley · 31/12/2009 14:52

When my DCs wanted to learn the Piano I spoke to the music co-ordinator at the school and she advised me to get an eletronic one to begin with.
DS has been playing for 5 years now and loves it. Has no problem using the "proper" pianos at school (in fact the school have just purchased a new digital one.)
Some of the good points are: Not as expensive as a real one,
volume control and also an ear phone socket (although tbh we rarely use it with headphones).
Doesn't need tuning.
Recently had a sticky key (which was the only problem it has had in 7 years) and Yamaha were out within days and didnt charge.
Children can record themselves playing and play it back.

Clary · 31/12/2009 15:07

We have a "real" piano from a musical instrument shop in town (super super shop - staff so helpful!).

They do a deal where you can hire it for free for 6mo and then give it back or hire it and pay or buy it! so it cost us delivrey charge only, in case DS2 doesn't do any practice!

If we buy it (it's 2nd hand) it will cost £1500 I think.

Piano teacher told us a £300 keyboard was only any good for the first six months; digital pianos are OK till about grade 4 but actually cost as much as this piano so this is what we went for.

TBH the main issue is the space it takes up! good luck OP and HTH.

chewitt · 31/12/2009 15:15

We have an ancient Welmar piano - it has an excellent tone, has had very little maintenance and is probably about 50 years old. Whenever we have it tuned we are told what a great piano it is.

titchy · 31/12/2009 15:25

We have a Welmar too Chewitt! Sligthy younger than yours but a great piano!

thisparachuteisaknapsack · 31/12/2009 15:25

We have a [[http://www.rosemorris.com/brands/Roland/F110.html Roland f110] digital piano. Space was the main reason for getting digital plus we thought a good digital would be better than a bad acoustic and a decent acoustic would be more money. I also like the volume knob and headphones so I can play when dcs are in bed, they can play in the morning when dh is asleep and you can play quietly in the same room as other people are doing stuff. We can also lift it up and take it upstairs without hiring men and you don't have to think about maintenance and damp etc. Its not a lovely piece of furniture and if any of the dcs were really into piano when they are older then I would get an acoustic but this suits us atm.

I understand what goldie means about soul but our playing is several years away from that sort of subtlety

thisparachuteisaknapsack · 31/12/2009 15:25

Roland f110

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