Would I be unreasonable to get a piano?

[alittlefishy]

I live in a new build terrace, neighbours on both sides are extremely considerate. I'd like to get a piano (but an upright not a keyboard) for DC and me to learn on. You can't hear a peep from any house if the doors are closed but any window or door open you can hear everything. I'll obviously never play with doors or windows open. Would you be annoyed if you were them? I could play some piano music to test that they wouldn't be disturbed. If I ask them outright they'll say it's no problem.

Get a small modern one and get it tuned regularly, this is really important as will make the difference between delightful tinkling and dirge. Also don't play too early or too late, and as much as possible give them a range of pieces, not just chopsticks on repeat for ever!

Digital ones are great for learning and you can put head phones on... silence for neighbours

What about a digital piano? They're not like keyboards; they have key tension and pedals like a normal piano, but you can use headphones with them and adjust the volume.

I would never start off with a piano - unless you can get a decent second-hand one. Why not get a digital piano with weighted keys?

In your situation, I would go for a proper digital piano. Not a cheap and cheerful 3 octave keyboard, but a proper piano with full range of weighted keys and pedals.
You'll have to try a few to find one that feels like real keys, and they are not cheap but then again, pianos aren't cheap.

Real upright pianos are a pain to move, require tuning, take up a lot of room, are loud and if you're just learning it's very dull and repetitive to listen to. Digital pianos are much better suited to modern living.

I say this as the owner of an upright piano. I inherited mine when my parents moved house but if I had a choice, I would go digital.

Get a digital with weighted keys. I have a Kawai and I love it. Has a number of functions and feels close to a piano.

I have an upright I inherited - turns out pianos made in the 60s have plastic parts which eventually aren't fixable - I would get a modern one and earphones

I'd be annoyed. Yes.

I hate other people's noise - and frankly if you were concert pianist level I don't want to hear it in a terraced house.

Sorry, but you asked.

If your absolutely sure you can’t be heard, definitely get a regular one. Digital don’t help develop your technique at all and as a teacher it’s very obvious the students who have digital pianos.

You can get acoustic ones with a practice pedal, (also awful as it stops all the harmonics that you get) but it does mean you have options if you want to play at inconsiderate times.

Don’t have it on a hard floor, carpet if possible and if you can avoid an adjoining wall too.

Oh I have to go out when the kids next door do their terrible playing. It's lovely when the mum plays though.

My son is learning the piano and we bought this one:

It has been great.

www.gear4music.com/Keyboards-and-Pianos/SDP-2-Stage-Piano-by-Gear4music/1D57

I got one of these. It's great. 88 touch sensitive weighted keys.

To be honest, if you're feeling worried about whether it'll bother the neighbours, that's going to affect the times of day you practice/how long you practice. Regardless of whether they can actually hear you or not.

It's very nice to be able to get up early and play, or have a little tinkle after everyone's in bed. Think about how much you will disturb each other, as well as the neighbours. Endless scales are better through headphones!

I've got one. You can't hear it outside the house with windows closed. Will it be on a party wall? That will make a difference.

Honestly, it's hard to give a piano away these days. Bet you'll pick up a secondhand one free of charge but it cost my friend £80 for removals to deliver it a 5 minute drive away.

@Billybagpuss

Digital don’t help develop your technique at all and as a teacher it’s very obvious the students who have digital pianos

How d'you mean? My teacher told me that my digital will get me up to grade 5. Do you not agree?

I live in a terraced house and the only place to have my piano is against an adjoining wall. Therefore I have a digital and I play at Grade V level. My piano teacher has not told me I might as well throw the towel in now because I haven't got an acoustic piano .

If you are just starting to learn (? not sure if you are but presumably dc are) why do you insist on an acoustic?

We have a kawaii with a practice pedal but the vibrations can still be felt in other rooms (Victorian house)

Get a digital one, your neighbours don't want to hear a beginner playing the piano, and probably wouldn't want to hear a virtuoso practice (scales and finger exercises are very repetitive what ever the players ability) on a regular basis whilst in their own home.

We have a full size digital piano in our terrace but none of us are serious pianists. Professional pianists who've used it to accompany other instruments here have been pleasantly surprised by how well it plays. Our piano is still up against internal walls rather than shared ones but being able to use headphones does increase the times it can be played. The other instruments played here are too loud to play before school or after about 8pm.

I had a Clavinova. It was great, and even though it was one of the earliest models, it was basically a piano. The weighted keys felt right, the sound was right, and I, the music specialist at my school, enjoyed playing it, and my daughter got to Grade 7 on it (before she gave up lessons to focus on her A levels, not because the piano wasn't up to it)

You'll enjoy playing much more, if you don't have to worry about the neighbours. Sometimes I'd wear headphones, but usually I just kept the volume lowish.

Hmm

I'll think on. Thanks all.

We have a Casio digital piano with weighted keys and pedals. It lives in Ds1's bedroom and is only 30cm deep. Headphones are great for repetitive practise.

My daughters teacher said she needed it after grade two. We are moving to a terrace and getting an upright which will be on the party wall - a couple inches out and I suppose I could put acoustic panels behind it. But my daughter is grade 4, so her practising sounds very nice.

You can get an upright Yamaha with a silencer on. Ds1 did his grade 3 while still on our weighted digital. He did get a distinction, but the examiner advised getting an acoustic as his fingers were getting tired from not being used to how heavy the exam piano keys were. He got the Yamaha UX and loves it.

markgoodwinpianos.co.uk/yamaha/silent-yamaha-pianos

@Livingintheclouds

My daughters teacher said she needed it after grade two. We are moving to a terrace and getting an upright which will be on the party wall - a couple inches out and I suppose I could put acoustic panels behind it. But my daughter is grade 4, so her practising sounds very nice.

I was playing grade 7 up to diploma level music on a digital piano nearly 20 years ago (and still have the same piano now just don't have any time to play it).

Your DDs piano teacher is being a snob!! Digital pianos are fine for almost all players, and the ones that are truly good enough to need an acoustic piano will more than likely have access to one outside the house via school, university, church etc.