Piano versus clavinova - can anyone give me some advice please?

[GiantSquirrelSpotter]

I have a piano which is heavy and big and inconvenient.

But I've held on to it (it was a present from my DB) in case the kids want to play (DS has had lessons and I'm now thinking about getting DD lessons)

But it is so big and heavy I'm wondering if it would be better to sell it and get a clavinova (second hand).

Would a clavinova be more mobile and easier to move? Are they OK?

Any advice please?

A Clavinova is good if you want to turn the sound down and play through headphones so as not to annoy the neighbours. They are more convenient. Pianos go out of tune when you move them, and when they're in a room where the temperature / humidity fluctuate.

Having said all that, my dad kindly offered a few years ago to buy me a Clavinova to replace my old, clapped-out piano, but I turned him down. If you're a purist (like me) only a piano will do. One day, when the mortgage is paid off, I'll treat myself to the real thing.

The Clavinova is more mobile and easier to move, as you say. It has loads of widgets and brilliant innovations, and maybe you could even argue that it's very difficult to hear the difference. But like the other poster, as a pianist I just can't play a Clavinova. There is something about an organic 'real' piano that is much more expressive - you can feel it in a way you can't a Clavinova. I'd rather play a not that great piano in not that great shape, because it's real, if you know what I mean. It's like the difference between CGI and stunts.

Yes I know what you're saying, but I don't play and I'm thinking that this would be OK just for now, for about the next 5 years or so, while the kids are learning.

And then if they do have any serious liking for it, I could always get them another one. Having looked on Ebay, I now realise that pianos are not as phenomenally expensive as I thought (and have also realised that I may not be able to get as much money for mine as I thought)

I want to get my floor done and if the piano is there, I can't! That's my primary reason for wanting rid tbh.

If your children are learning a piano is far better. However good a clavinova can be, it will never give them the real experience of touch on a piano - I can always tell which of my pupils practise on a piano and which on a clavinova.

One thing I will say in favour of the Clavinova is that it is a nice thing for children to use to learn the piano. My ds1 finds his teacher's piano a touch frustrating as it is a little "eccentric" whereas the Clavinova gives a consistent sound which is more encouraging for a child.

BTW it is also quite light and easy to move.

~Oh bum

But would it matter long term tortoishell? Would it stop them being able to play well when they're older if I got them one then?

If your children are learning a piano is far better. However good a clavinova can be, it will never give them the real experience of touch on a piano - I can always tell which of my pupils practise on a piano and which on a clavinova.

Really? Is that true? Why? What's the difference? I am also tempted by a Clavinova, despite being not very fond of them, for the convenience, too. I live in a very very very tiny flat.

bump

I think the difference is that on a piano the keys are weighted because of a mechanical reason - the keys have to move the hammers towards the strings. On a clavinova, any weighting is done artificially.

What I tend to find is that pupils who use a clavinova find it hard to put enough weight on the piano keys - they don't play 'into' the keys enough, and make a very quiet, gentle sound, with some notes not sounding. Pupils who practise on a piano (even a not very good one) find it much easier to achieve a singing tone. As early as Grade 5 you need to be able to differentiate tone between the hands (i.e. bring out a melody in the right hand, with a quieter LH accompaniment, or possibly even bring out a melody in one hand, with quieter notes in the same hand).

aesthetically etc piano is far lovelier
i would prefer to own one than a Clavvy!

HOWEVER

W spend a lot of time at my dear friends house and my DS( aged 4) clanked away on the piano and drove us all nuts for a few years before she bought a clavinova

now he sits contentedly playing for hours which is lovely for us all

thus he gets to play more

in my house i would probably prefer Clav for the above mentioned reaseons as i would be forveveer asking the child to stop
if you are tres chilled then piano

clavinova? isn't that your collar bone?

GSS - I guess that if you wanted to get one to see how they got on that would be ok, but fairly quickly you would probably need to get a 'real' piano. Obviously they can learn a certain amount on a clavinova.

I'm also very aware that there are lots of people on MN who totally disagree with me, and have clavinovas and love them! This is purely my experience as a teacher. As a pianist I would never 'choose' to play one - I'd rather have a not very good piano than a good clavinova. It's really hard to explain why - it's to do with the depth of touch, using your full arm weight, playing into the keyboard. Imagine being a violinist but only having a half length bow - it feels similar I think!

Ah so it is actually a technical reason then - they could pick up bad habits of not being able to differentiate how much pressure to put on?

Do you think that would be a long term problem if I bought them a piano say about six or seven years down the line Tortoise? Would it be something they could rectify quite easily in future?

(I'm not bothered about the noise Otter, I have developed supreme selective deafness skills)

How long does it take to get to grade 5?

GSS - if they get on quickly then I would say 3 or 4 years down the line! One other thing to be aware of is if they are practising on a clavinova they will then find it hard going to a teacher's piano and playing on that, as they won't be able to make the noises they are used to, and may find it hard to get any tone out of it which may be discouraging for them. But they might be ok.

Grade 5 - how long is a piece of string? I did grade 5 2.5 years after starting. One of my pupils did it 4.5 years after starting, and I think that is good going, generally 5-6 years.

As a kid I did one or two exams a year from about age 7, so got to grade 8 at about 14 or 15. (And failed because I never practised!)

If you do go the electric piano route - don't just look at the Yamaha. I looked at both (I got to Grade 7) and ended up getting a Roland - it had far less bells and whistles, but the touch and sound seemed a lot better to me.

I think the Clavinova can be a bit gimmicky and does make me wonder how much of the cost is spent on the "extras" rather than the fundamentals.

(Oh, and I learned on a real piano - an old Bentley that was SO sodding stiff it was really hard to get any note out. So consequently on any other piano I always played too loud. The problem can work both ways )

Thank you all for your advice, I think I will go the clavinova route and then if either of them show any aptitude 5 years down the line, I can always get them a real piano then.