{"id":16848,"date":"2020-04-29T18:18:20","date_gmt":"2020-04-30T01:18:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rolandus.com\/blog\/?p=16848"},"modified":"2020-07-28T09:59:28","modified_gmt":"2020-07-28T16:59:28","slug":"3-pieces-of-advice-on-buying-your-childs-first-piano","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rolandus.com\/blog\/2020\/04\/29\/3-pieces-of-advice-on-buying-your-childs-first-piano\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Pieces of Advice on Buying Your Child\u2019s First Piano"},"content":{"rendered":"

Buying\u00a0your first\u00a0piano can be a daunting task, especially if\u00a0you are not a pianist or musician yourself. It can be difficult to determine which piano to buy or whether you should invest in purchasing a piano at all.<\/p>\n

Contributed by Hiyori Matsushima for the Roland Blog<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

During my years of working in music retail, selling both acoustic and digital pianos, some of the most asked questions asked by parents (wandering aimlessly in the shop) were:<\/p>\n

1) My child\u2019s piano teacher said, \u201cBuy a piano with full size, weighted keys\u201d. What does this mean?<\/p>\n

2) Should I buy my child an acoustic piano or digital piano? What\u2019s the difference?<\/p>\n

3) I don\u2019t know if my child will continue playing. He\/she may give up in 6 months. Should I just buy a small keyboard first?<\/p>\n

The questions above are reasonable & valid questions. So I\u2019d like to share my experience and knowledge as a conservatory graduate, a piano teacher, and a music store salesperson. I hope it will clear up some of the questions that you may have before purchasing your child\u2019s first piano.
\n\"flo\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Question #1: My child\u2019s piano teacher said \u201cBuy a full-size piano with weighted keys. What does this mean?\u201d<\/h2>\n

\"buying<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cFULL SIZE\u201d Piano<\/h2>\n

A full-size piano or full set of keys refers to a piano (acoustic or digital) with 88 notes. Many piano teachers will recommend the fully-weighted 88 note pianos because a majority of music examination boards will set these specifications as minimal requirements to take their exams.<\/p>\n

Smaller keyboards generally have 61 notes or 76 notes, mostly without weighted keys.\u00a0 Beginners start off using only a few notes when they begin learning the piano or keyboard but as your child progresses, the range of notes they use will inevitably extend. Having fewer keys means that your child will eventually run out of keys to play and they won\u2019t be able to play music that contains high range or low range notes \u2013 because the keys just simply aren\u2019t there!<\/p>\n

\"the<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWEIGHTED\u201d Keys<\/h2>\n

Have you ever played on a portable, light-weighted keyboard and then immediately played a piano? If you haven\u2019t, I recommend that you try it next time you are at a music shop. You should feel a significant difference in the weight and response of the keys.<\/p>\n

The keys on acoustic pianos feel heavier to play compared to portable keyboards.\u00a0 This is because when a piano key is pressed down, it triggers the hammer action to hit the strings which creates the sound.<\/p>\n

\"piano<\/a><\/p>\n

Conversely, portable (non-weighted action) keyboards generally have ON-OFF sensors under the keys to trigger the sounds.\u00a0 You might also find that the length of the keys are much shorter compared to acoustic or digital pianos.<\/p>\n

\"CR_birillo81\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In this image (left), you can see that when the keys are pressed on the piano, the hammer is lifted in order to hit the strings.<\/p>\n

The weight of the keys is dependent on several factors \u2013 such as hammers, action parts and how they are assembled.<\/p>\n

Most digital pianos with weighted keys simulate this hammer action very well and the weighting of the keys never changes.<\/p>\n

The weighted action helps your child to build their finger strength.\u00a0 For a child who practices on a digital piano with a weighted action rather than a non-weighted keyboard, the transition to acoustic piano is very smooth. \u00a0If the child is used to playing non-weighted keys at home, they will find the weighted keys much heavier to play and may struggle until they get used to the heavier keys.<\/p>\n

If you can\u2019t tell the difference between a fully weighted keyboard and non-weighted keyboard, the best thing would be to ask the store salesperson \u2013 they should be able to point you in the right direction.
\n\"flo\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Question #2: Should I buy my child an acoustic piano or digital piano? What\u2019s the difference?<\/h2>\n

\"acoustic<\/a><\/p>\n

Some teachers are adamant that their students should buy and play on acoustic pianos. This may have been the case 10-15 years ago when digital technology was not as advanced and the ability to recreate the tone and touch of the piano in the digital realm was not as accurate. But the technology has come very far since then, and the difference between acoustic and high-quality digital pianos is barely evident. No matter what instrument you play, it is important to play an instrument that sounds and feels pleasing.<\/p>\n

If you sound good, you naturally want to play more \u2013 and the more you play, the better you will become! \u00a0Just because a piano is acoustic, it does not necessarily mean that it will sound or feel better.\u00a0 Acoustic pianos can be very beautiful to play and touch, but unlike digital pianos, they need regular maintenance to ensure their playability.<\/p>\n

Before you buy an acoustic piano, you need to think of your investment and ongoing maintenance costs.<\/p>\n

Tuning<\/h2>\n

Tuning is required on a regular basis if you want your piano to stay in tune. A couple of piano tuners I\u2019ve met in the past recommended tuning every 6-12 months. Acoustic pianos can go out of tune simply from playing it. They can also go out of tune due to the climate (especially in humid areas \u2013 the wooden soundboard will expand and shrink in humidity, detuning the strings in the process) or if you move the piano. Tuning can cost around $150 at a time (more for grand pianos) \u2013 if you calculate the cost over 10 years, that\u2019s $1,500 just for tuning!<\/p>\n

\"tuning<\/a><\/p>\n

As an acoustic piano ages, the sound quality will deteriorate without regular maintenance. \u00a0Here is an example: Imagine an old Western movie with a saloon, with a piano playing in the background as the bandit enters the saloon.\u00a0 That\u2019s what people call the \u201chonky-tonk\u201d piano.\u00a0 The \u201chonky-tonk\u201d sound is usually caused by the felt on the hammer hardening over time.\u00a0 When you first purchase an acoustic piano, the felt is usually quite soft.\u00a0 But over time, from repeatedly hitting the strings, the felt hardens. Unless you like the piano sound in an old Western movie, you may need to either replace the felt, or buy a new piano.\u00a0 A lot of work is involved in changing every felt on every key, so this can be quite an expensive and time-consuming exercise.<\/p>\n

Digital pianos on the other hand, never require tuning and the tone doesn\u2019t deteriorate over time.\u00a0 A digital piano will stay in tune regardless of weather\/climate fluctuations, moving, or excessive playing.<\/p>\n

\"flo\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Question #3: I don\u2019t know if my child will continue playing. He\/she may give up in 6 months. Should I just buy a small cheap keyboard first?<\/h2>\n

As I mentioned above about building finger strength, I personally think that all beginners should start on a fully weighted 88-note piano. \u00a0If you are worried that your child might not continue with the piano due to other commitments or lack of interest, there is always the option to rent a piano first to test the water.<\/p>\n

Budget-priced instruments are often of inferior quality and learning on them can have devastating effects on a child\u2019s musical development.<\/p>\n

My personal true story\u2026<\/h2>\n

I grew up playing an acoustic upright piano. I purchased my first digital piano when I moved out on my own. A digital piano was far more practical as I was renting an apartment. \u00a0Having a digital piano meant that I could practice at any time of the day or night without worrying about the neighbors. The first digital piano I purchased was the \u2018cheapest possible\u2019 88 note weighted digital piano.<\/p>\n

To be honest, I didn\u2019t think that it would make THAT much of a difference, as long as the piano had 88 notes and had weighted keys. But I was wrong!<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t like the touch, I didn\u2019t like the sound and I didn\u2019t feel inspired to practice. Then, I upgraded to a far better quality digital piano. \u00a0Yes, it cost more but it gave me a far better playing experience and I continued to appreciate the better sound and touch of a better quality instrument.<\/p>\n

There is no substitute for quality\u2026<\/h2>\n

The quality of the instrument can impact a person\u2019s enthusiasm to play. It\u2019s just like driving a nice, brand-new vehicle versus an old car with no power steering and no air conditioner. If you have a nice instrument you will want to play it more\u2026 and show it off!<\/p>\n

Everyone has their own opinions about acoustic pianos versus digital pianos. I don\u2019t believe that there is a right or wrong answer here. It is better to play on a good quality 88-note weighted digital piano than an acoustic piano that is out of tune. Just because the piano is acoustic, it does not mean that it is a better piano. When you are learning the piano, you need to build your aural skills. How can a child learn the correct pitch if the piano is out of tune?<\/p>\n

I hope this article will help you in choosing a suitable instrument for your child. A good instrument will be enjoyable to play for many years to come!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Buying\u00a0your first\u00a0piano can be a daunting task, especially if\u00a0you are not a pianist or musician yourself. It can be difficult to determine which piano to buy or whether you should invest in purchasing a piano at all. Contributed by Hiyori Matsushima for the Roland Blog<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":16849,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":[]},"categories":[22,42],"tags":[621,928,826,128],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n3 Pieces of Advice on Buying Your Child\u2019s First Piano - Roland U.S. Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rolandus.com\/blog\/2020\/04\/29\/3-pieces-of-advice-on-buying-your-childs-first-piano\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"3 Pieces of Advice on Buying Your Child\u2019s First Piano - Roland U.S. Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Buying\u00a0your first\u00a0piano can be a daunting task, especially if\u00a0you are not a pianist or musician yourself. 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