Looking for a recommendation for beginner’s pianos.
March 12, 2015 3:18 AM Subscribe
I am a woman in my late 30s and am planning to learn playing the piano. I have no prior knowledge of any other musical instrument, but have decided that life is too short to keep wishing that one day..! So….I am looking for suggestions on:
1) A good beginner’s piano. The music academy that I plan to enroll in, has suggested Kawai KPD90. The reviews suggest that it is a good piano. However, it seems a bit of an investment at 1150 USD,( and in my country, it is even more expensive)- given that I have no idea whether I will take to the piano like a duck to water or whether it will be sheer anathema to me! I was hoping for some advice from the hive mind, if this is an appropriate piano, for an absolute novice or whether I could go in for something cheaper? At this point in my life, it is not unaffordable…I just want to make the right choice for myself.
2) Resources, books etc- especially online- that teach the piano to beginners.
Thanks everyone for your help!
As a complete novice I would start with a hundred dollar keyboard. I'd basically get the cheapest possible keyboard I could find. This is the piano I would use while learning my very basic fingering, the Mary Had a Little Lamb Stage. I'd get a piano book for children that gently guides me as far as being able to play simple songs with two hands.
If I stuck it as far as the end of the beginner piano book and confirming that I can indeed use my little fingers it would be time to reward myself with an upgrade.
Even if the upgrade was not the Kawai KPD90 it would be such an improvement over the first month's/two month's keyboard that it would be both a wonderful incentive but also it would help teach me the difference between weighted keys and not weighted, and what a good piano sounds like compared to a cruddy keyboard that isn't even a piano.
This technique worked really well for me when studying recorder. I deliberately started with the cheapest sort of plastic school recorder, went on to a decent second hand wooden school recorder good for personal playing and practice and then went on to more expensive plastic concert recorders. This taught me a lot about the strengths of the different instruments and about my own weaknesses. My investment was equal to the commitment I had already made to learning to play and the possibilities of upgrades provided me with lots of incentive.
posted by Jane the Brown at 4:00 AM on March 12, 2015 [2 favorites]
If I stuck it as far as the end of the beginner piano book and confirming that I can indeed use my little fingers it would be time to reward myself with an upgrade.
Even if the upgrade was not the Kawai KPD90 it would be such an improvement over the first month's/two month's keyboard that it would be both a wonderful incentive but also it would help teach me the difference between weighted keys and not weighted, and what a good piano sounds like compared to a cruddy keyboard that isn't even a piano.
This technique worked really well for me when studying recorder. I deliberately started with the cheapest sort of plastic school recorder, went on to a decent second hand wooden school recorder good for personal playing and practice and then went on to more expensive plastic concert recorders. This taught me a lot about the strengths of the different instruments and about my own weaknesses. My investment was equal to the commitment I had already made to learning to play and the possibilities of upgrades provided me with lots of incentive.
posted by Jane the Brown at 4:00 AM on March 12, 2015 [2 favorites]
If portability is not so important I'd look on Craigslist for a good used piano then invest a little bit more on a piano tuner. Even if you don't like playing you'll have a nice piece of furniture and conversation piece. I also find yard sales to be a good place for pianos. Now if I could just get Craigslist to load I'd give you an idea on prices. Ok, I'm not fighting it any longer. It's been a while but my guess is that you can get a decent one for a few hundred bucks.
posted by evilDoug at 5:03 AM on March 12, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by evilDoug at 5:03 AM on March 12, 2015 [3 favorites]
I recently purchased an electric piano for my son, who has started taking lessons.
I followed the advice in this comment by stoneweaver and reviewed the specific recommendations in this previous question on the topic.
I ended up with a Casio Privia PX-150 and we are very happy with it. It has the essential features that you want: full size keyboard and keys and weighted action. In addition, the weight on the keys is scaled, so it more closely resembles the action of an acoustic piano.
We also considered the Yamaha P-Series, which has excellent reviews on Amazon as well.
Good luck with your purchase!
posted by alms at 5:31 AM on March 12, 2015 [4 favorites]
I followed the advice in this comment by stoneweaver and reviewed the specific recommendations in this previous question on the topic.
I ended up with a Casio Privia PX-150 and we are very happy with it. It has the essential features that you want: full size keyboard and keys and weighted action. In addition, the weight on the keys is scaled, so it more closely resembles the action of an acoustic piano.
We also considered the Yamaha P-Series, which has excellent reviews on Amazon as well.
Good luck with your purchase!
posted by alms at 5:31 AM on March 12, 2015 [4 favorites]
I've played piano my whole life (though never exceptionally well) and bought a used Casio Privia PX-150 for ~$200 on Craigslist for my apartment. I've been pretty happy with it! It doesn't sound exactly like a piano and the pedal is kind of funky, but it's full-size and suits me quite well for practicing.
posted by goodbyewaffles at 6:15 AM on March 12, 2015
posted by goodbyewaffles at 6:15 AM on March 12, 2015
You want a keyboard/digital piano with weighted keys and pedals. As an adult beginner, you will start using the pedals very soon and you want to get in the habit of using them properly.
Go out and try some at piano/music stores -- different brands have different sounds. Personally, I hate the way Yamaha keyboards sound (and Yamaha pianos, too). I really, really fell in love with a Korg.
The Casio Privia PD-150 is slightly cheaper than the Kawai you are looking at and is an excellent option. I really liked the sound of the Casios when we tried them out.
The yamaha DGX 650B is another inexpensive option.
posted by LittleMy at 6:39 AM on March 12, 2015
Go out and try some at piano/music stores -- different brands have different sounds. Personally, I hate the way Yamaha keyboards sound (and Yamaha pianos, too). I really, really fell in love with a Korg.
The Casio Privia PD-150 is slightly cheaper than the Kawai you are looking at and is an excellent option. I really liked the sound of the Casios when we tried them out.
The yamaha DGX 650B is another inexpensive option.
posted by LittleMy at 6:39 AM on March 12, 2015
That's a whole fuck of a lot of money - my mother teaches piano and the sum total of all the pianos we've ever owned doesn't add up to 1100 bucks!!!
Look at local classified ads for someone selling a used piano. You should be able to get one for 100-200 dollars *tops*. All you need to do is make sure it's overstrung.
posted by tel3path at 7:01 AM on March 12, 2015 [3 favorites]
Look at local classified ads for someone selling a used piano. You should be able to get one for 100-200 dollars *tops*. All you need to do is make sure it's overstrung.
posted by tel3path at 7:01 AM on March 12, 2015 [3 favorites]
At least where I live, it's quite easy to get a used upright piano for free on a site like Craigslist, and then you'd just need to pay for moving and tuning it. If you didn't want to keep it, you could give it away again. Or, buy a used keyboard. Personally, even though I have a nice weighted keyboard, I much prefer the real thing.
posted by three_red_balloons at 7:20 AM on March 12, 2015
posted by three_red_balloons at 7:20 AM on March 12, 2015
Have you completely ruled out a "real" wooden piano? A couple of the answers above mention this, but I wanted to make sure the distinction was clear. They can become a burden to people if, for example, their piano-playing children move away, so you can get them frequently inexpensively (with wide variation based on the life circumstances of the owners as well as the quality of the piano). It will be more difficult to move around, but if you have room it can be quite nice.
The sensory experience of the sound resonating and vibrating through the whole warm instrument, and your hands, and your bones and ears, can be really lovely, and might entice you to play more than a digital sound system. It's a very different experience.
posted by amtho at 7:58 AM on March 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
The sensory experience of the sound resonating and vibrating through the whole warm instrument, and your hands, and your bones and ears, can be really lovely, and might entice you to play more than a digital sound system. It's a very different experience.
posted by amtho at 7:58 AM on March 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
Having recently sold a piano on Craigslist I can tell you that you'll be able to find a decent upright for almost nothing... I got lucky and got $200 for mine, but I would have given it away to a good home as long as the 'buyer' paid for insured movers. There's nothing like playing a 'real' piano, for sure, but...
...that said, I'd also go for a cheap keyboard at first, like the cheapest close-to-full-size yamaha or whatever at Best Buy. Taking in an upright piano only to find you're not interested in learning to play and having to get rid of it would really suck. If you decide you love it, then start browsing craigslist.
posted by Huck500 at 8:14 AM on March 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
...that said, I'd also go for a cheap keyboard at first, like the cheapest close-to-full-size yamaha or whatever at Best Buy. Taking in an upright piano only to find you're not interested in learning to play and having to get rid of it would really suck. If you decide you love it, then start browsing craigslist.
posted by Huck500 at 8:14 AM on March 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
Is renting a piano a possibility at this early stage? Craigslist may not be such a presence where you live; perhaps if you contact a few local instrument shops, or ask at the academy or other music-education centers, you'll have more options? Also, since you're enrolling at an academy, they may have advanced students who are selling their beginner pianos.
posted by Iris Gambol at 8:47 AM on March 12, 2015
posted by Iris Gambol at 8:47 AM on March 12, 2015
You can get a real upright piano for free very easily in most US cities by being willing to pay to move it out of wherever it is. Problem is that unless you have strong friends and easy access at both ends and a truck, this will cost you several hundred bucks at a minimum (which is why people are giving away pianos, which no one wants anymore bad enough to pay for them, for "free"). Then you have their problem.
For various reasons I've spent my whole life around pianos and even worked as a piano mover for a while. I never, ever recommend getting an acoustic real piano for a beginner unless money is no object, you have a lot of space, and/or the piano would get other usage if you had it even if the beginner gave up. The Casio PX150 people are recommending above is a really good choice to start, see if you take to the instrument, and learn what you want to do musically. And it can be stashed in a closet or sold if you lose interest. The primary thing you want is weighted action and decent tone so you can hear yourself and like the result.
posted by spitbull at 8:55 AM on March 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
For various reasons I've spent my whole life around pianos and even worked as a piano mover for a while. I never, ever recommend getting an acoustic real piano for a beginner unless money is no object, you have a lot of space, and/or the piano would get other usage if you had it even if the beginner gave up. The Casio PX150 people are recommending above is a really good choice to start, see if you take to the instrument, and learn what you want to do musically. And it can be stashed in a closet or sold if you lose interest. The primary thing you want is weighted action and decent tone so you can hear yourself and like the result.
posted by spitbull at 8:55 AM on March 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
I will say that there is a theory out there (and in a few answers in this thread) that one must invest to a certain level of sacrifice in order to have a "decent" instrument on which to learn. This view, not unlike the way Freudian psychoanalysts justify charging you thousands of dollars a month for intensive therapy, is self-justifying: the investment itself is supposed to make you more serious about the goals. In terms of technical differences between decent student instruments and better student instruments (which is what we're talking about here, not professional instruments), there is a diminishing marginal rate of return. Once you've made the digital/acoustic distinction, at least, the first $500 buys you 90 percent or more of what the next $500 buys you, which buys you 95% or more of what the next $500 buys you. In other words, a $1000 instrument is rarely "twice" as good as a $500 instrument.
If your teacher recommends an instrument, hone in on the features s/he is specifying as important. For digital pianos, that means a quality weighted and full-sized key and pedal action and good basic tones. One could even argue that 88 keys are not necessary for a student instrument (or the vast majority of student piano repertoire).
posted by spitbull at 9:02 AM on March 12, 2015 [2 favorites]
If your teacher recommends an instrument, hone in on the features s/he is specifying as important. For digital pianos, that means a quality weighted and full-sized key and pedal action and good basic tones. One could even argue that 88 keys are not necessary for a student instrument (or the vast majority of student piano repertoire).
posted by spitbull at 9:02 AM on March 12, 2015 [2 favorites]
I'll second everyone above saying that if you're looking for a digital piano you should look for one that has "weighted-key action" or "hammer action", which means it feels like a real acoustic piano as you play it. This pretty much rules out $100 keyboards, unless you stumble on an astounding deal on a used one.
and in my country, it is even more expensive)
From this, I'm guessing that you're not in the U.S., so I don't know to what extent used upright pianos are available in your area, but it's certainly common here in the U.S. that they're often readily available super-cheap or even free, simply because it's a hassle to move and maintain them. They need regular tuning and inspection and maintenance by a trained professional. Piano tuners will make house calls, but it's a bit of a dying art, there aren't that many around anymore. But looking into getting a used acoustic piano could be a viable option.
The other possible "advantage" to digital pianos, though, is that you can plug a set of headphones in and play or practice without disturbing your neighbors/family/roommates. Might be a factor for you, might not.
whether I could go in for something cheaper?
Two thoughts: one is that the KPD90 is built to look like a fairly classy piece of furniture, but most manufacturers will offer more "stripped-down" versions of their keyboards that use the same key action and sounds in a form that doesn't have as nice of a stand and/or enclosure, and these are usually less expensive. (For example the Kawai ES100 seems to be functionally identical to the KPD90, but comes in versions with a simpler "furniture" stand or with no stand at all (here's a package from a retailer that combines an ES100 with a very basic metal "X"-stand and bench and some other accessories.) So if you're okay with a digital piano that maybe doesn't look as nice, you could save a few dollars.
The second thought is that if there's an actual store or two near you that carries digital pianos, now would be a pretty good time to go in and see if they're willing to make a deal on any of last year's models they have in stock. Early spring is the time when manufacturers bring out the new year's models, and will offer deals to the retailers on the new models, so lots of retailers want to get rid of last year's stock so they have cash to take advantage of these deals. And I don't think digital piano models necessarily change all that much from year to year.
2) Resources, books etc- especially online- that teach the piano to beginners.
I think you'll get most of this from your teacher at the academy, especially books. And IME playing piano can be a pretty physical endeavor, so especially early on a lot of the focus will be on how you actually physically place yourself at the piano, and posture, and other things like that that are probably better addressed in person than through books or videos.
posted by soundguy99 at 9:31 AM on March 12, 2015
and in my country, it is even more expensive)
From this, I'm guessing that you're not in the U.S., so I don't know to what extent used upright pianos are available in your area, but it's certainly common here in the U.S. that they're often readily available super-cheap or even free, simply because it's a hassle to move and maintain them. They need regular tuning and inspection and maintenance by a trained professional. Piano tuners will make house calls, but it's a bit of a dying art, there aren't that many around anymore. But looking into getting a used acoustic piano could be a viable option.
The other possible "advantage" to digital pianos, though, is that you can plug a set of headphones in and play or practice without disturbing your neighbors/family/roommates. Might be a factor for you, might not.
whether I could go in for something cheaper?
Two thoughts: one is that the KPD90 is built to look like a fairly classy piece of furniture, but most manufacturers will offer more "stripped-down" versions of their keyboards that use the same key action and sounds in a form that doesn't have as nice of a stand and/or enclosure, and these are usually less expensive. (For example the Kawai ES100 seems to be functionally identical to the KPD90, but comes in versions with a simpler "furniture" stand or with no stand at all (here's a package from a retailer that combines an ES100 with a very basic metal "X"-stand and bench and some other accessories.) So if you're okay with a digital piano that maybe doesn't look as nice, you could save a few dollars.
The second thought is that if there's an actual store or two near you that carries digital pianos, now would be a pretty good time to go in and see if they're willing to make a deal on any of last year's models they have in stock. Early spring is the time when manufacturers bring out the new year's models, and will offer deals to the retailers on the new models, so lots of retailers want to get rid of last year's stock so they have cash to take advantage of these deals. And I don't think digital piano models necessarily change all that much from year to year.
2) Resources, books etc- especially online- that teach the piano to beginners.
I think you'll get most of this from your teacher at the academy, especially books. And IME playing piano can be a pretty physical endeavor, so especially early on a lot of the focus will be on how you actually physically place yourself at the piano, and posture, and other things like that that are probably better addressed in person than through books or videos.
posted by soundguy99 at 9:31 AM on March 12, 2015
I'd second or third the "free used" piano idea. I'm just learning to play myself, and I got a nice upright for the cost of moving it and tuning it. It's been tuned three or four times in the two years we've had it, as is apparently common with a piano that no one has used for several years, and it's just awesome to have.
Also, I tried to learn on my own, but having a teacher has been really great. She answers all my stupid questions and she's fun to be around and it's encouraging to have someone tell you when you get things right and to give you advice on approaching things in a different way. I'm still very much a beginner and learning a lot.
posted by ceejaytee at 11:06 AM on March 12, 2015
Also, I tried to learn on my own, but having a teacher has been really great. She answers all my stupid questions and she's fun to be around and it's encouraging to have someone tell you when you get things right and to give you advice on approaching things in a different way. I'm still very much a beginner and learning a lot.
posted by ceejaytee at 11:06 AM on March 12, 2015
One thing to keep in mind if you get a used free/cheap piano off of Craigslist or the like is that many of those pianos have been poorly maintained and have chronic issues that may not be fixable. Learning on a piano that is chronically out of tune is just as frustrating as learning on a non-weighted keyboard, if not more. Take someone who knows about pianos with you if you take that route to make sure you don't wind up with a dud.
I own the Yamaha P-45 as it was the best reviewed affordable digital piano with weighted keys I could find and I've been quite happy with it. It's $450 on its own but I would recommend buying a separate sustain pedal-- the one it comes with is pretty crap-- as well as the Yamaha stand since it's oddly shaped and doesn't fit well in generic stands.
That being said, I would recommend getting a cheap keyboard to start out with and move forward with buying a better piano in 3-6 months once you're more familiar with the instrument. You are not going to need weighted keys or probably even all 88 keys for a while. If you wait you'll be able to make a more informed decision about what will work best for you as well as what you personally prefer in terms of digital vs acoustic, tone, and so on.
posted by fox problems at 1:25 PM on March 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
I own the Yamaha P-45 as it was the best reviewed affordable digital piano with weighted keys I could find and I've been quite happy with it. It's $450 on its own but I would recommend buying a separate sustain pedal-- the one it comes with is pretty crap-- as well as the Yamaha stand since it's oddly shaped and doesn't fit well in generic stands.
That being said, I would recommend getting a cheap keyboard to start out with and move forward with buying a better piano in 3-6 months once you're more familiar with the instrument. You are not going to need weighted keys or probably even all 88 keys for a while. If you wait you'll be able to make a more informed decision about what will work best for you as well as what you personally prefer in terms of digital vs acoustic, tone, and so on.
posted by fox problems at 1:25 PM on March 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
I've gone through the whole "find a cheap learning piano" experience a couple of times. What I found was that locating a decent real piano takes a lot more time and effort than going electronic. The first time we did this, we spent 3 weekends looking at misc used pianos until we found one we liked - and while I'm sure it varies seasonally and geographically, we did not encounter large numbers of inexpensive, fully functional pianos. We had to ask a favor of a friend with a pickup truck to deliver the piano, then someone to come out and tune it. Oh, the piano didn't come with a bench, so that took more time and expense. Not lots, but it all adds up.
The second time, I did some web-surfing and ended buying a Casio PX-5S Privia from Sweetwater. It was arguably more than my daughter needed, but the entire process from start to taking delivery took about 4 days.
One more thing: if you have any thoughts of moving to sounds beyond those of a piano, the electronic ones will undoubtedly have MIDI output so you can use the keyboard to control an external synthesizer. And if you have an iPad or an iPhone, you can find some very impressive synthesizer apps for prices ranging from "free" to maybe $50, with most hovering around $5-$10.
Finally: if you go electronic, pay attention to whether or not the piano has a self-contained amplifier and speakers. Sure, you can use headphones, but you will almost certainly tire of them, so you may want to allocate maybe $100-$200 for a used keyboard or guitar amp.
posted by doctor tough love at 7:22 PM on March 12, 2015
The second time, I did some web-surfing and ended buying a Casio PX-5S Privia from Sweetwater. It was arguably more than my daughter needed, but the entire process from start to taking delivery took about 4 days.
One more thing: if you have any thoughts of moving to sounds beyond those of a piano, the electronic ones will undoubtedly have MIDI output so you can use the keyboard to control an external synthesizer. And if you have an iPad or an iPhone, you can find some very impressive synthesizer apps for prices ranging from "free" to maybe $50, with most hovering around $5-$10.
Finally: if you go electronic, pay attention to whether or not the piano has a self-contained amplifier and speakers. Sure, you can use headphones, but you will almost certainly tire of them, so you may want to allocate maybe $100-$200 for a used keyboard or guitar amp.
posted by doctor tough love at 7:22 PM on March 12, 2015
Late to the party, but have you checked out the PianoWorld forums for advice? Lots of very knowledgeable people there. There is even someone who has created a comprehensive list of quality digital pianos for under $1k, and he gives a review of the pros and cons of each one.
posted by aka burlap at 6:37 AM on March 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by aka burlap at 6:37 AM on March 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
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You want something good quality as a novice, since this is precisely when first impressions about feel and sound are important. Anything cheaper will be pretty shoddy quality (speaking from direct experience) and may turn you off from a pursuit that you would otherwise enjoy.
Keep in mind, you'll be able to resell the piano if you decide you don't like it, whereas if you do like it, getting something good-quality will last you much longer.
FWIW I bought a Korg SP250 at about that price point and have been very, very happy with it.
Background: studied piano from age 3 to 21, played every sort of piano imaginable: from the first cheapo upright that had missing ivories, to a lovely Schimmel upright for home practice, to school Yamaha uprights and grands (quite nice), to my first teacher's 1980s Kawai parlour grand, to my second teacher's and university's Steinway concert grands, and my drool-favorite, the university's 92-key Bösendorfer concert grand I got to play for several performances wheeeeeeee *lost in blissful rêverie*. A big part of playing the piano is the weighted keys and learning how touch influences sound. Digital pianos have come a long way, and they are great for practicing. If you find you love piano, eventually you'll come to love the touch and sound of real ones too. If at first you can't afford (or fit in your place! my case!) a "real" piano, getting a good digital piano as a beginner is, I would say, an essential step in discovery.
posted by fraula at 3:43 AM on March 12, 2015 [3 favorites]