Buying a piano generally is considered to be one of the big ticket purchases or investments we make in our lives. It is important to spend the time by researching properly and taking your time doing due diligence. Of course the following points are only basic bare bones fundamentals to help guide and assist you, but they will provide you with what to look for when you are in the market to purchase a piano.
*TONE
A piano must be
capable of tolerating a variety of different styles of music and players. Look
for a piano that posseses pleasing mid-tones with good balance in the higher
and lower registers. Avoid a piano that has a metallic sharp edged bite to it.
Look for a piano tone that is well balanced and uniform through its entire range.
*TUNING STABILITY
Realize that no piano will stay in tune indefinitely, no matter who manufactured
it or whether it is a grand piano or upright. But a well made piano will stay
in tune for a fair length of time. A new piano though requires frequent tunings
within its first year or two. Perhaps a couple times a year and then once a
year after that. Of course the more it is played the more often it will need
to be tuned, especially if the student is practicing upwards to 2 to 3 hours
a day. Once a year is fine if a 30 minute to 45 minute practice schedule is
maintained. When buying a used piano, ask about its history from the seller
if it is a private sale. Most good tuners provide documentation.
*TOUCH
Look for a piano that has an even action throughout the entire keyboard. Avoid
pianos that have uneven tone or touch; the piano should have a consistent and
even quality throughout. The piano should have a comfortable and even response.
The touch is a vital and critical area to assess before you make the final decision.
*BRAND
This is an area that has changed dramatically over the years. The manufacturer
landscape is quite different then it was 30-40 years ago. Phone up piano tuners
or technicians and ask them their opinion about who they feel provide the best
pianos. Ask them if they know anyone who is selling a piano privately, or who
they would recommend as a dealer.
*Some other
points to remember:
Perhaps study up about the aspects of piano size, string length, sound board,
bridge and frame at your local library. When purchasing a new piano, make sure
you buy from a reputable dealer who stands by their product and make certain
by checking out their background. Perhaps make arrangements with a piano tuner
to help you decide once you have narrowed down your search.
Acoustic vs. Digital
What
are the advantages of buying a digital piano as opposed to an acoustic one?
*The biggest advantages of digital pianos are:
(1) Relative portability.
Most digital pianos weigh less than 200 lbs., as opposed to 450-500 lbs. for
a typical upright and much more for grand pianos. You have the luxury of disassembling
the major parts of the digital piano for easier mobility.
(2) Does not need tuning.
If you have a piano, you will usually have to tune it once or twice a year.
The sounds for a digital piano are recordered and stored 'digitally' within
the hardware, so it does not go out of tune.
(3) Option to play silently
by using headphones.
(4) Relatively low maintenance.
Beyond the usual practices of keeping liquids away, keeping it out of direct
sunlight, and occasional dusting, etc., digital pianos are virtually maintenance
- free.
(5) Electronic interface.
Many digital piano models have a MIDI interface capability, which allows you
to connect the piano to your computer to enjoy the benefits of digital technology.
Some also have built-in recording and playback capability!
(6) Many voices. Most digital
pianos come with several different types of piano sounds, plus the sounds of
other instruments. For example, with a press of a button you can make it sound
like a harpsichord, a pipe organ or a complete orchestra!
*The disadvantages:
(1) Sound quality. No matter
how well the piano sound is sampled, you can never truly get away from the 'digital'
, 'amplified' sound quality. As digital sampling technology improves, the gap
between the acoustic and digital sound may diminish, but digital sound will
never equal or be superior to those of an acoustic.
(2) Inability to produce
a 'color' to the tone. In an acoustic instrument, by using various playing techniques,
you can produce almost infinite kinds of 'color' to the tone. Digital pianos
can only produce sounds that were originally sampled (recorded), and are thus
very limited in terms of variety in the sound produced. For a very accomplished
pianist the limited sound produced by the digital piano can be disturbing.
(3) As with any electronic
mechanisms, digital pianos can develop problems like damaged spring action on
the keys, bad contact, bad amplifier, bad speaker, etc. Digital pianos in general
are considered relatively robust, but there has been reports of key action break
down, hissing and crackling speaker noise developing, and having difficulty
in getting it fixed correctly.
(4) As with any electronics,
the technology used to create the current digital piano may (well, almost certainly
will) become obsolete in the near future. Whereas, in an acoustic piano, one
can assume if you buy a good piano and take good care of it, your grandchild
or great-grandchild can still play it and will find someone who can maintain
your piano. This is not necessarily the case with digital pianos. Digital pianos
haven't been around long enough to really make a good case study of its longevity.
*Here
are some tips for picking a good digital piano*
(1) Action. Does it *feel*
like a piano to you? Do the keys have the proper weight and do they move under
your fingers the way you remember a good piano does?
(2) Dynamic range. Does
it respond to velocity properly? How loudly and how softly can it be played?
Is it easy to play and maintain an even dynamic level?
(3) Sound. Pick a note,
play it loudly, hold it and listen carefully while it decays into silence. Does
it sound natural? Does it take long enough? Does it last *too* long? (Time a
note at similar loudness on a grand piano for comparison.) Can you hear obvious,
repeating patterns ('loops')? Repeat this test, playing a chord instead of a
single note.
(4) Realistic sound source.
Play something moving up and down the keyboard (scales, arpeggios, etc.). Does
the sound 'move' realistically from side to side?
(5) Polyphony. How many
notes can you hear at once? A good test is to hold down the sustain pedal, play
the two lowest C's, then play a glissando about five octaves or more long. Stay
clear of models which prematurely and abruptly drop notes in a fashion that
you can hear clearly.
(6) How powerful is the amplifier/speaker system? Bigger amplifiers and multiple number of speakers generally give you a better sound. You may not necessarily ever use all that excess power, but having it can give you a more balanced sound when you play.
(7) And remember to watch out for the *friendly* salesperson who is always eagerly ready to play a catchy song for you to make a sale!
Good
luck!
