looking into buying piano keyboard. help please?

Question

i am looking into a moderately priced keyboard. i know it should have 88 keys, be digital rather than electronic (i think) and have wieghted keys. is there anything else i should be aware of? brands, models, comments by present owners? thanks

i am a beginer, but want to be able to use this through college and to practice on into a musical career. an acoustic is out of the question, due to cost and space. thank you very much

thank you mordent! please email me (addres in profile)

Answer 1

It is always best to buy an acoustic piano - no matter how good a keyboard it is, it simply will not be as good as the real thing. However - that might not fulfil your requirements, especially if you're going to want to move it, or use some of the other voices, such as church organ or harpsichord. Also - an acoustic piano may be too expensive if you live in a very humid area (unless you have air conditioning), as the humidity will cause it to get out of tune very fast and may warp the piano. Also if you live in an appartment it's next to impossible to get a piano up the stairs, and you can play an electric piano with headphones.

Yamaha and Technics, in my opinion, make the best clavinovas - or electric/digital (electric pianos are the sort of things played in the 70's, as far as I know digital pianos are also referred to as electric pianos) pianos, which start off at reasonable prices. If you already are a pianist then go to a shop and try out the ones they have there, some clavinovas have a horrible "piano" sound which is nothing like the real thing. Any other voices and special effects should come a very definate second to what the piano sounds like - unless of course you will be using them often. The same goes for other gimmiks, except a built in metronome which is a must, and possibly recording as well.

Whatever you buy you should get one that has a pedal stock, not just a pedal which lies on the ground, those things are useless, and slide away from you - you'll end up doing the splits under the keyboard at the end of a piece of chopin.

If you've just started to learn then ask the assistant what they'd recommend - there is no reason why they won't give you sound advice, and most people who work in a piano dealers (which it is probably best to go to if possible) are accomplished pianists themselves.

Acoustic - A much better and more realistic (obviously) sound, tone and action- especially when it comes to more advanced music

It is sometimes hard to move from learning on an electric piano to playing an acoustic one

Electric - Probably (though not always) cheaper

Doesn't need tuning

Has more than one voice

Light and far easier to move

Can be played silently

Although at first glance the electric may look like it wins hands down, the quality of sound simply is not as good as an acoustic - which as a musician is what it's all about after all.

Hope your decision goes well

Answer 2

If you are looking for a real sound piano, I would suggest Renopia piano.

Although it is acoustic but it is small so it really does save alot of space. It may look like a kid's toy but it definitely is not a kid's toy, it has a piano touch. Most importantly, it has a real piano sound.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152593095274575&set=vb.758644574&type=2&theater

Check this video out, an adult playing on the piano herself.

If you are looking for this piano, check out www.facebook.com/renopiamalaysia

Hope it helps. Cheers

Answer 3

I heard of Renopia too, it's a mini piano that i saw from Musictales.com.my. i plan to buy one for my kid actually cos it is small and attractive. For me if my kid won't like to practice or play on a piano, what's the point learning the piano lesson with grading and examination. I just wan my kid to have fun and enjoy with music. This is the pic i saw there. sharing~