southernm Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 DS went to a trial music lesson today and really enjoyed his piano lesson. I'd like to continue this for him but we don't have a keyboard or a piano. I'm leaning towards a keyboard to save room and it's portable for when we move. Is there a huge difference in the two. I've read I need to get a keyboard with weighted keys. What can I expect to pay for a decent one? Any advice? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 If you think he'll be into it for a while, I would get a full size digital piano with weighted keys and a foot pedal. He would need a full size within a year or so. Costco has one for around $450 right now. My dd is in her 2nd year of piano, and has outgrown the keyboard she started on. It is getting harder for her to practice more difficult pieces on the shorter keyboard she currently has. She's getting a full size digital piano for Christmas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyk Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 I just want to second the importance of weighted keys. The other option is keys the play at the same volume no matter how hard you play them. This does not allow for creating any dynamics--louds and softs--when you play. I also think a pedal is important, but if it has weighted keys I would assume it has a pedal. Costco has had a keyboard for $400 or a little more (we bought the floor model for $235!--my husband still talks about that deal.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarlaS Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 I purchased this for my oldest last Christmas: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Casio+-+Privia+Full-Size+Keyboard+with+88+Hammer-Weighted+Keys+with+Stand+and+Pedal+-+Black/9619225.p?id=1218140195132&skuId=9619225 It has the full 88 weighted keys, stand and pedals for $549. This essentially makes it a complete piano. He has real musical ability, and has played since he was 8. It fits in his room under his loft bed with room for his telescope to sit next to it (and a heater, a pile of books...): When we're ready to upgrade our old upright that the rest of the family uses, I have in mind a Yamaha like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-YDP161-Digital-Piano-Bench/dp/B003KVKT02/ref=pd_cp_MI_1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GingerPoppy Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 (edited) I vote for a real piano. They are often practically given away, and then you just have it moved (which you can DIY or pay a few hundred) and tuned (including a few small fixes, probably a hundred or a bit more). Do some research, though, or get a piano teacher or tuner to come with you ideally. My tuner says to go for older, but not too old, so maybe something from the 1930s or 40s; they tend to be solidly made. My piano is from approximately 1895, and it's still working very well. If you go for a keyboard, absolutely get full size, weighted keys, and a pedal. But, I've played on keyboards of all quality levels, and the are enormous differences. They expensive ones *almost* feel/sound/react like the real thing. The cheap ones really don't. Even in one with weighted keys, a cheap keyboard will not give you much of a range of volume through pressure. Also, I teach one student on a not-great keyboard (full size, weighted, pedal) and there is a real problem getting musicality out of that thing. As well, the action of the keys is sluggish, which means there's a real limit on playing fast music, runs, scales, etc. She's only beginning level 3, and we're already running up against this speed issue. The real piano will serve you very well if he decides to keep at it for more than a few years. The touch and action of the real thing is incomparable for intermediate or advanced students. (...unless you're willing to shell out the big bucks for a high quality keyboard.) Edited October 29, 2011 by GingerPoppy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigger Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 For a newbie, maybe try a pawn shop for a good keyboard with weighted keys. While we do have a piano, we also got a keyboard, and got the keyboard at a pawn shop for $150 - it retailed (when new) for $600 - and was in excellent condition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southernm Posted October 29, 2011 Author Share Posted October 29, 2011 Ok thanks for all the advice. Why did he have to pick something so expensive :( I'm scared he won't stick with it. Yikes. He does love music and has always been interested in playing but still makes me nervous!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 (edited) keyboards are much cheaper than a real piano. Do get one with weighted keys as the feel of a piano is very different than most keyboards. My biggest complaint about keyboards is how they sound. they sound electronic . . . (I've come across a few that sounded good, but those were *really* expensive.) I found an upright piano at an estate sale. needed some tuning, the case was scratched up and it was ugly, but the sound board was good. (much nicer than the "pretty" console someone else was selling for the same price). I prefer uprights over consoles. (a grand if you have room.) the sound is different. Edited October 29, 2011 by gardenmom5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parker Martin Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 The Suzuki school here won't let you take lessons unless you have access to a real piano. Somebody gave us ours. Lots of people want to get rid of them, so you might be able to find one cheap or free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tadah Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 Have you looked into a renting a piano? We did this years ago. It wasn't very expensive (it didn't look great but it had a nice sound), and when it was time to move we just called the rental company and they picked it up. In my experience most piano teachers prefer almost any kind of piano to a keyboard. What did the teacher suggest? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparrow Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 I'm in the real piano camp, if you have the room to spare. We got ours for $50 when someone was moving. I've seen them on Freecycle many times. ETA: Yes, our piano teacher also prefers they have a real piano, if at all possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chepyl Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 Craigslist has them for free or cheap sometimes. You may be able to find a reasonably priced used one at a music store. We purchased 78 key, weighted, with pedals keyboards for our group piano classes. The teacher said that would get students through 2 years, then they switch to private lessons and the full size digital piano. We found them for $100. You could start with that. Then save for a bigger one. Our full size digital piano was $1400, that was at a university sale when it was one year old. They cand be pricey, go with a smaller, cheaper one. If he enjoys it and practices, save up for a better one in a couple of years. Then you can really research what you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Live2Ride Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 We used a short keyboard for about 3 months. Our daughter advanced quickly. We had already been looking for an upright, but I am quite picky in that I did not want a huge beast in my little living room. We were blessed to find a spinet hybrid for $500. I had been speaking with a piano tuner/restorer for a year and knew what defects to avoid. When she came to tune it she was very pleased with our purchase and let us know that if we ever wanted to sell, to let her know. We did spend about 200 to get it tuned, but it needed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southernm Posted October 29, 2011 Author Share Posted October 29, 2011 Now I'm all confused :( we went to a bigger music store/school today (600 students) and the guy there told me to get a keyboard. He didn't even mention the weighted vs. non weighted. Just showed me different price points. Maybe he was telling me to do a keyboard because I wasn't sure DS would stick with it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparrow Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 Now I'm all confused :( we went to a bigger music store/school today (600 students) and the guy there told me to get a keyboard. He didn't even mention the weighted vs. non weighted. Just showed me different price points. Maybe he was telling me to do a keyboard because I wasn't sure DS would stick with it? Sounds like he wanted to sell you a keyboard! The weighted keys really are essential for learning "the touch" of piano. What does the piano teacher you tried recommend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southernm Posted October 29, 2011 Author Share Posted October 29, 2011 Sounds like he wanted to sell you a keyboard! The weighted keys really are essential for learning "the touch" of piano. What does the piano teacher you tried recommend? She was at a different place that just did lessons (no sales). DH took him to the lesson. Said he thought she was a student herself. She didn't even know where to buy one at so she was no help. Said she was "quiet/young/not helpful" It was just a trial lesson to see how DS did. If we do lessons, it will be at the music school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 I would ask your teacher. Our teacher also requires a "real" piano. We have a full size weighted keyboard AND a real piano. The keyboard is nice for travel and certain things (hooks up to computer, makes fun noises), but it really doesn't replace the real piano by any stretch. The keyboard probably would have been ok for about the first year. My son has taken piano for 5 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GingerPoppy Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 Now I'm all confused :( we went to a bigger music store/school today (600 students) and the guy there told me to get a keyboard. He didn't even mention the weighted vs. non weighted. Just showed me different price points. Maybe he was telling me to do a keyboard because I wasn't sure DS would stick with it? I think this just shows the sales guy didn't know what he was talking about. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKDmom Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 (edited) When my dd first started piano lessons, we had a cheap keyboard without weighted keys. Her teacher recomeded a real piano or a Yamaha Clavinova (~$3000 new) . I was able to find an old piano in very good condition for $400 on Craigslist, so I got that instead of the Clavinova. DD's piano abilities improved considerably once we got the real piano. Non-weighted keys were okay for just learning fingerings, but she didn't learn how hard to press the keys down until she had access to weighted keys. I like having a real piano because it's a beautiful piece of furniture, but sometimes I wish for the portability of a keyboard (sometimes headphones would be nice too ;)). The real piano just turned out to be cheaper than a high-quality keyboard. Edited October 29, 2011 by bonniebeth4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legomom Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 We have a $60 portable Casio keyboard with nonweighted keys that I got at Target's Black Friday sale of couple of years ago. It is handy because we travel with my husband so we can take it along and also the kids can use it in our office with headphones (we are self-employed). It has actually been fine for my kids, especially earlier on. We have a real piano also -- an old one -- so they have had that to practice on as well. It was free from a family member. Anyway, all this to say that I think that a nonweighted keyboard is fine to start if you want to go with a minimum investment to test the waters. My stepdaughter (age 27) just started piano lessons and that is what she is doing. She loves the lessons and is progressing well, so we are going to look into getting a used piano for her. But in the meantime having a cheap, spacing saving instrument has been great and if for some reason lessons didn't work out for her, we could just sell the keyboard on Craigslist (which is where we found hers to begin with). My kids started playing when they were 6 1/2 years old. I have heard that some teachers wait until that age (not even 6 years old but actually 6 and 1/2 years old). The reasoning I heard was size of hands and attention span. Don't know if this might be a factor in your situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
honeymommy4 Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 I think a keyboard is nice to have for temporary use but not to learn on. JMO. It is a percussion instrument. I don't think you can duplicate that very well. When I was a kid and took lessons, my parents were divorced and my mom had a piano and my dad got a keyboard for me. I have always loved classical music and naturally jsut liked the piano better. I STILL have the keyboard in the basement but rarely set it up even for the kids. we have a piano and love to play that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celticmom Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 My dd just received a keyboard for her bday that I found in a pawn shop for less than $100. It has weighted keys and a pedal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blessedchaos Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 I mostly agree with the advice given so far. A cheaper, smaller keyboard is not going to get you past a few months of lessons and the touch is NOT the same at all, so I don't recommend wasting your money. A full size digital piano with weighted keys and foot pedals could be a good option, but only after you have played around with both acoustic pianos and digital pianos at the same time because there is a big difference between playing an acoustic and a digital, IMO. Digitals are nice because they never need to be tuned, you can move them yourself, they save space, you can use them with headphones, and there are many cool features but as much as I love these features I can't get past that playing a digital is not as satisfying to me as playing an acoustic. The sound and richness is much different to me. That said, if you decide to go with an acoustic, I think renting can be a good option. If you decide to buy, please learn as much as you can about pianos first. There are many parts and not all pianos are created equal, so while sometimes those free pianos off Craigslist are fine, sometimes they aren't and can cost you hundreds of dollars in repairs before they are workable. We looked at one from a private party and when we looked inside we saw that the hammer felts were covered in mildew:001_huh:. Be very careful! Ultimately, after much shopping I found a used Baldwin console with a warranty at a reputable music store and negotiated the price down to $800 (that's another thing - prices are negotiable, especially given the current economy). We love our piano, and while we may go digital someday for the reasons I listed, I can't bear the thought of parting with our Baldwin yet. We were in the same boat as you, not knowing if the kids would stick with lessons, but several years later all of us except dh play and our piano gets heavy daily use. Good luck with your decision! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southernm Posted October 31, 2011 Author Share Posted October 31, 2011 Thanks so much everyone! I am going to continue to search through kijiji (Canadian Craig's List) and visit some pawn shops. I'm leaning towards the digital just to make sure he likes it. If he does, then I will get him a real one when we move back to the states! I had a real piano growing up so I totally get the advantages of it over a digital. For now though, I think digital is the best way for us to start small! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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