How to choose an instrument
Iām searching ToneBase for information on the advantages and disadvantages of acoustic uprights, grands, and digital keyboards. I have not found any discussions or presentations on the various options. It would be interesting and helpful to get some feedback from experienced pianists, especially those that might have had to adapt to a digital piano due to changing circumstances after learning on an acoustic instrument. A ToneBase presentation on the topic would be welcome, too.
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Hi David, I had to give up my acoustic piano years ago as I live in a condo and could only practice in the evenings and weekends. I then bought a Roland digital but it was not a great experience. My life changed when I bought the hybrid Yamaha AvantGrand. It has their grand piano keyboard. I now play the piano for hours sometimes just for the pleasure of touching the keys. :-) I can recommend the Youtube page of Merriam Music's Stu Harrison, who is a great guide to piano buying.
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Sedef CANKOCAK Thanks very much for the YouTube channel recommendation and for sharing your personal experience.
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David Is https://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical_instruments/pianos/avantgrand/n1x/index.html like the one you own? It seems compact to fit in a smaller room (like I have) but with the nice action of the whole series.
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David That's it. It is a bit deeper than a standard upright because of the horizontal action but has a neat design and a good finish. I hesitated between Kawai N5S and this one but the keyboard was the decisive factor for me.
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Sedef CANKOCAK Thank you. Helpful to have something specific to look into.
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Sedef CANKOCAK Stu Harrison is far and away the best reviewer on YouTube. I've learned so much from him. I'm upgrading my Roland to a Kawai CA 701. Should be delivered in a couple of weeks. The dealer will assemble it and test everything at his store, deliver it, and take away my Roland (in partial trade). I initially felt guilty doing this because I'm only an advanced beginner/early intermediate. There is nothing wrong with the Roland, which has served me well for going on three years, since I returned to the piano after 60 years away. I felt I didn't "deserve" such an upgraded piano and should wait until I was more advanced. But I'll be 76 in July and realized there was absolutely no reason to postpone the purchase. Who knows what will happen in the next five years? It's definitely a want, not a need, but so what? Some people crave Lamborghinis. I drive a Chevy. The Kawai is something I really really want...the only thing I want that I don't already have...and it won't put me in financial difficulty to buy it now. So I revised my mindset and decided to let the Kawai worry about whether it deserves me! Also, the dealer will find a happy new home for my lovely white Roland. (The Kawai is also white.)
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Barbara Blakeslee Great decision Barbara. Carpe diem and what a lovely choice for colour.
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There was a wonderful Livestream by Dominic on this subject.
https://app.tonebase.co/piano/live/player/picking-a-piano-dominic-cheli
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Lc Thank you for directing me to the video.
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Sorry for the length of this response. Iām a home-gamer who quit training at 19 yrs of age, consider this advice very amateur.
I had to think about: Affordability, space, and features. Kind of like getting a car. I ended up with a new Clavinova. (Iām not affiliated with Yamaha.)
CONS:
Sound: It doesnāt have the āpersonalityā of my childhood pianos (both grand and upright)
Durability: it depends. Mine has a good reputation.
Reliability: Iāve had some minor issues, but multiple friends who have come over and played didnāt notice at all even when I told them. Overall Iām still satisfied
PROS:
Affordability: if youāre on a budget, mid $4 figures for a great digital.Space: Most digitals have upright footprints. I was crestfallen when offered a baby Steinway for free but it wouldnāt fit in my largest room.
Features:
1. Headphones!!! so I can practice at 1 am _with sound_ on my childās school nights.
2. Musical (VARIES): mine has a middle pedal that mimicks the grand, I can play ghost/diamond notes (e.g Mikrokosmos and some effects I need in other pieces)3. Workstation features (VARIES) (Mine does not do drums)
4. Recording audio (VARIES) without a mic setup. Ease of use also variesāmine canāt connect to my flash drive and the WiFi at the same time. Oh yeah did I mention WiFi?
5. Donāt have to tune
By the way there are hybrid acoustic-digitals if you want to get fancy. On YT I saw that one hybrid grand can function as a player piano with internet connection, so you can play on yours and in real time a remote audience hears a real piano in person. A lifesaver during pandemic restrictions.
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Michael Cheng Thank you for taking the time to share your experience, thought process and gear set-up. I'm on an older Clavinova CLP-330. Definitely something I can learn on.
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New YT video out today. Lots of posts on that video already. Iām sure people will start posting on the tonebase page below as well.
Again Iām not expecting my CLP-735 to last as long as my childhood piano, but then again I could not hope to play pp on my childhood instrument (a lovingly refurbished baby Steinway which is 90+ years old, emphasis on ālovingly refurbishedā). I actually prefer the action on my CLP. Maybe if I got a bigger house and had $$$$$ left over, I could move it here and get it re-refurbished. Or if I actually had $$$$$ Iād get a good new acoustic maybe.my ideal setup would be a bigger house, CLP-735, my childhood Steinway, and an upright of different brand than those two, then Iād be able to practice on a variety of actions and feels.
plus if youāre going to perform in a band or at church, you might actually want unweighted keys if thatās the kind of keyboard youāll be performing on.
Happy playing!
Practicing on Electric Pianos YouTube Video!
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Michael Cheng I think the link didn't get assigned to the text you put in the message; maybe I could have you add in the link in a reply again? Maybe it is THIS
video? I too must consider real-world limitations. Digital pianos, though it seems not completely ideal from a purely musical standpoint, do allow for continued enjoyment of playing and learning new pieces, as I can tell from the responses. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experience.
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David thanks for tolerating my post. New tonebase video today (6/3/2024) on YT today smd tonebase David 6/3/2024 addressing physical aspects which I forgot about (and it looks like the other posters are addressing this.) Yes my new CLP-735 feels much more realistic than the used CLP-(40?) David
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David yes your link is correct. I was trying also to link to the new tonebase discussion page, sorry the link didnāt paste
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Michael Cheng So perhaps, eventually I could upgrade from the CLP-330 to a newer version if budget and my own progress suggest an upgrade is reasonable.
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David thanks and good luck and happy playing! One parting thought is that I made some headway in technique when switching to a keyboard with a faster action (lighter touch)āespecially with fast passages or āexercises in relaxation,ā e.g. revolutionary etude. Havent tried a clp 330
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Hi David,
I used to have a Clavinova (Yamaha). Although it was supposed to imitate CFX grand piano, the feel of the keys and the sound were not even close to any acoustic piano. But I really enjoyed its harpsichord/Clavicord mode because it also changed the feel of the keys. It felt like the keys were plucking strings.
The biggest problem was that it couldn't take wide range of dynamics. Maybe I was too forceful to play f and ff. Some of its keys changed the sound like something had gone wrong inside. The dealer didn't seem to know any repair technicians near by. So, I traded it in for an acoustic upright piano. I now have one grand piano and one upright piano. When I need to practice quietly, I use the upright piano with the practice pedal (the center pedal of upright piano).The hybrid piano works like an acoustic, and you can also enjoy the convenience of digital. I've seen Yamaha YUS 5 Hybrid piano. It was fantastic. But hybrid pianos are more expensive than acoustic or digital pianos.
So, as long as you're not going to play louder than mf, a digital piano will work for you for a long time. I heard that Kawai is making great digital pianos, too.-
Ji An I totally see what you mean about the dynamics issue. I think my Clavinova CLP330 is a mForte-mPiano compared to the experiences I've had on acoustic grands/uprights. Hard to know if the hybrid is worth it; an emulation of a piano (on good headphones perhaps) versus a genuine piano in a good room. I appreciate you sharing your experience. Thank you.
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David The YUS5 Hybrid I played at the store played and sounded like a good acoustic piano. But it is expensive. Another reason I chose an acoustic upright is that it is easy to fix mechanical issues. It's not easy to find a technician who can fix a digital or a hybrid piano right now.
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Ji An I wonder how the action of the upright compares to the hybrid?
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David The hybrid keys felt just like those of an acoustic. But the YUS5 hybrid I tried had heavier action. If the manager didnāt tell me it was a hybrid, I wouldnāt have known.
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Ji An itās amazing how far the technology has come, but your thoughts on repair seem wise. I would guess that a well-maintained acoustic holds its value longer than the hybrid, but is more money up front, and more expensive to maintain (tuning, etc.).
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David One of my students was looking for a hybrid piano. When I asked a Yamaha manager about a technician, he said, āThere is a guy.ā One person serving the entire Northern California. Considering a hybrid piano is $4000 more expensive than the same acoustic version to begin with, I didnāt think a hybrid was a good choice in the long run.
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Ji An Great information. I will probably keep progressing on my existing digital instrument. Later on, if I feel it's a worthwhile and realistic investment, I will keep the experience you have relayed to me in this thread in mind. The maintenance issue seems important at the hybrid price point.
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