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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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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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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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.