Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum First Post == Need Advice

Greetings Piano Lovers. This is my first post on this forum. Hope my questions are not too stupid. I'm pushing 50 (will be in 2 months), and have got the itch to get back in the saddle (or "on the bench") and take some lessons. I played organ through college (many years ago), but have not played anything for the past 15 years or so. What a waste! I've got 3 kids, who I want to "inculturate" with piano lessons, and I thought I would set the example.

Questions: I'm not on a budget, but don't know whether a 5-1/2 foot grand to start would be overkill. Should I start with an upright and grow into or earn the grand? (I don't want to be one of those guys true artists detest because I have a better instrument than they do but don't deserve it.)

Should I take a few lessons, find a institution to practice in, and then go out shopping (so I can feel the different touches, etc)?

Assuming I could comfortably spend between nothing an say $15K, what should my first investment be?

I have a feeling that once I get going, I will pick this up quickly again and will regret it if I "underbuy" (if there is such a thing).

Now that you all are rolling your eyes, will a kind one or two of you offer some advice? Thanks very much in advance.

Mr. Deerwood, welcome to pianoworld, and welcome back to the saddle:) i can only tell you what i would do if i were in your situtation. i would sit down and decide if this is something i really want, why i quit in the first place and try to assess whether i will stick with it this time through. if i know that i know that i know i will stick with something then i would go out and buy myself a grand, but only after i find out what kind of touch i like first. and that means trying out a ton of pianos. now if i was unsure of what i was going to do, i would spend 500 bucks on a used decent digital piano with weighted keys, and go from there.
if your worried about someone being jealous because you are restarting with a better instrument than theirs you can invite them over to play for you---but make sure you have your metal detector to make sure they dont have any weapons to destroy it

ps everyone deserves a good piano, i wouldnt take that as part of the equation, i would rather go by if you know you will stick with it. if you know you will buy the best you can, you deserve it!!!!

One possibility to consider might be renting for a few months, which isn't all that expensive (and some stores will apply rent to purchase). That would put a real piano in your house to test whether this is something that you'll enjoy pursuing.

Welcome to the AB forum!

I would also recommend starting with a good digital (and I mean good, weighted keys etc.) Then if you decide you're going to stick with it, and you have a nice budget, you can take you time choosing a grand. Also, if you've been taking a few lessons, and have a digital, it will make it a lot easier to judge and choose pianos once you're ready for that step.

I'm not sure, but I would expect a digital will have a decent resale value, does anyone know about that?

In any case, IMO the important thing is to get started and see how you feel about it.

P.S. I went to university at the U of Mn. I really loved living in Mpls/St Paul (I lived on both sides at one time or another.) At the time I didn't play the piano, but I bet there are a lot of nice music stores there.

if you have $15k to spend, then why not get the best piano in that price range? nothing will be too good for a future pianist, right?

if i have that amount of money to spend and a stand alone house, that's the 1st thing i would do: shopping for a piano (a grand or high end upright)!

Thanks for the warm welcome. The digital route actually sounds intriguing. I would have thought that piano snobs (no offense intended!) would shun digitals, and I would have thought that the touch would have been so different as to screw you up in the learning process. Shows how much I know and have to learn I guess.

What are some of the better brands of digitals? Is it possible to practice with a digital with headphones so I don't bug my sleeping family? (I bet my practice times will roll around after the troops are in bed.)

Thanks again.

A grand is not overkill. In the first place, you're someone with considerable musical background, and it's unlikely that you will get the piano, play it one or two days, and then let it drop. Even if you do, you've got the kids who will soon be starting lessons, and odds are that at least one of them will like piano and stick with it.

For those reasons, I actually would advise you to go straight to the acoustic, and if you want and can afford a decent grand (which $15K will certainly buy), then why the heck not?

...but I would also suggest taking your time with the purchase. Buy "The Piano Book" by Larry Fine (you can order it through this site, actually, by clicking on the link on the right), and go travel to all the piano stores within driving distance and try out all their grands. People tend to develop strong preferences for a certain tone or action, and you will discover what you like best by playing lots of pianos.

Oh, and I am one of those people who is not qualified for the piano they own. Every few days I get a spasm of guilt, and an "I am not worthy" feeling washes over me, but then I just take an antacid and get over it.

Welcome to the forum! I would second the advice you've gotten to go straight to a grand. It sounds like you've enough experience with music earlier in your life that you should be able to judge your level of commitment. However, should you choose the digital route, there are very nice ones with weighted keys from Yamaha (their higher end clavinova models) and other brands as well.

I was pretty much in the same position as you: starting late in life and not sure whether I wanted to throw a pile of money at something that I wouldn't stick with. Also, the ability to practice at night with headphones (yes, the digitals do allow that) was a plus so I went with a clavinova. It served me well for about a year then I traded it in on a grand (a Yamaha C7). I don't view my time on the clavinova as "wasted" in any way.

Welcome again!

Hi and welcome to pianoworld! A decent grand would be perfect to a future pianist. A high end upright would be fine aswell. As for the digital, well, I started on a digital (suziki) with weighted keys. My parents knew nothing about pianos and it took me 3 years to convince them to buy a Yamaha T121. Needless to say, if i see a grand anywhere in anyroom I will sit and play (you have been warned ) I second The Piano Book. LArry Fine does a fantastic job with this book.

Matt

Heck, just buy both.

Welcome to the AB Forum, Deerwood Guy! I think your playing will come back to you much more quickly than you think. Then you will get frustrated that you don't continue on that incredible pace after a few months.

Do you want your children to learn the piano as well? That might alter your choice a bit.

I have a Yamaha U3 upright that I bought used for $4500 from a piano store. The U3 is 52" high, so it has a big sound. It has been great for us, but I do wish now that I had bought a grand. Fortunately, my store offers a full value trade up option, something I may take advantage of in coming years. People tell me to wait until I can get a grand over 6 feet, so I believe I'll do that. I don't think there's any problem with "overbuying," unless you can't afford it. The minutes you put into playing a piano are as precious to you as they are to a concert pianist; you may as well use them on a piano that is the best you can comfortably afford.

About digitals--I know nothing about them outside of playing a weighted-key model at an electronics store. I'm not generally in favor of them, so I didn't investigate. It's not that I'm a piano snob (too much), it's just that I like non-electronic items unless the electronic version is vastly superior. So I have a computer (much better than that manual typewriter from the 1970s!), but I don't have a cellphone or any video game machines or things like that. I'm not a Luddite, but I do like to hang on to the simpler version until I just can't do it anymore.

Good luck in your search. I hope you'll post your playing on the website soon. From your enthusiasm and history, I fully expect you to have great results when you start playing again.

Nancy

From a purely practical point of view, a good grand is hardly likely to depreciate quickly, so if things don't work out you won't lose much.

The issue of what other people think is irrelevant; your money is as good as anybody else's.

The actual choice of piano is much more important. Take heaps of time, try the lot and seek knowledgeable advice from every quarter. In the end though, it is a very personal decision.

Monica,

You should feel no guilt for the piano you have. You make it sound like it belongs to Monica Kern...and that is super.

Deerwood Guy,

I agree with those who recommend a grand, the longest you can afford after testing many. You'll never regret it, IMO.

many people here have digital pianos, including me. some even have both acoustic and digital pianos at home for different purposes. if you like the digital idea, then check out some best new models, such as Yamaha CLP270/280 etc. the best way to see if a digital is good or not is to try it out yourself at some music stores.

hope you could find what you're looking for.

Had a year or so of lessons in late childhood and one year in teens. No play except for a bit of tickling and sight reading after that until last summer when I decided to start playing again.

Went on search for piano; for me none of the digitals I tried were as satisfying as the 20 year old Mason & Hamlin upright I finally purchased... a nice instrument. But within not too many months I seduced myself into a grand and have no regret.

I was able to get the full cost of the upright applied to the grand.

And I, like Monica, am "not qualified" for the better instrument but so what; I'm almost 77 and if I wait until I deserve a grand I'll be dead.

My opinion: get the best you can afford and enjoy it without guilt.

hi welcome to the forum and to piano world

I say don't feel guilty over your purchase, it's your money you earned it why shouldn't you buy what you want?.

I think the only shame in owning a grand is if it were sitting in your house and no one was playing it. I think that would be enough to make me feel sad.

I think everyone has given you good advise from buying what you want, to renting, to buying a digital to testing all the pianos you possibly can.

I personally would think about it for a few days do research on digitals, test them, test acoustics then decide whats best for you.

I'll add to the chorus saying that any pianist, regardless of level, "deserves" the best instrument he/she can afford. Though some professional pianists don't have the space or budget for a top-level 9' grand, they often play on other instruments than their own (in churches, other people's homes, concert halls, etc.). Some people will pay >$15K for a high-end European upright if they want a high-end piano but live in too small a space to accommodate a 6'+ grand.

A better piano will make your playing better, as it will give you more control of tone, dynamics, and expression. I think my own playing is better in lessons, on my teacher's Yamaha C7, rather than at home on a good digital piano (Yamaha P90).

That said, I would only recommend you spend the full $15K if you (and the rest of your family) are committed to the piano, because that's a lot of money. If you have three pianists in your home, it's well worth it ... but if the piano collects dust, you may regret spending so much (and possibly lose money if you later decided to sell the piano).

But if you want to go all-out on a piano, $15K will allow you to buy a very nice instrument. There has been talk on this forum about used Korean 7-1/2 footers selling in that price range. I have at times seen full 9' concert grands listed for sale for around $15K as well. You will get more piano for your money if you buy a used instrument, but have a piano tech check out anything you seriously want to buy, to be sure you aren't in for some costly repair/restoration work.

Many thanks for your replies and advice. I appreciate it. Can't say I know just yet what I will be doing, but I have much to think through. My gut tells me that I will purchase a quality used upright and, as a reward for a few years of commitment and results (if realized), think about moving up.

This is a wonderful forum.

I second that statement. There's nothing wrong with buying a piano you'll "grow into" as a musician. If you have an instrument you love to play, you'll practice more, and get more enjoyment from your playing. So don't feel guilty about buying a nice piano if that's what you want. Enjoy it.

That being said, I started on the cheapest digital with weighted keys I could find. (around $500) Then, once I was sure I wan't going to drop my new hobby, I upgraded to a nice acoustic.

Welcome to the forum, and good luck in your search.

I can tell from your post that you've never
played a digital, Deerwood. This is
not unusual for someone who has a
classical background. When you're
a classical player, the idea of a digital
piano seems like something you'd never
even consider. I was in the same situation,
having grown up with classical piano lessons.
When I was considering restarting as
an adult, I never even considered looking
at a digital, but the living situation
I was in--in an apt. building where the
neighbors just ran an acoustic owner
out of the building--gradually forced
me to take a look a digitals, and I
finally wandered into a store that
sold digitals one day, and I was
absolutely stunned by the selection
of digital pianos available--and this
was way back in 1989. I had
never even seen a digital before, but
here were fine instruments, every bit
the equivalent of acoustic pianos, that
were the answer to all of my problems
with playing in an apt. with hostile,
piano-hating neighbors.

Since 1989 I have been playing only on
digitals and have owned three: a Korg
C-800, a Casio AP-24, and a Korg SP-250.
Playing on digitals has enabled me to
make unbelievable progress at the
keys, progress that I could never have
been able to make on an acoustic piano
(digitals are superior for developing
physical technique, and they enable
you to tackle material that is beyond
your ability, because you
can turn the vol. down and not
humiliate yourself with the neighbors
as you struggle with difficult pieces
like concertos).