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It's Fun to Play the Piano ... Please Pass It On!
I studied piano for my entire childhood and through college. Once I moved out on my own, I lived in apartments and with roommates where having an acoustic piano was just not practical, nor could I afford one. I quit playing. Fast forward 20 years, and I now have two young children that I want to get started on piano. I never thought I would buy a digital piano, but guess what, I just bought one. And not even an expensive one!
What are your goals? Are you going to be a professional pianist or are you learning and playing for your own pleasure. If it is the latter, I think a digital piano will be fine and as another poster pointed out, may even be better than a cheap acoustic upright. I have re-discovered the love of playing with my digital piano. I also think there are some key benefits to a digital piano for busy adults with a lot of commitments: - piano can be played using headphones (my prime practice time is either after 10p or before 7a) - you can record yourself playing and fine tune pieces without an instructor - you do not need to worry about tuning the piano
I decided to go with a mid-range digital piano, so if either of my children decide they love piano, I have money to put towards a good acoustic. I definitely will not be selling the DP though!
Digital pianos have limitations that can impede progress to some degree when you are very advanced, but people who are very advanced already have an opinion on the subject and don't come here asking if a digital can replace an acoustic for study. I can therefore infer that the OP is a beginner or intermediate player, in which case a fine digital is a good alternative for studying.
Indeed I MAY have misunderstood. I was supposing the OP wanted to study the piano at conservatory level, and my answer was meant to be a reply to that. If I misunderstood, apologies - I'm not a native speaker of the English language.
Here's an example of what happens if a person's first instrument is a digital:
Where does he say he learned on a digital? I couldn't find this information either on youtube or his own channel.
In any case, people were playing like that long before digitals were invented. I remember. And I'm sure that a mediocre upright piano would be more of a bar to a student realising his or her potential than all but the most toy-like digital piano.
Digital does not equate with sterile. A player with emotions to express will do it on the lowliest of digital pianos. Just as this man does not on a decent seeming grand piano.....although he does indeed get the notes in the right order.
If you are starting out - consider only 2 options: an acoustic upright or a Yamaha Avantgrand N1. I started on the former and just bought the latter. An acoustic is preferable, but I do believe the N1 would be the next best thing in a flat or apartment. The action on the N1 is true grand action; though the sound is not as resonant as an acoustic.
Don't cut corners. The less expensive digitals don't begin to match an acoustic in action or sound.
Hi Susan, have you tried the Yamaha NU1 in comparison to the N1? It´s an upright action instead of a Grand action, but I think it as close to an acoustic action as the N1 is while being less expensive.
