I am a late lifer who has been taking piano lessons for about ten months but use a low end Casio keyboard at home. As I have stuck with it this long and would like it continue, I have been thinking about purchasing a better digital piano. I took my 1st venture into a music store which featured the Yamaha digital line. The salesperson was very nice and professional. Being a forum voyeur certainly was very helpful in understanding much of presentation. During his presentation another customer who owned an acoustic piano but had recently purchased a Yamaha digital about a year ago kinda stepped in (invited by the way). I asked what she thought about digital piano's and you could tell by the look on her face that digitals were not her first choice. She stated that she had a 6ft grand or baby grand piano (the name of which I cannot remember)in her basement but that she did not have room for it in the house...thus the digital. Besides she said, "They are so much fun!" Using a black, polished (so beautiful) Yamaha CVP 210 which was on the floor she began playing. At first she just used the piano voice. Although I am a novice, she was obviously extremely talented if not of "professional" caliber. She said she had been playing "forever." Her playing and the sound of the piano voice was, I thought, grand and profusely beautiful. Then after a few minutes she began playing using the "bells and whistles" (voices, tracts, accompaniments, effects etc.) that are featured on the 210. She did so effortlessly making changes as she played sometimes not seeming to miss a beat. In any event, I thought it was absolutely, positively, so very neat and pleasing to see and hear. I was benignly envious and jealous of all the talent she displayed which I'm sure was hard earned and which I'm even more sure I will never possess. I told her and the salesperson that if I had her talent I would write him a check out for the 210 on the spot.
In any event, what I would really wanted to say is that now I know what the extra bells and whistles on digitals can do and they truly are fun to listen to and, I would think, play--like having an orchestra and recording studio at your beck and call. I thought some of the "intelligent piano" and learning features on the 210 very intriguing. I think they could/would be useful in helping us beginning players enjoy practicing more and perhaps improve our learning curve.
Most importantly, I would like to acknowledge and express sincere admiration to those of you at the piano world forums--digital or otherwise--who are working or have worked so hard to develop your talent and for sharing that talent and knowledge with others. The lady I had the opportunity to hear play truely has a gift and blessing that certainly was inspiring to me. For all the "younger" beginners, all I can say is don't let the opportunity escape for, "What joy can await you."
