How to Buy a Piano Keyboard
Choosing which piano keyboard to buy, especially for a beginner, can be daunting since there are so many keyboard manufacturers offering many features tailored to different playing styles and musical genres. Buying a piano is an investment in your musical future, so there's lots to consider before laying down your money.
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Instructions
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Evaluate your piano-playing ability. If you're an absolute beginner, you don't want to overpay for a piano that may sit unused after the initial thrill wears off. You're better off buying a cheap piano to start with and then upgrading later when you're sure that playing the piano is something that you really want to do long term. If the novelty wears off, or you decide that you don't really have the aptitude for it, then your investment and loss will have been minimal.
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Consider the genre of music you'll be playing to decide whether to go with a digital or an acoustic piano. If you're aiming to play classical music, then you're probably better off going for an acoustic piano. Classical music is a little more demanding of an instrument's tone and sensitivity, and if you're going to be taking lessons, chances are that your teacher will insist you have an acoustic piano to practice on between lessons.
If you'll be playing pop or rock, you can probably get away with a digital piano. The advantages of going digital are portability and the fact that you don't need the services of a piano tuner every year. On top of that, there's usually a headphone jack on digital keyboards, which your neighbors may thank you for, especially if you're likely to be playing late at night. -
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Do a little Internet research on pianos to check prices and features of a few models in your price range. Check their specifications and read a few reviews. This won't help you to decide on the piano you're going to buy, but it will at least arm you with a little knowledge so that when you do go into a music store, you'll be better prepared and won't feel as intimidated when you're approached by a salesperson.
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Visit your local music store and examine a few of the pianos you've researched. If you're in the market for an acoustic piano and are considering buying used, make sure you go to a reputable, established piano dealer. Such dealers will offer some sort of warranty on the piano, throw in the first tuning and should be able to deliver the piano.
If you're considering a digital model, make sure you pay attention to the action of the keyboard. For a natural feel, make sure you look for a piano with weighted keys. It won't feel exactly like a real acoustic piano, but technological advances have made many digital pianos very responsive, and to a beginner at least, the difference will be slight. -
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Play each of the pianos you're interested in and listen carefully to the tonal character of each. If you're a complete beginner, ask the salesman to play for you so that you can compare the sounds of each piano. If the piano is a digital model, listen to it using its built-in speakers as well as with headphones. It's actually a good idea to take your own headphones with you to the store so you can get an accurate impression of the sound you can expect when you get the piano home. If you listen to the piano using $200 headphones in the store, you might be a little disappointed when you listen to it with your $15 set at home.
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Decide what features you need in a piano so you don't overpay for bells and whistles you don't need. Many digital pianos come with built-in metronomes, an army of special effects and a wide variety of sampled sounds. If you're not likely to use extra features, it makes little sense to pay extra money for them.
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Tips & Warnings
If you're planning to buy a digital piano and you'll be using it in public performances, you'll also need to purchase an amplifier. Digital pianos have a small built-in amplifier and speaker that work fine in your home, but they're not powerful enough to be heard in a club-sized venue. Ask lots of questions in the music store. In particular, find out how the warranties compare and inquire about the store's return policy, in case you're not happy with the purchase when you get it home. Reputable piano dealers often have a trade-up policy where they allow you to trade in the piano in the future and give you the full purchase price toward a more expensive model.
Don't buy a piano online without having played it. Reading a specification sheet and looking at a nice glossy photo might give you some background information and a few technical details, but it's no substitute for actually playing the piano and listening to its tone.
