There are so many different kinds of pianos today that it is easy for a beginner to get confused by the abundance. Acoustic instruments, digital pianos, synthesizers – musical instruments of all kinds and for all budgets await their lucky owners. But how do you know what you need?
Decide what you want your piano for
First of all, when choosing an instrument, determine what you need the piano for.
Professional piano lessons
If your plan is to practice piano professionally, you will prioritize quality and natural sound. In this case, the ideal choice is an acoustic instrument, that is, a classical grand piano or upright piano, because no digital analog has such a rich, rich, overtone-filled sound palette. It is also very important for the professional mastery of the instrument to practice your hand technique of effort, pressure, and strokes on an acoustic piano. And hear how different movements create the corresponding sound: strong, weak, bright, gentle, jerky, smooth. When learning on an acoustic piano does not have to retrain your child “hammer” on the keys as much as you can or, conversely, too gently stroke them.
In any case, such a purchase will cost a pretty penny. You can also consider buying a used instrument, suitable offers can always be found in advertisements of a private nature. But keep in mind that without professional advice you can not do without, because you are unlikely to be able to distinguish the good piano from the bad. Underneath the freshly lacquered soundboard may well be an old and worthless mechanics.
Pianos for home use
For home non-professional lessons, it is not always advisable to buy an acoustic piano, you can consider a digital piano or synthesizer as an alternative.
Electronic Pianos
Digital pianos have many additional features: you can select different tones, learn preset tunes, and create your own polyphonic compositions. At the same time, most digital pianos fully imitate the keyboard of an acoustic instrument, with a full range of keys and differential pressure sensitivity. At the same time, the prices are not as steep as for a classical piano. On the digital piano musician can practice at any time of day and night, just plugging in headphones, without fear of causing displeasure to the neighbors, which is also a definite plus.
Synthesizers
Synthesizers have a lightweight non-weighted or halfweighted keyboard with a spring mechanism. The size of the keys in most cases is similar to the piano, with the exception of models for children. The keyboard can be passive and dynamic. The passive type means that all the notes you play will sound with the same dynamics (at the same volume), no matter how much effort you put into extracting the sound. The dynamic keyboard is sensitive to pressure and lets you play using dynamic tones. The sound quality of the synthesizer depends directly on the sound engine and the technology used. The synthesizer can be considered for purchase by an amateur musician for general development, but it is not quite suitable for more serious music lessons.
To summarize: whichever style of lessons you prefer, the instrument will play a major role in the process. To make the right choice, formulate a purchase goal and match it to your means. When you buy your first piano, demand that it fully meet your musical goals, then you will enjoy playing the instrument in the future.
