This is an easy trap to fall into: you’ve decided you are going to learn the piano but don’t have one, so you need to find a good piano to learn with. A piano that will last you the entirety of your new hobby and into your career as a professional pianist.
It should have the best sound, the best key response, the best software integration, checks all the boxes, etc… right?
So, so wrong. Here’s why: that decision, the one where you decide which piano is going to be perfect for your needs, is one that will take you years and years to make. And you can’t possibly know exactly what you will need your piano for until you are on the journey of learning it. There are so many pianos, digital pianos and keyboards out there, used and new, that are amazing and worth your investment for one reason or another, it’s too much to learn about all these in the beginning! It takes too much time and you will spend far too much money if you make a decision that’s wrong for you down the line.
The best thing you can do is to get a piano, any piano or keyboard, it really doesn’t matter.
It needs to have black and white keys, make the appropriate noises relative to each key, be at least 3 octaves (37 keys) and that’s. it. That’s all you need to begin.
So beg, borrow or pick up something very cheaply and just start. You will be STARTING and that is the most important thing. You will likely outgrow it very quickly but here’s the thing: you will have saved yourself months of looking for the right piano and gotten to learn and enjoy it straight away AND you will have demonstrated to yourself that you do in fact enjoy the piano and can therefore completely justify upgrading to something later - but while you are researching that upgrade, you have something to play on to continue your progress.
I lived the past seven years in London working in music publishing, playing in a band, writing and recording albums with my trusty digital piano that I absolutely adored. But I sold it to do something else that was important to me - move home to New Zealand and spend more time with my family. Now home, I decided to start the piano course and fell into this exact trap - I began researching what new piano I should buy so that I could begin making the course. “How can I teach a piano course without a beautiful piano? People will LAUGH at me!” or so I thought. But then I realised that I was wasting valuable time - it’s not about the quality of the piano - it’s about starting. And so I started the piano course with a keyboard that I borrowed from a friend. Take a look at my course videos if you want proof! I almost forgot one very important thing; it’s not about the model, it’s about how you play it.
And honestly, if you are worried about having a good sound (for recording or filming) then just make sure you have a USB out - you can plug your keyboard into your computer (or iPad or iPhone if you have an adapter) and using an audio software app, try a bunch of effects to get your desired tone. Problem solved!
What type of piano/keyboard did you, or are you, starting on? Let me know in the comments.
