If you decide to buy a piano, then you should take enough time.
A piano, whether mechanical or electronic, should not be an impulse purchase , as if you just feel like chocolate and spontaneously strikes.
You have to ask yourself several questions:
- What good is it for me to buy a piano?
- Is the piano the right instrument for me?
- Where are the advantages and disadvantages of the piano?
- How much will the instrument actually cost me?
- How should I choose my piano?
- Where can I buy a piano?
- Do I even have room for a piano?
- Which accessories might I need? (Metronome, piano stool, protective cloth …)
We will show you in five steps why it pays to buy a piano and to venture this long-term investment.
Because only those who have a piano at home can get it as far as jazz legends or classics like Chopin.
Contents
The piano – a complete instrument
The piano is the king among the instruments and will not only carry you on musically, but also in social life.
Playing the piano means that different body parts have to be active at the same time.
Only the right coordination between brain and hands can lead to success.
The brain, the eyes, the hands, the feet, the posture (this includes the back and the breathing): The whole body participates in playing the piano!
Therefore, the instrument requires tremendous concentration and the ability to focus on more than one thing at a time.
For this reason, the piano is also called a “complete” instrument.
The eyes read the notes and transmit them to the brain. This in turn instructs the hands to transfer the notes (hopefully correctly) to the keyboard of the piano. The brain manages to obey the hands.
By practicing and repeating technical exercises and chord progressions on the piano, the brain learns to process more and more information at the same time.
An excellent online course can also be a valuable help in learning to play the piano !
Also, the coordination between hands and feet must be right when playing the piano.
For beginners it is advisable to use the feet actively while playing in order to improve faster. The feet are responsible for the pedals. So the right pedal is responsible for letting the sound echo, giving it a certain echo.
With the left foot, the student can re-stamp the rhythm, which gives confidence and quickly improves the sense of rhythm.
It is also important to get the right attitude on the piano . If the shoulders are tilted too much forward, we will not fold it.
In fact, they should rather be withdrawn and the back must be in line with the pelvis. This has a positive effect on breathing while playing the piano.
The hands have more to do than just hit the keys: the elbows should be perpendicular to the keyboard and the fingers must be slightly curved so that you can play with your fingertips. The hands are therefore slightly raised and are a few inches above the keyboard.
Playing the piano improves the memory, the musical understanding and hearing, as well as the skill. The brain works full-time while playing the piano.
When you learn to play the piano, you get used to exploiting the full capacity of the brain and maximizing your concentration. That’s one of the reasons many people choose the instrument.
Once you’ve learned how to coordinate your limbs, you can start venturing into more difficult terrains.
If you practice regularly and the notes go through line by line consistently, then you learn a piece sometime by heart.
Playing the piano and constantly improving your level will help you to constantly surpass your abilities, which will soon lead to a sense of achievement and additional self-confidence.
The ability to listen and the skill of a pianist are stimulated while playing the piano.
During the learning process a pianist develops his musical ear.
He then not only listens to the music, but also the individual notes and chords. The passive becomes active listening, which can be called an expert technique.
Finally, playing piano also promotes psycho-motor comprehension and helps you to improve your instincts. This skill also affects the accuracy of the game and the speed with which you can strike the keys.
So what’s stopping you from getting a piano?
Buying a Piano: A Financial and Personal Investment
If you buy a new piano, the piggy bank has to be affected before. But playing the piano is not only financially expensive, it also takes a lot of time!
For people who want to spend as little money as possible, an electric piano.
How exactly the costs for a piano are composed , you will learn here!
Here is a small price idea for different types of piano:
- 100 € – 300 € for an electric piano of the lowest category
- 300 € – 700 € for a mid-range electric piano
- 700 € – 1200 € for a very decent electric piano
- 1500 € and more for the best electric pianos
- 3000 € for a mechanical piano of the cheap kind
- 9000 € and more for a used wing
Without considering the space that a grand piano occupies in space, this instrument is recommended only for professionals and passionate pianists .
If you are a beginner but want to get into playing the piano, then you might want to choose an e-piano of the middle category.
With 500 € you can land a good catch there.
- Remember that if you buy a mechanical piano, you also have to tune it regularly , about twice a year, they say. But the seasons (change from warm to cold, from dry to damp) and the intensity of use have a strong influence on stringed instruments. Therefore, it is better to have a piano tune every 3 or 4 months.
- Let’s vote! Again, you have to dig deep into your pocket and you should expect at least 100 € if you want to get your piano tuned.
Having a piano at home is also a personal investment: you have to take enough time to really make progress.
That means you should be at the piano for at least fifteen minutes a day , ideally half an hour or even an hour!
But if you’re passionate about it, you do not count time anyway.
Of course, a pianist who strums a little at a time only spends less time than someone who devotes himself fully to the instrument and puts it into his daily routine to learn as many new pieces as possible.
There is no secret: the best pianists are the ones who practice the most.
Playing the piano and having a piano around at home is expensive. If you buy a piano, you have to dig deep into your pocket.
But immaterial costs also play a role. So you have to invest energy, motivation, discipline and passion to really make progress.
How to buy a suitable piano?
To buy a piano that suits you, you have to pay attention to many things before:
- Be aware of the big investment
- To compare different characteristics like the sound, the functions, the processing and possibly the brands of the pianos
- Limit yourself to pianos that fit in your budget
- Select pianos that are suitable for your level and meet your ambitions
- Know how you learn piano want: take private classes, online tutorials look …
- Measure your apartment to avoid dodging the size of the instrument
Depending on the size of the room in which you want to accommodate your piano, the sound of the piano also changes: In a small chamber, an electric piano is better suited than a mechanical piano, in a ballroom a grand piano is more effective.
What kind of piano should you choose?
Let’s recall the three possible variants:
- The electric piano
- Ideal to start playing the piano and familiarize yourself with the instrument. The keys are very easy to play, lighter than on a mechanical piano
- You can dismantle it and transport it easily, which is suitable for people who travel a lot
- Even for students who regularly move back and forth between different cities, an electric piano is for sure the best solution. The same applies to beginners who are not yet sure whether the piano is really the right instrument for them.
- Last point: If you have immediate neighbors or roommates, the electric piano is also a good solution. With it you can even play at night with the help of headphones, without disturbing your environment.
- The mechanical piano
- The most widely used type of piano
- You should have reached a certain level before you get such an instrument
- Considering its weight of at least 200 kilos and its price of at least 1500 €, a mechanical piano is a real piece of furniture. Think well, where you put it, because changing it again means a lot of effort.
- Mechanical pianos offer a very nice sound
- The wing
- The king of the pianos
- Not only is he the crème de la crème in musical terms, he also looks good
- It means an investment for life, because such an instrument quickly costs more than 10,000 € (for a used grand piano!)
Here are some options for models for beginners and professionals :
- Yamaha PSR-F50: 61 keys, 120 tones. Very light (3.4 kg) and fairly cheap (99 €), is good for beginners
- Yamaha DGX-650WH: The best that electric pianos have to offer. With 88 keys that feel like a mechanical piano, this model offers numerous tone variations. You can even record yourself. But you have to pay around 700 €.
- Material 118C: A mechanical piano that adapts perfectly to any environment. A real long-term investment, which should be synonymous 1-3 times a year vote. The price? 4500 €
- Steingraeber B192: A grand piano that is in no way inferior to the best concert pianos. In a large room, he can accomplish true miracles. He is more suitable for experienced pianists. Priced it is about 11,000 €.
- Steinway and sons B-211: One of the finest models that not everyone can match. With 55,000 € he is not suitable for every budget.
More tips can be found in our linked to the beginning of the chapter article on the subject!
Where should you buy your piano best?
First of all, a piano specialist shop in your city usually comes to mind.
The advantage here is that you can try out the instrument, compare some chords on different pianos, and benefit from the expertise of the seller.
The disadvantage is the price. On the internet you will find mostly more attractive offers, at least as far as the price is concerned.
Sometimes, when you buy your piano online, you also benefit from special offers. But you can not look at the instrument before, let alone try it.
For low-priced offers you should as far as possible go out of the way (eg on eBay classified ads) and read technical descriptions thoroughly.
How to choose the perfect piano?
Before you buy a piano, you should inform yourself about the components of the instrument :
- The pedals: They should be well made, handy, comfortable and not too expensive
- The keyboard: For beginners, a keyboard with soft keys is suitable
- The music stand
- The overall condition of the piano
Ask for advice in your area if you can not decide between different pianos.
Your parents can help you, but also relatives, friends and acquaintances, who might know somebody who knows the subject of piano, eg a piano teacher.
You have chosen an instrument? But then you should keep in mind that you also need some accessories!
What tools do you need for playing the piano?
A variety of accessories accompany every good pianist and make his life easier.
Of course you need a seat. You should avoid kitchen chairs and the like and opt instead for a small piano stool.
To take the right attitude on the piano , this is very crucial!
Playing the piano is the rhythm of the utmost importance.
Therefore, a metronome is always a good purchase, if you have not already integrated it into your electric piano and you prefer to do without mobile phone apps.
Piano playing is child’s play with the right accessories! / Source: Pixabay
In addition, a dust-wipe cloth and a protective cover for the keyboard, so that no dust gets into the spaces between the keys.
If you have noise-sensitive neighbors and you have decided on an electric piano, then you can buy headphones that you can connect to your piano.
This avoids unnecessary quarrels with the neighbors if you feel like playing at 22h.
Sennheiser, Yamaha or Roland offer good quality headphones.
A little tip: If you buy the accessories at the same time with your piano, then try to negotiate with the seller and get a better price!
Now you are ready for piano lessons. You have everything you need except a piano teacher.
Now you have to compare schools, private teachers or online piano tutorials and choose the best solution for you.
How big and heavy is such a piano actually?
What kind of piano do you want to buy?
Since the beginning of this article, we try to explain what is important when buying a piano.
It is a long-term investment that deserves to be weighed down to the last detail.
This includes the size of such an instrument!
Mechanical pianos, for those who did not know, are vertical pianos. The strings are stretched on a vertical frame and are made to oscillate there.
In the family of mechanical pianos there are for example:
- The classroom piano, which, as the name implies, is particularly suitable for children and beginners. It measures 1.06 m – 1.13 m.
- The expression piano: an instrument for experienced pianists that conveys beautiful sounds and impressions. It measures between 1.13 m and 1.22 m.
- The prestige piano for professionals. Here you should count between 1.22m and 1.31m.
As for the weight of a piano , you should know that a mechanical piano of about 120-300kg is much lighter than a grand piano (600kg).
N / A? Do devices of such dimensions fit into your living room or bedroom at all? 😉
We hope that in this article you could find out a lot about the purchase of your first piano. We wish you good luck practicing!
