Looking to buy a piano

[Hayashi]

My daughter (8 yrs old) is starting piano lessons & her tutor has advised that we buy a piano for her to practice at home.
My wife and I have differing views as to what type to get:

Her view - buy a 2nd hand one, but reputable brand, so that if our daughter loses interest we can sell it and get some cash back. However, we've gone hunting with a friend and the "good ones", by our friend's & shop's estimate, cost roughly about $3000 or more.

My view - get a cheap beginner's model from a reputable shop (eg Yamaha). Problem is, the sales people say that as our daughter gets on we would need to "upgrade" to an intermediate or advanced one. There a models (assembled in Indonesia, parts made in Japan) that are significantly cheaper than the 2nd hand models above. There are even cheaper models that are made in China and sound ok to my untrained ears, but wifey says these have no/low resale value. The music shops have a scheme where we can trade in the beginner's model & buy a more advanced one at a discount.

There's no guarantee that my daughter will continue on. She's taking lessons because she wants to learn to play, but I have no intentions of forcing her to continue playing if she loses interest. She's also into tap-dancing, rhythmioc gymnastics, dance, etc, just to give an indication that she's into a lot of other things besides piano.

So which should we go for? 2nd hand branded, or cheaper new model, but less established brand?

Also, how critical is the heater, & must it be on 24 hrs a day? I live in the tropics and the place where we intend to put the piano is not climate controlled . Humidity may warp the wood eventually, which is what the heater is supposedly to guard against.

Any thoughts welcome. Thanks.

[Dirty Meg]

There is no point getting a crap instrument. If your daughter really gets into it you will need to buy her a decent piano anyway so if you get a crap one to start with you will ultimately end up spending more. Heat and moisture will damage any instrument made of wood so if you are in tropical conditions, get a dehumidifier and air conditioning.
As for brand, get a Bosendorfer. You will have to sell one of your kidneys but it will be worth it. If you don't love your daughter enough to sell your kidney to buy her a piano, Yamaha are superb value for money and pretty good quality for the price you will be paying.

[Harkoliar]

i would suggest a electric piano.. the one that looks like a real one. that way you dont have to worry about paino repairs or rotting of wood or anything like that. it will also be more or less the same feeling plus you can play like an organ or harmonica and be able to record it. but thats just me.

[Dirty Meg]

Originally posted by Harkoliar: i would suggest a electric piano.. the one that looks like a real one. that way you dont have to worry about paino repairs or rotting of wood or anything like that. it will also be more or less the same feeling plus you can play like an organ or harmonica and be able to record it. but thats just me.

You can't learn to play on an electic piano. It will lack any dynamics, all the notes will sound the same however hard you hit the keys and the keys will be unresponsive and uncomfortable to play. It won't feel like a proper piano.

[Bungleau]

Let's see... if you buy the $3000 piano, how much can you resell it for? Still $3000, or more like $1500? Find the difference, and that will tell you your "play area" -- IOW, that piano will cost you $1500 (with my numbers). If you buy a cheapie to start (say, $500) and then upgrade later, it will only have cost you $500 and not $1500.

Figure out the real numbers for it, and see where that puts you.

Also, I'm pretty sure that at least some electric pianos out there today are smart enough to figure out how hard you're hitting the keys, and adjust accordingly. They probably won't be the cheapest on the market, but they should be able to do it just fine.

My own perspective (as a longtime drummer) is that you spend a while learning the rudimentary stuff before you can start playing with feeling and emotion, which is where the dynamics and other things come into play. Until she gets there, it doesn't really matter what she's playing on...

[Link]

Keyboards or electric piano's can do a real good trick in copying the real piano feel, but they will never be able to replace the 'true' piano. I myself have played piano for 10 years and then moved out because I was going to attend at university. As a graduation gift my parents decided to give me an electronic piano (Yamaha; don't worry I had to contribute myself as well) which was a brand new model at that time (approx. 2 years ago). While I'm still very happy with my electronic piano (I love to play with the different sounds and stuff), nothing beats playing at home on my parents' piano, how old and dissonant it may sound by now.

My point: a piano will ALWAYS beat an electronic one, and if you buy a cheap one, you will regret it for your life. Trust me, I'm glad I payed part of the $ 2000 for my Yamaha.

[pritchke]

I am not a piano expert but I would suggest getting a second hand piano made from polymers (hard plastic type materials). The polymer piano should be able to do better in your environment. Polymers are also usually much cheaper than wood pianos (I am thinking you could buy a new one for almost the same price as a used wooden one 2 or 3000)and you will not have to worry about cracking or warping of the piano in humid temperatures. I don't see why a good piano needs to be made from wood. Wood defiantly looks better but that is aesthetics and if it will cause maintenance problems due to the material and environment I would look at a different material for the environment you are in.

Here is a site I found with information on buying, tuning etc. of a piano and some recommended brands. The information is for Calgary but there is much information that is generic so you may find it useful especially the recommended brands.

http://www.canadianpianopage.com/calgary/

Maybe her piano teacher will go with you guys to help pick out a piano. It is good to have an expert opinion (other than the salesperson) when buying. Especially if picking up a used piano.


[ 06-24-2004, 12:21 PM: Message edited by: pritchke ]

[Bungleau]

At eight years old, Hayashi, I'll stick to my original advice: buy something inexpensive now (even if it's electric), and when your daughter grows skilled enough where it makes a difference, then spend money on a good one.

A good musician can make wonderful music with a bad instrument. A good instrument will not help a bad musician be wonderful. If this is truly something your daughter enjoys, you will be able to tell in short order, and can then make an investment in the future for her.

[Har'oloth]

I as a music teacher would say, get her a good one or else none because the instrument could make a difference between going further or stopping. I should go for a second handed because you don't have to worry its getting all tuned bad all the time because it's already played inn should we say!
much fun with it and enjoy the music capabilities of your little girl!

[Epona]

When I started piano lessons my parents got an old piano that was being replaced by the local church (in retyrn for a donation).

The quality of the piano made absolutely no difference to my enjoyment whatsoever. Your daughter's 8 years old and is unlikely to care how much the thing cost, just get a cheap one and let her enjoy it. Then when she wants riding lessons instead in a few years time you won't be feeling too out of pocket [img]smile.gif[/img]