Advice on buying a piano.
Now totally different and clear.
With practical advice. Tailored to your life situation.
Acoustic grand piano
* every pianist's dream
* you don't have to move often
* weighs between 300 and 600 kg, depending on length
* you need a lot of space for it:
Grand piano 140-180 cm,
grand piano 180- 210 cm, semi-concert grand piano
concert grand piano 210-240
cm, concert grand piano 240-300 cm
* wants to be tuned at least
once a year (100/150 EUR)
* Smaller models are available at around 10,000 EUR
* good concert grand pianos cost between 30/50,000 EUR
* a second-hand purchase is also possible (but please
take an experienced piano
experienced piano maker!)
* lasts over 100 years, a legacy
of the future
Acoustic piano
* shipping costs depending on
location 200/600 EUR
* weight between 170 to 300 kg
* must be tuned at least once a year (100/150 EUR)
* natural enemies: underfloor heating, all exterior walls, French windows, tiled stove!
* a new piano will cost between 4,000/5,000 EUR and 20,000 EUR, the higher
the piano is, the better the sound and the more expensive the price
* with a height of 1.30 m, it is called a "concert piano".
* recommendation: ask local piano tuners; they're familiar with instruments and may be
able to find you a good-value
second-hand one.
* silent pianos are generally less expensive when ordered
directly from the factory; they are recommended for rental apartments, although strong vibrations can still be heard.
* for more details I recommend
clavio.de" (in German!)
Digital grand piano
* a digital grand piano is a
digital piano in the form
form of a grand piano.
* The resonance body allows
the installation of a larger amplifier/speaker.
* the playing/seating sensation
is reminiscent of a concert grand piano, as is the high- quality sound.
* due to its shallow construction, the digital grand piano does not require
too much space in the room
* no adjustments required, over the years, the keys require some maintenance
* weight 80/100 kg, in motion
can be dismantled into parts
* service life is comparable to that of high-quality amplifiers, approx. 10/30 years
* the keyboard is quickly obsolete, with constant improvements in the brand's
successor models
* after product discontinuation,
spare parts are only available
for a few years
* price between 3,000 and
18,000 EUR
Digital piano
* now the most widely purchased type of piano
* the external shape resembles
an acoustic piano ("Home Piano")
* weight between 40
and 60 kg
* already has built-in speakers
* there's a huge choice of models available
* sound is mainly based on elaborate samples of grand and acoustic pianos
* higher quality or price means
wooden keyboards, powerful
amplifiers, synthetic ivory keyboard, larger screens, Bluetooth, applications,
string resonance, higher polyphony (number of notes that can be played simultaneously), etc.
* 5 Japanese companies are
dominant: Yamaha, Roland,
Kawai, Korg, Casio.
* Prices vary according to equipment, from 900/
5,000 EUR
* lifespan similar to that of a
digital grand piano 10 to 30
years
* most common fault: power
supply
Piano hybride
* the hybrid piano combines
both worlds: the natural touch of a real piano mechanism and the many advantages of today's digital technology
* Digital sound generation technologies make it possible
to have many more instruments and virtually all the conveniences digital pianos (headphone playing,
recording capability, metronome, transpositions, fine-tuning of the keyboard,
applications for mobile phones, Bluetooth, MIDI
connections, etc.).
* silent piano modules can be
factory-installed or retrofitted; in the webinar, I'll
demonstrate the complex installation in detail!
* the prerequisite for retrofitting is space for the module and a well- functioning mechanism
* cost of renovation: between
2,000/2,700 EUR (complete)
* all manufacturers have their own not approved for retrofitting; however, some
manufacturers specialize in installation
Stage piano
* stage pianos are easy to transport (weighing between
5-50 kg), often without their
own speakers, but they do
have numerous connection options
* there are separate shock- resistant for transport
* in addition to the 88-key
models, there are also 76- key models (Nord, Yamaha)
* thanks to conversion kits,
stage pianos can be converted into digital pianos
("Home Piano")
* prices range from around
400 to 3,000 EUR and depend on a number of quality features that also distinguish digital pianos
* as a general rule, the music stand supplied will not be suitable in terms of stability and width
* for very simple models, it is important to order a high- quality pedal (possibly in
exchange for the one supplied)
Travel pianos
* in recent years, numerous
88-key portable "pianos"
have appeared on the market
* as "vacation pianos", these
are recommended with restrictions
* the sound from the built-in
speakers is more than mediocre and may prevent you from playing; the piano can be connected to the amplifier of a car radio, which
considerably improves the sound.
* travel pianos all have MIDI
connections, so our interactive scores can be played via a cable (this usually works very well)
* price of mobile pianos:
100/150 EUR
* in addition to folding pianos
there are also folding pianos that can be rolled up; these have no knobs, only a pressure point which often
therefore not recommended.
* perfect solution: The Phoenix
Piano from Lyon/France, on
which I was able to play once
in person; however, the price
is enormous: 12,900 EUR;
professional pianists from all
over the world buy it to prepare their concerts abroad
Keyboards
* they are regularly offered before Christmas for less than 100 EUR
* they appear to be above average for their size and
their low purchase price
* they have all the necessary
connections, some even have Bluetooth
* countless other sounds and battery functions
* the screen is often much
larger than that of digital
pianos
* the attack is modest, with no
hammer mechanism
* the main problem: they
generally have only 61 keys,
so they're sufficient for the
basic beginner course at
best, but not for later, so they're not recommended!
