Resources > Buying a Piano
BUYING A PIANO
Information about buying a suitable instrument for yourself or your student.
The Big Debate: Acoustic Pianos versus Digital Pianos
Despite the recent advances in technology, digital pianos simply cannot replicate the sound and feel of a real acoustic piano! Because learning on a digital piano can be harmful to the student's technique and they aren't as appealing in sound anyway, I recommend acoustic pianos for all my students -- especially beginners. It's crucial that the student love the sound and feel of the instrument they are studying. Students generally will continue lessons longer if they have a real instrument to play!
Here a further explanation of the various types of keyboard instruments available:
Here a further explanation of the various types of keyboard instruments available:
- Electric keyboard. These range in size from 66 keys, 77 keys, or 88 keys (rare). They generally have little to no weight to the keys and feel nothing at all like an acoustic piano.
- Digital keyboard. These are usually 88 keys in size and do have a weighted action. However, it is still not comparable to the feel of a real piano and can negatively affect the student's technique. New digital pianos generally run between $900-5000, depending on the bells and whistles that are included.
- Acoustic piano. These have vibrating strings inside and produce that wonderful acoustic sound we all love! Practicing on an acoustic piano is necessary for proper technique development.
Where can I find a suitable acoustic piano?
- Craigslist.
- Groman's Music in Findley.
- Craig's Pianos in West Toledo on Sylvania Ave.
What should I look for in an acoustic piano?
Buying from a piano store, remember that you will be paying roughly 30% in overhead fees. By buying a piano on Craigslist you can often avoid this; however, keep in mind that piano stores may throw in a free tuning service or free piano delivery if that will cinch the deal.
Questions to ask when looking at pianos:
If the piano seems promising, you can ask to go see/play the piano. If you know a few pieces, you can try out the piano to see if you like the touch.
Here are a few other quick tips for checking out used pianos:
Questions to ask when looking at pianos:
- Has it been tuned/serviced regularly over the past few years? This is one of the most important questions to ask. Just as you would never want to buy a used car that hasn't had an oil change done in years, you don't want to buy a piano that has not been tuned in years.
- What brand is it? Expensive, top-of-the-line brands include Steinway. American-built pianos are generally very good purchases which will retain their value; however, things get complicated because many American brand names have now been bought by Asian companies -- so don't buy them new, buy used! American brands names include: Baldwin, Chickering. Yamaha pianos are also acceptable instruments.
- How old is the piano? If they aren't sure, ask for the piano's serial number so you can look it up online.
If the piano seems promising, you can ask to go see/play the piano. If you know a few pieces, you can try out the piano to see if you like the touch.
Here are a few other quick tips for checking out used pianos:
- Be sure to play every key on the piano to make sure they all work! :)
- Try out the pedals. The far right pedal (the damper pedal) is the one that is used the most. When you press it, the notes you play should continue ringing even though you've released the keys. Of course, if it is not working properly, you may be able to have a technician repair it. But it is good to know this before you buy it. You may have some leverage for offering the owner a lower price. The middle pedal is rarely used. Sometimes it is a "practice pedal" (softer sound) but with grand pianos it is usually a "sostenuto pedal" (for special effects; rarely used). The far left pedal is called the "una corda," Latin for "one cord." It is a pedal that gives a different color to the sound as well as makes the sound softer.
- Try playing softly and loudly. Do the keys still respond well even when you are trying to play softly?
Moving a Piano
It is usually okay to move an upright piano yourself with some buddies and a pick-up truck, providing you have moving blankets, cords to secure it, etc.
Grand pianos are much more complicated to move, so I recommend hiring a professional piano moving company. It can cost anywhere from $100-600 to move a piano, depending on the number of stairs you have and the number of miles you need to move it.
Grand pianos are much more complicated to move, so I recommend hiring a professional piano moving company. It can cost anywhere from $100-600 to move a piano, depending on the number of stairs you have and the number of miles you need to move it.
Piano Maintenance
Tuning generally costs anywhere between $60-100. It is recommended that you tune your piano at least once or twice a year. Skipping tunings is like skipping oil changes for your car: it can result in serious damage to your instrument if you do it too much!
Recommended piano technician in Bowling Green, Ohio:
Recommended piano technician in Bowling Green, Ohio:
- Mike Fisher, Registered Piano Technician (fisherm[at]bgsu.edu).
Other Resources
- Larry Fine's pianobuyer.com site. His monthly pdf magazine contains lots of useful information about the various piano brands out there.
- Article: Acoustic versus Digital Pianos: Which to Buy?
- One piano teacher's guide to piano brands: Piano Brands