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Electric piano/keyboard recommendations


Doc Holliday
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Evening one and all! As per the title, I'm looking for a recommendation for an electric piano/keyboard. 

I've always wanted to learn to play a musical instrument and it was a toss up between the guitar or the piano. The piano won (best of 3). 

I did have a few lessons some years back and the teacher insisted that I get a keyboard to practice on. Although I did look into this, I never followed up and thought I'd get around to it a bit later. Thst was probably like 10 years ago. 

So, I'm only looking for something not too expensive but with a full set of keys which I can mess about on and get used to placement of the keys, etc., so any advice on make/model would be good.

Thanks, as ever.

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The Yamaha digital piano range are pretty decent. Clavinovas(CL range are great but probably more than you want to pay) YDP 144 is good at around £800 I think. All weighted keys and sampled grand piano sounds. Don't know much about the rest tbh

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My daughter has a Casio CDP 130, which has weighted keys, several different instrument sounds and many functions.  Have a google of Gear4Music, based in York, for a full range and makes of pianos and many other  instruments , etc.  Much cheaper than many others.  I buy all the instruments for my kids from there.

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If you are at the very early start of your journey then a big thing to consider is the number of keys.

If you wish to go through gradings and play classical music then an 88 key keyboard/piano is what you want.  You may also want a keyboard that supports a pedal input too.

If just you want to vamp and play more pop/rock/blues type music then a 66 or 72 key keyboard will get you by and of course be a bit smaller and cheaper.

Weighted keys do help as plastic springy keys are hopeless for feel, but no need to go daft and spend big bucks..

There will be hundreds of second hand instruments that you can pick up as cheap as chips.

Some keyboards have illuminations in the keys to help guide you.  Even ones at the lower end of the price range may have a feature where you can download lessons off the web and load into the keyboard.

If you have space you can buy upright pianos outrageously cheaply, just make sure it has a steel frame and if you can get a piano tuner to take a look, even going through reputable dealers you will still get an upright very cheaply.

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Some good advice above.

A Yamaha YDP are a great entry level electric piano,  they have similar length dimensions of an upright piano and give some feel of a upright piano. Also can plug in headphones to allow silent playing. 

Benefits of a electric keyboard such as the Clavinova mentioned above is that you can add in multiple 'voicings' and instruments to accompany your playing. Most models also take headphones.

Electric piano, you can add in additional 'voicing' and many models have weighted keys which to an extent attempt to give a the feel of a weighted key on a traditional piano.

If you are convinced you are in for the 'long haul' and wish to play the piano soley and can afford the room as Grr says going with an upright is a good way to go. Uprights were designed for use in homes, well prior to that they were designed for use in 'juke joints' due to the lack of space, one is simply a grand piano on its side. The keys on an upright are weighted but not as heavily weighted as a grand as gravity assists the hammer on the key more efficiently with an upright. If you do go for an upright make sure it has been tuned, a piano that has not been tuned regular, possibly yearly may need 'regulating which is a more lengthy and thorough tune. Good advice to buy from a shop as it would come with some warranty and be tuned to 'concert pitch.'

Ask a piano tuner the question , 'when does a piano start to go out of tune' and the reply will very well be 'as soon as it is tuned', concert pianos are tuned every day. 

If you do decide to buy from a private buyer the most important thing on any piano is the soundboard which is one continuous sheet of wood at the back of the strings, if this is cracked or warped I am led to believe that the piano produces a buzzing sound. That aside loads of models to choose from, better to get a lesser model which has been well maintained than a slightly better model which has not. You can get a a good upright from a shop for starting around the £500 mark.

You may wish to play by ear, visual synthesizer tutorials and cords and you could play for a lifetime.

My personal advice would be to get a good teacher who will 'spur you on' each week with your chosen genre. Learn to read music, what you learned in your initial lesson will still be in there somewhere and it will come back to you. What do you like, pop, jazz, blues, classical?, so much to choose from. Like the Mighty Prawn says try to play every day even if it just for 30 minutes this will be more beneficial than playing for longer periods less frequently. Many days will be frustrating and you will not feel like going to the piano however, if you want to get on you just have to get past it. Get started today, you are never too old to start piano.

May the PW massive look forward to your 'Virtuoso renditions on the Piano Forte!'

atb

7diaw

 

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Many thanks gents! Some very sage and helpful advice, always.

7Days, the teacher I went to said that Jazz/Blues style is probably easiest to learn as tends to be a little more forgiving when learning. She did badger me to get a keyboard but I just didn't have the time to commit to it, unfortunately. I think my style will be more 'Little Richard' than Richard Clayderman 😂

I recently did some work for a friend of a friend, who is a piano teacher, mainly classical I think. Her young lad, who was probably about 8, played beautifully. She wanted some help putting up shelves, pictures & mirrors and whilst I was there she was teaching him. I couldn't help but just stand and listen. 

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19 minutes ago, Doc Holliday said:

Many thanks gents! Some very sage and helpful advice, always.

7Days, the teacher I went to said that Jazz/Blues style is probably easiest to learn as tends to be a little more forgiving when learning. She did badger me to get a keyboard but I just didn't have the time to commit to it, unfortunately. I think my style will be more 'Little Richard' than Richard Clayderman 😂

I recently did some work for a friend of a friend, who is a piano teacher, mainly classical I think. Her young lad, who was probably about 8, played beautifully. She wanted some help putting up shelves, pictures & mirrors and whilst I was there she was teaching him. I couldn't help but just stand and listen. 

👍

Nothing wrong with playing style like 'little Richard' he was a talented pianist, he played classical music beautifully however the public rarely got to see that extent of his training and talent. He was known for his 'infectiously flamboyant' showmanship with his rock style piano. If you can get some of his 'riffs' under your fingers which I am sure you can. you will '***** the ears of many a listener.'

atb

Just now, 7daysinaweek said:

👍

Nothing wrong with playing style like 'little Richard' he was a talented pianist, he played classical music beautifully however the public rarely got to see that extent of his training and talent. He was known for his 'infectiously flamboyant' showmanship with his rock style piano. If you can get some of his 'riffs' under your fingers which I am sure you can. you will '***** the ears of many a listener.'

atb

Darn the swear filter!

Prickup

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2 hours ago, Doc Holliday said:

Many thanks gents! Some very sage and helpful advice, always.

7Days, the teacher I went to said that Jazz/Blues style is probably easiest to learn as tends to be a little more forgiving when learning. She did badger me to get a keyboard but I just didn't have the time to commit to it, unfortunately. I think my style will be more 'Little Richard' than Richard Clayderman 😂

I recently did some work for a friend of a friend, who is a piano teacher, mainly classical I think. Her young lad, who was probably about 8, played beautifully. She wanted some help putting up shelves, pictures & mirrors and whilst I was there she was teaching him. I couldn't help but just stand and listen. 

If you can learn the type of music that you want to play you are far more likely to commit to it as you get more from it.

Some people have a natural ability and seem to make it look effortless, everyone else has to work hard to get to be good.  If you enjoy what you're playing then it's easier to put in the practice.

It is all about what you want to get from it too.  Is it just that itch that needs scratched to learn something different for a bit of fun, is it for the social side to have a bit of a busk and sing along with mates or is it a real desire to properly learn music.

Whatever is right for you is the right answer and if you have chops anything like Little Richard then you're doing very well indeed :D

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