A piano or keyboard promises many hours, weeks and years of enjoyment for you and your family. That’s why you need to be sure the money you spend on it pays off. The only way to do this is take the time to decide what you want and need, and understand what’s out there.
Searching for the right piano can be one of the most exciting, inspiring times for a musician. After all, this instrument will be an extension of your creative expression, and you want to make sure it fits your purpose and needs perfectly.
…A piano is a major investment, and not one that you want to make without doing some research. By asking yourself a few simple questions ahead of time, you’ll have a good starting point when you do start vising retailers. Via Music Notes
The music a piano produces is its greatest value, which is why you need to know the tone and key touch you are looking for. You can determine this by visiting a retail piano dealer in your area with a large selection of new and used pianos. Here, you can sample different pianos and find out which one sounds the best and is responsive to your fingers.
They all sound good to me, so how do I tell if a piano has good tone?
Piano tone is a matter of personal preference, which is influenced by how well and what kind of music you play, and by what you’ve been used to playing or listening to in the past. Your taste in piano tone may also change with time. One way to begin to recognize what is generally considered good tone is to play or listen to some of the most expensive pianos, including ones you can’t afford to buy, and then compare them to less-expensive instruments. Via Piano Buyer
Truth be told, the piano is a complicated instrument, but that should not intimidate you when buying one. Technical information can be useful, but it is not essential to a successful shopping experience, particularly if you intend to buy a new piano. Keep in mind, though, that some familiarity is advisable when you are buying a used piano.
Most technical information you’ll come across relates to how the manufacturer designed the instrument. You should focus on how the instrument sounds, feels, and looks, not how it got that way. In addition, technical features are often taken out of context and manipulated by advertising and salespeople — the real differences in quality are often in subtleties of design and construction that don’t make good ad copy. Via Piano Buyer
For a piano, or any instrument for that matter, you want to spend more for how it sounds than anything else. The general rule here is that higher-priced pianos come with a better tone and touch than entry-level pianos. They also offer greater control of musical expression, and are in most cases more attractive.
Like all big purchases, the price range for pianos is huge and you usually get what you pay for. However, unlike a new couch or car, pianos maintain their value over time. (With proper maintenance, pianos can last upwards of 50 years.) Purchasing the highest quality instrument you can afford will ensure you retain the most from your investment, and that your instrument will continue to spark musical creativity. Via Music Notes
If you are working with a tight budget, you may get a piano with high-quality sound, but you may have to compromise on its appeal. Note that you are more likely to regret compromising on sound quality no matter how good the instrument looks. Remember, it’s not just a piece of furniture.
While the level of appeal may not be as important as the sound, the size of the piano is a critical consideration. The instrument must fit the space available for it in your home. If you have limited space, you should be able to make your decision faster as this will eliminate larger pianos. However, note that larger pianos tend to have better tone quality than smaller ones, so you may want to make room for a bigger piano if possible.
All other factors being equal, taller uprights and longer grands sound better, particularly in the bass and mid-range, than smaller or shorter ones. This is due to the physics of piano strings, which dictates that longer strings produce a more harmonious sound. In some cases, the larger pianos may also have better keys and actions. Of course, unless you’re comparing different-size models of the same brand and model line, all other factors are rarely equal, so one should not pursue size to the exclusion of other attributes, but as a general rule of thumb, when it comes to selecting a piano, bigger is better. Via Piano Buyer
The following video is a great resource if you are looking to buy a keyboard:
And finally, a few tips from a keyboard player:
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