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Pianos: What to Look for When Purchasing One

tyros2 — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:38:28 +0000

The piano as we all know is a big and bulky musical instrument played through a keyboard; however what most of us may not know is how it produces sound; by striking steel strings with small hammers made out of felt and after a rebound of these hammers the strings continue to vibrate at peak amplitude and frequency (or their resonant frequency). The vibrations from the steel strings are then amplified by the soundboard through a bridge (a device which supports the steel strings) producing sound.

The piano is and has been increasingly used in various countries including Australia and other western countries as part of a solo performance, chamber music, accompanying other musical instruments or as a part of an ensemble. I am sure most if not all of us admire a sight of a pianist or even better a signing pianist sitting on a chair doing their magic on the piano. Piano is not only used as a musical instrument but many musicians over the past have talked about its versatility in composing and rehearsal of songs. However, due to its bulkiness and expenses, other musical instruments are usually used instead of the piano.

Therefore it is very important to seriously ponder what you are looking for when buying a piano, to ensure that you are buying one that suits you, your skills and even better your budget. As I have already mentioned a piano can cost from about $2000 to as much as $80 000 for those grand performance pianos, therefore buying a piano is a major investment on your part. But what do you look for when you want to purchase a piano, even more so if you can’t play yourself and hoping that your kids, whom you are sending for those expensive piano lessons, will one day be able to play at least as half as good as Oscar Peterson.

Firstly, make a criteria of what you are looking for, in terms of size, colour, and most importantly how much you willing to spend. Shop around, I know many of us can be wary of piano salespeople and you may feel that they are steering you in a certain direction, but piano sales company that have been in the market for a long time such as Hutchings Pianos in Sydney are quite reputable. If you are not sure it may be useful to hire someone who knows about pianos to accompany you when you are going to make the purchase especially in checking out the technical aspects of the piano and whether these fit with your other requirements.

The other important question is whether you buy used or new piano. This is eventually up to you, after weighing the pros and cons of each. New pianos are an attractive choice because not only are you getting a brand new piano, but you are getting one without any wear associated with use thus it will last for over half a century, that of course depends on how you take care of the piano after buying it.

Brands like Yamaha and Schimmel are familiar to most people as these companies have been producing pianos over a century in various pats of the world such as Japan, Germany and the US, furthermore these companies have deservingly earned this reputation by producing high quality pianos . However, cheaper brands like Beale and Alex Steinbach have risen in the past few years and if you shop around carefully you may get a good deal.

After settling on certain piano, very carefully investigate the seller’s warranty and if this warranty covers you in your location. Also think in the long term, how hard or easy is it going to be for you to trade in the piano if you want to buy a better one. And also check what is covered in the warranty, especially the conditions of return. Also look at the aesthetic quality of the piano and how it is going to fit in with your house, for example certain pianos will work well in rooms without carpets and vice versa, check with the seller and the technicians.

Used pianos also offer an attractive alternative option as they are relatively cheaper and with careful consideration one can buy not only affordable but also a good quality piano. Besides, if you buy a grand piano, for example one made prior to World War II you can always claim and rightly fully so to your friends and family, that your piano is an authentic antique. And we all know how everyone loves antique products. To find good quality used pianos, again check with reputable Piano dealers, negotiate for a better deal. Before making a used piano purchase it may prove useful to determine the age of the piano, through enquiring about the name and the serial number of the piano. Caution should be exercised for rebuilt pianos.

I hope I have given insight about purchase of pianos, remember you are making a lifetime investment when purchasing a piano therefore, don’t be afraid to ask questions about the piano that you want to buy. It is important for you to ensure that you get a piano suited to you tastes as much as possible. Books about purchase of pianos such as one by Larry Fine may prove useful in providing a more comprehensive insight into buying of pianos. Good luck!

Keywords

Buy affordable pianos, Find New and Used Pianos for sale and rental, tuning and repair, Piano accessories, books, all AMEB grades, sheet music, piano CDs, music stands, metronomes, piano stools or benches, statuettes, piano lamps, piano covers and gifts.

Author

I am a thirty year old music technician; I also work part time in The University of Sydney in the faculty of creative and performing arts. I currently live in Bondi Junction in Sydney. Live with my family of four. My hobbies include, playing music, going to the beach, surfing and barbeques on weekends.

Piano Tutorial – Are You Ready To Learn How To Play The Piano (Part 1)

tyros2 — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:18:36 +0000

In these times of the internet, it’s never been a better time to learn how to play the piano. Why is that? I hear you ask, because, information on virtually any subject you can think of is available, with a little research on the internet, and learning to play the piano, is no different than any other subject you might wish to learn.
Do I need a piano?
Obviously, if you want to learn to play the piano, then a piano keyboard of some sort is essential. While advanced piano playing would require a full size piano keyboard, normally eighty-eight notes. To start learning, all you would need is any type of keyboard, such as a Yamaha PSR keyboard, which have forty-nine and sixty-one note versions or an electric piano, which are available in seventy-six notes versions. You could even start learning with an accordion or a roll up piano, as long as you have a keyboard, you can start to learn.
Should you buy a new piano keyboard?
If you don’t have a piano or keyboard then you do need to buy one, but you defiantly don’t need to buy a new keyboard. Again, the internet comes to the rescue. There are thousands of auction listings offering second hand electronic keyboards, electric pianos, in fact all kinds of keyboards. For a beginner, there really is no point in buying an expensive keyboard because when starting to learn to play the piano you will only use a fraction of a piano keyboards features including the keyboard. From a beginner’s point of view, you only need between five and eight notes on the keyboard to start learning.
What’s the best make of keyboard to buy?
I am asked this question a lot, and from a beginners point of view there really is no worst and best because it’s the actual keyboard, the black and white notes that are important to start learning to play. Yes, as you become more advanced in your playing ability, you will need a better quality keyboard but not at the beginning. The best advice I can give to anybody wanting to buy there first keyboard, is to first, set you budget and second try to stick with the more popular makes of keyboards, for beginners these are Yamaha and Casio. Both of these companies have been making electronic keyboards for many years and they know what they are doing. This of course is just my opinion and it’s the same advice I give to my pupils.
So to recap, if you don’t have a keyboard, then borrow one or buy one second hand. It doesn’t have to be a traditional piano with a full size keyboard, as a beginner you will only use up to eight notes. It’s a fact, that not everybody will take to learning to play the piano, so why spend a fortune on a keyboard when you don’t need to. If you don’t take to it you haven’t lost a fortune, if you do take to it, buy a better keyboard.

Piano Software Courses Vs Piano Tuition Books (Part 1)

tyros2 — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 11:57:55 +0000

If you want to learn to play the piano, you can go to a piano teacher or teach yourself. If you’re going to teach yourself how to play the piano then you have to decide whether to use piano software courses or tuition books. Whichever method you choose you should be aware that there is no magic solution to learning to play the piano, whether you choose piano software or tuition books there is going to be a certain amount of study and self-discipline on your part to succeed.
Let’s look at the benefits and drawbacks of both methods of teaching yourself to play the piano. Both methods will help you to learn to play the piano or keyboard. Both will provide you with songs to play on the piano and both will include the necessary music theory required to play the piano. So which method is best?
The benefits of tuition books
The obvious benefit of using tuition books is the cost. When you buy a beginners tuition book for example “The Complete Piano Player” or if you’re using a Yamaha keyboard “The Complete Keyboard Player”. They are normally sold as part of a series, for example, book 1 to book 4 and each book costs about six to ten pounds. You just buy the book you need, which means it’s incredibly cheap to get started. Each book contains about twelve songs and each song will introduce something new to learn.
When first starting to play a keyboard instrument its normal practice to learn a simple piece of music that just uses five notes, typically C, D, E, F, G. This is always a good start because it immediately teaches you to use all your fingers on your very first piece of music. Tuition books and software will use this method of teaching.
The drawbacks of tuition books
The main drawback of these books are not the books themselves but the fact that they are designed to be used with a piano teacher. If there is something you can’t quite grasp then a piano teacher would have many ways to explain things. Without that help, your task can become overwhelming and many people will give up within the first three months.
The other main drawback is that tuition books dont teach you what you need to know before you start using the books. That is, the basics, what the notes are called on a keyboard, what are the notes called on sheet music, time signatures and time values. These are the basics that apply to all musical instruments and you must learn this first.