Congratulations on making the most exciting purchase you’ll ever make!!
I often get asked by students for advice on what piano to buy, so here are some tips.
At the beginning of your piano learning journey, we are focussed on learning notes and rhythms so you could get by without a weighted keyboard, but it would be ideal to have 88 weighted keys and a sustain pedal.
There are so many options!! Budget and space general dictate most choices. You may look for second hand options (Facebook marketplace can have some pianos / keyboards for sale) if an instrument is well kept, you can find some bargains! If purchasing a second hand options, always take the time to play every single key individually, to make sure it plays. A broken key can be difficult/expensive to fix.
Acoustic pianos are the most expensive and wonderful to play, but often problematic to move and expensive to upkeep with tuning. Second hand acoustic pianos are often advertised for free, since the buyer will have to arrange moving/transport. Do make sure you check the quality of the instrument if you consider a second hand acoustic.
My main piano is a hybrid Casio-Bechstein. This incorporates the “real-piano feel” of an acoustic piano with hammer graded action keys, but has no strings so does not require tuning, and has a multitude of digital perks – different sounds, bluetooth capabilities, record features and layering options. To be honest, aside from changing the sound to something appropriate for the style of piece I’m playing, I rarely use any of these features within the piano.
I have a teacher discount which I can share with you if you ask me, my students get 20% off. (I receive a small % for recommendations as well) Go to this link on the Casio site, and contact me directly for your code for 20% off.
www.casio.co.uk/emi
My other stage piano is a Yamaha P85 which I have had for 20+ years. It ticks all the boxes – 88 weighted keys, sustain pedal, a selection of sounds, some record/playback features – and can fold away easily. Fits in the back of my car in a gig bag so I can transport it when needed, but also still looks nice kept out for practice at home. Here is a link to the recent updated model HERE.
