Upright Piano Questions

“Which upright piano would be best to learn on?”

Dear Graham,

Thank you very much for your article, I now feel much more competent to tackle the daunting task of getting a piano for my son to practise on. He has only just started and I have no knowledge whatsoever. Thanks to your article I found your website and now I know that we could rent before we buy.

As we have enough room for a traditional piano, don’t need silent practising or for it to be portable, and we could afford to rent and buy over a period of time, I’m wondering which would be best to learn on.

I had assumed we would buy digital because they are cheaper, but now it seems a traditional piano is affordable, what I would like is to get the best experience for Jonathon. I assume once you have mastered the piano, you can easily adjust to digital, but it might be harder the other way round. Also, I prefer the idea of a nice piece of furniture compared to a keyboard that is plugged in, but what do I know.

Please advise,

Steffi Molyneux

 

Reply/ Hi Steffi

It’s best to get an upright piano for your son
to learn and progress on.

Nothing beats the sound of a real piano.

But, to get a decent brand new one, you would
be looking in the region of £2,500 – £3,000.

A reconditioned piano would be worth considering.
You can get a 20-30 year old piano in excellent
condition for around £1,500 – £1,800.

Both new and second hand pianos are available
on the Rent-to-Own programme.

You can read more about the rental here:
www.ukpianos.co.uk/piano-rental

Digital pianos have many advantages over upright
pianos. But it’s crucial that you get one with
a similar weight of key touch.

Broadway digital pianos are the ones I recommend.
These digitals have a similar feel to the keys as
an upright piano.

You can read more about Classenti pianos here:
www.ukpianos.co.uk/broadway-digital-pianos

Let me know if you need more information. You can
call me on 020 8367 2080 anytime.

Yours pianistically,

Graham Howard

 

Graham Howard, Piano Adviser

Send me an email if you have any questions or need advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
Or call 020 8367 5107

 

“I am extremely torn as to what to do”

Hi Graham

Thank you very much for your offer to help. I found the guide you published
very helpful and had actually already decided on a piano (the Yamaha CLP
320) and found a good deal for GBP 780.

I took piano classes as a child and now, in my 30’s and having a son of my
own, I would like to get back to playing. I therefore started taking some
lessons at a local piano studio.

The studio actually offered to match the Yamaha deal, but also suggested
that it may be a better idea to get a real piano, since it can be rented at
an affordable rate and any money spent on the rental could be put towards
the purchase 1 to 1. Since I live in an apartment, I would only consider a
piano that had a silent feature. It turns out that they have a very nice
Schimmel Twin Tone that is almost new, they had rented it to one of their
students. The piano is discounted to GBP 6,600 from GBP 11,800 and I could
rent it for GBP 60 per month. The rental payments would go towards the
purchase, or I could also use the money to buy a different piano or e-piano
(lets say I thought later I did not want to spend that much money).

So right now I am extremely torn as to what to do. It does seem like a good
deal and playing and learning on a real piano may be a better idea. Another
argument they mentioned is, that the Schimmel will keep its value much more
than any e-piano that will pretty much be written off in 2 years. On the other
hand, I am only starting again and don’t even know if I need such a high
quality instrument as a beginner. Since I know virtually nothing about Pianos,

I would be glad for your thoughts.

Best regards,
Roman

 

Reply/ Hi Roman

It is always best to learn to play on a real,
acoustic piano…

The best digital pianos are pretty good, and
the manufacturers do a marvelous job in
replicating the touch of a real piano, but…

The sound of a digital piano, no matter how
expensive it is, just doesn’t have the resonance
of an acoustic piano.

A silent acoustic piano would be an excellent
option for you.

But I certainly don’t advise spending over £6,000
on one!

You can get a decent silent acoustic piano for
about £3,500 – £4,000 these days.

One in particular I recommend is the Broadway
BU-109 Silent piano.

It has a beautiful sound; a rich tone in the bass
and warm in the middle. The treble is crisp and
bright, but not overly bright like most pianos
from Japan and the Far East.

The Broadway is also a piano that will take
your children up to grade 8 and beyond.

The most important parts of the mechanism are
produced in Germany and other parts of Europe…

The Broadway is certainly the best value for
money in its price bracket.

You can read more about it here:
www.ukpianos.co.uk/broadway-bu-109-silent-piano

Let me know if you need more help choosing your piano.

Oh, and one more thing, a digital piano doesn’t lose
its value after two years. In fact, they can retain
at least half their value for up to 10 years.

Yours pianistically,

Graham Howard

 

“Good upright or cheap portable piano?”

Hi Graham,

I’ve just spent some time browsing your website and you seem to be a man of sage advice.
Here’s my dilemma – I’ve just returned a Yamaha Upright to the music shop I was renting
it from after 2 years of fantastic use. I loved it, but at £40 a month felt like throwing
money down the drain when I could be saving for one of my own. Then I remembered that
when I was living in London and moving around a lot, I owned a Yamaha P70 and was
astonished at the realistic feel and sound (especially through headphones) and it served
me adequately for years. Now, from your site, I see that digital pianos have come on
quite a bit and I find myself tempted by them again – the compact size is a bonus, but
the pricetag is what’s really luring me in.

I’m more settled now, so don’t need something quite as portable as the Yamaha P series.
The Yamaha YDP140 looks good to me, as does the Classenti CDP2. What would you do in my
position? 1) Put all my savings towards an eventual quality upright and go pianoless for
a couple of years 2) buy a cheap, old P70 to see me through and save the rest or 3)
forget about owning an upright for now and buy a quality digital ?

I know the answer to this question probably comes down to a matter of personal
preference. If it helps, I use the piano for recreational use only. I haven’t taken any
grades, but have played for years and like to think I’m able to tackle things like Liszt
and Brahms – so I need something pretty sturdy and a sound that doesn’t turn to mush on
those big chords.

Any advice you may have would be greatly appreciated.

All the best,
Andrew

 

Reply/ Hi Andrew

If you’ve been used to playing on an upright piano
then you’d probably regret going for a digital.

You just can’t compare digital pianos with upright
pianos. Especially if you’re playing Liszt and Brahms!

To me, playing on a good upright piano is just so
much more enjoyable than a digital…

You get a natural sound; resonating from the soundboard
right through to the whole body (cabinet).

No matter how good (or expensive) a digital piano is,
you just don’t get the same, live sound or feel.

My advice is to go for an upright piano. If you
have the space.

You can get a really good, brand new one for about
£3,000. These are also available on an interest
free, hire purchase plan.

I recommend the Classenti UP-112 or Broadway BU-109.

If you do decide to go the digital route then it
would be a choice between the Classenti CDP2 and
Yamaha CLP330.

They’re both really nice pianos.

The Yamaha has the better sound, and more features.

The Classenti has a heavier key touch – it
feels closer to playing a real piano.

The price is also less for the Classenti.

You can read more about them here:

www.ukpianos.co.uk/yamaha-clp330

www.ukpianos.co.uk/classenti-cdp2

If you would like a piano that looks like a real upright
then the Kurzweil CUP1 is worth considering. It also
has a superb sound.

To find out more, you can call me on 020 8367 2080.

Yours pianistically,

Graham Howard

 

“Should I keep my piano or bite the bullet and get a decent digital piano?”

Hello, Graham,

I have spent a long time on your very useful website and wonder if you could help me with the following dilemma.

I have an old Monington and Weston piano which in its day (c 1950!) was a quality bit of kit and has given many years of pleasure. My tuner tells me that he cannot tune it up so that we can play it with the other instruments (cello, flute and clarinet) in the house and this is now beginning to cause a problem. Is this likely to be right or should I find another tuner?!

Added to this I have a teenager who though a clarinet player and a Grade 7 singer has no keyboard experience but is about to start GCSE Music. To my surprise and delight he has at last expressed an interest in the piano and I think would have a lot of fun with a keyboard with added buttons.

What would you advise? Should I keep my piano but invest in a keyboard to encourage my children knowing that we can play on the old Joanna if we want to? Or should I bite the bullet and get a decent digital piano ? What is the difference between a keyboard with weighted keys (eg DGX620) and a digital piano anyway?

Thanks

Andrea

Reply/ Hi Andrea

Lots of really good questions you have.

Your tuner is probably correct in saying that your piano is
not tunable to concert pitch (A440).

My advice is to buy a new upright piano if you have the space
and can afford to spend around £2500 – £3000 for a decent one.

If this is not feasible then go for a decent digital piano. Not a
keyboard (like the Yamaha DGX620). Keyboards have what’s
called a ‘weighted action’. This is not the same as a digital piano.
The keys are still to light and it does not feel like playing a real
piano at all.

Digital pianos usually have what’s called a ‘progressive hammer
action’ and fully weighted keys. This replicates the feel of a real piano.

The best digital piano at the moment is the Yamaha CLP220. You can
read more about it here:
www.ukpianos.co.uk/yamaha-clp220

Yours pianistically,
Graham Howard
UK Pianos

 

“Is a keyboard good enough?”

Hello, my name is Anderson, I’m 27 years old and I’ve always loved piano but I have never had an opportunity to learn this wonderful instrument.

Now I want to start studying Piano and I found in your webpage a school address in Enfield, near me Walthamstow, but I have lots of questions and I would love if you can help me a bit.

Is the keyboard good enough and if I learn in a piano can I play in a keyboard or vice-verse?

Is it better to start the course before to buy anything or you should have your own “keyboard” or “piano” before start the classes?

On your webpage we can find all sorts of instruments (keyboard, digital piano, grand piano and loads of brands) and I would like to know what is the best that I can get for me, as I don’t know anything about that, I’m a total beginner and I can only affort to spend around £300? Please can you help me?

Anderson

 

Reply/ Hi Anderson

I recommend you start learning on a piano, not a keyboard. The keyboard’s keys
are way too light and if you do your practicing on a keyboard it will be difficult
for you to play the piano at a later date.

You needn’t buy a piano right away. UK Pianos offer a ‘rent to buy’ option
on most of the pianos they have on display in the showroom. Just go to our shop
at 83 Southbury Road Enfield and take a look. You can choose from upright, grand
or digital pianos. Anyone of these will be fine.

In answer to your question about whether you should get an instrument before
you have lessons so you have something to practice on. Don’t worry about this
too much when you are just starting. The important thing is to see how you
get on first before deciding on renting or buying an instrument.

Regards
Graham Howard
UK Pianos

 

Further Comments/ Hi Graham,

Thank you very much for your attention and help. It was very helpuful to get answer for my questions. Thanks.

Thanks for all.

Anderson

 

“I wanted a small, narrow acoustic piano”

Dear Graham,

Last night I downloaded your excellent guide on buying a digital piano. I’ve
read it in detail and it’s very informative and helpful. Many thanks!

I want to buy a piano for my wife on our wedding anniversary next week.
She’s an experienced pianist who has played a lot in the past. We were
aiming to get an acoustic upright piano but it appears that we can’t fit it
because the space is only about 1340 mm wide and I can’t seem to find any
pianos less than 1400 mm wide. I’ve started looking at digital pianos as a
compromise but it appears that they are generally as wide as the acoustic
ones. However I happened to come across a digital piano keyboard, Yamaha
P-155, which would just about fit. Whilst it obviously doesn’t look like a
standard piano it might be a good compromise so long as it feels and sounds
like a real piano.

So, since you’re obviously very knowledgeable about what’s out there I
thought I’d email you and ask a few questions, hoping that you could point
me in the right direction. But please don’t feel obliged to reply – I fully
appreciate that you can’t answer every question that comes in from random
people!

My questions are:

Is the Yamaha P-155 good enough for a reasonably serious piano
player (it’s not on your top 10 list), or are there better alternatives,
given the size constraints?

The room is reasonably large (7 x 5 meters) so I’m concerned that
12 watts probably won’t be enough. I could possibly plug it in to the 5+1
surround sound TV equipment but I don’t know if that would do the piano
justice or if it would be odd to have piano sound coming out of every corner
of the room (I haven’t found any helpful articles on this on the internet).

Would you happen to know of or be able to recommend any “real”
digital pianos (which look like pianos) or indeed acoustic pianos which are
slightly narrower than the standard width, or could you suggest who to
contact or where to look to find them (if they exist)?

I hope that you’ll be able to find the time to give me some advice

Many thanks and best wishes,

Johan (Kent, just south of London)

 

Reply/ Hi Johan

The P155 is a portable piano. It’s designed to be
carried around, put in the back of the car, taken
to and from gigs. It’s ideal use is really for
musicians on-the-go, not for home use…

To get something with richer, more resonant piano
sound and a heavier weighted touch you should
look at digital pianos with a fixed wooden base.

If you want something that’s less than 134cm,
has a good sound, and a heavy-weighted touch,
then the piano I recommend is the Classenti CDP1.

The Classenti CDP1 feels very much like you’re
playing on an upright piano.

The voices and functions (gadgets) are limited,
so you’re not paying unnecessary extra money
for this.

The Classenti CDP1 is excellent value for money,
and I confidently recommend it to you.

You can read more about it here:
www.ukpianos.co.uk/classenti-cdp1

If you prefer to have an acoustic piano then
a 6-octave one could be the answer…

We have a Zender, and a Kemble available at
the moment. They’re both decent pianos. The
Kemble has a superior touch and sound.

Their width is just 113cm. This might be
the ideal solution for you.

You can read more about these pianos here:

www.ukpianos.co.uk/used-upright-pianos

Another option is the Classenti CDP3. This is
a digital piano that’s been designed to look,
Feel and sound just like the real thing.

You can read more about this piano here:
www.ukpianos.co.uk/classenti-cdp3

Let me know if you’d like more help choosing
your piano. Here’s my number: 020 8367 2080.

Yours pianistically,

Graham Howard

 

“My wife says we MUST buy a traditional acoustic piano”

Dear Graham,

Thanks for the great information. I can see relate those info and come to a conclusion that Yamaha Clavinova CLP330 is the
right choice for my son…. But my wife is still a firm beliver that a piano MUST be a traditional/acoustic one and a
digital piano can never be as good as a traditional/acoustic piano… She particularly likes the Yamaha JU109PE which
seems to be a great buy.

Perhaps you can share your view abt these two pianos ie Yamaha Clavinova CLP330 vs Yamaha JU109PE.

Thanks!!!!

Cirere

Reply/

Hi Cirere

The Yamaha JU109PE certainly has a better sound
than the CLP330. Acoustic pianos will always
beat digital pianos on sound.

If you have the space for an upright piano then
this is the best thing to buy.

Yours pianistically,

Graham Howard

Further Question/

Thanks Graham for that comforting advice!!!

On the sound produced by CLP330, I have done more research and understand that it produces the Grand Piano quality sound
and with the Yamaha GH3 technology, wudnt it be a better choice compared to Yamaha JU109 which appears to be just an
entry level acoustic piano?

Also, does an acoustic piano really have better secondhand value compared to a digital piano?

Assuming the pianos are well maintained, how much I can expect to sell a used digital piano compared to a used acoustic
piano after 5, 10 or 15 years?

Wud greatly appreciate your advice on this.

Reply/ Hi Cirere

A Yamaha upright piano still has a better sound than
any digital piano.

You really can’t beat the natural sound of an
acoustic piano.

With regards to resale value it really depends on
a number of things: How much you paid for the piano,
how well known the brand is, what similar pianos
of a similar age are selling for, what the state
of the financial climate is, and on…

You would lose LESS money if you were to sell on a
Yamaha CLP330 digital piano as opposed to a Yamaha
acoustic piano in 5 years time.

As an example: in 5 years time, your CLP330 should
fetch about 1/2 to 2/3 its value.

An upright would fetch 1/2 or just over 1/2 its value.

So, as you see, the resale value of a digital piano
(taking all factors into consideration) should be
slightly more than an acoustic piano.

Yours pianistically,

Graham Howard

 

“Upright Piano or Digital Piano?”

Hi Graham,

I am a father looking for piano for my beloved daughter. I am shopping for a
piano.

Not sure if I should get an Upright Piano or Digital Piano.

I heard many comments suggesting only 121cm Upright Piano can see my
daughter through grade 8. I like to know if a reasonable digital piano will
be able to see her through grade 8.

If yes, what is your recommendation.

Thank you very much.

With regards,

Chua from Singapore

 

Reply/ Hi Chua

There’s always lots of conflicting advice about whether
a digital piano is good enough for the higher piano
grades…

My take is this:

Digital pianos that have a fully-weighted or heavy-
weighted key touch are OK up to grade 8…

Yamaha and Classenti are two brands that offer this
key touch.

Of course, if your daughter reaches grade 8 then
that’s the time you might consider getting her an
acoustic piano.

Yours pianistically,

Graham Howard