What Piano Shall I Buy?

updated as at 1st May 2024

Any keyboard is better than none.  Please borrow or rent a keyboard/piano rather than wait until you have time to research and find an appropriate one if that is what is holding you up.


Real Acoustic piano  vs Electricity Powered Keyboard / Digital Piano

(and don't forget the piano stool!)

NB: A real piano made of wood, keys, strings and hammers is called an "Acoustic" piano and that is how it will be referred to from now on.  There are many names for an electric piano/keyboard but I will use the umbrella term "digital" to cover all of them.  You can also have hybrid pianos which cover both types.  There is so much choice nowadays it can be best to go to a shop that contains all sorts when choosing.


SUMMARY IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ THE WHOLE PAGE:

  1. Acoustic pianos are the best but are expensive and take up a lot of space.
  2. Digital pianos are very good quality nowadays.  I prefer Roland as a brand and recommend either FP10 or FP30X models as the cheapest appropriate ones to go for but technology changes and the latest model maybe a different number in the future.
  3. My advice is to buy from a shop (see places below). 
  4. Please remember to get a sturdy stand to put the digital keyboard onto.  Preferably fixed stand or Z-frame but NOT an X-frame shape.
  5. Please buy a good quality piano stool to sit on;  good, sturdy, thick padding. If the pupil is growing, please choose a height adjustable stool as a necessity.... although this is handy for an adult too especially at the beginning when you are getting used to how to sit at the piano.


Where to Buy Acoustic or Digital From:  

My general advice is to go to (or ring up) a good quality piano "shop" (or two) and discuss your needs and budget with someone who is up to date with what's out there.  A piano shop will have checked out the pianos in their stockroom, had them tuned, reconditioned and even offer a guarantee.   Shops near HA6:

  • Roland - shop in Denmark Street, London - very helpful 
  • Rose Morris - shop in Denmark Street, London - mainly sell Kawai and only digital pianos
  • Musicroom - was a shop in Denmark Street, London - now closed but has a detailed website and still sells pianos and digital keyboards - worth phoning them for advice and browsing their webiste.
  • Yamaha Music  - Central London.   Very very knowledgeable about all things piano but they only sell Yamaha for digital/electronic pianos.  They used to have a second hand piano area at the back of the shop that may sell other brands as well. 
  • Bonners - Milton Keynes - No personal experience but it looks like they have a huge variety of digital and acoustic with lots of brands and 2nd hand and provide lots of advice

  • Little and Lampert Pianos in Northwood Hills - they only sell acoustic pianos.  They are knowledgeable but can have an abrasive manner.  
  • Rimmers - yes it's up North - but you can phone them
  • Markson's My piano tuner recommended them but they only sell acoustic, not digital
  • Countrywide Piano Centre - based in Hazlemere, High Wycombe - I have no personal experience but they look like they have a large range of stock can provide advice and rental and seem to be connected to a company called "Piano Warehouse" which a colleague or mine rated a few years ago.  My own piano tuner doesn't rate them though! 🤷‍♀️
  • Richard Lawson Pianos  based in Chorleywood/Rickmansworth.  Good quality stock but consequently can be expensive.  Knows what he's talking about in terms of acoustic pianos.  Wouldn't go to him for advice on digital instruments. 
  •  definitely not UK Pianos in Enfield.  


Real Acoustic Piano - The Detail

There's no getting away from it, a real acoustic piano is the best if money and space were not a consideration.  The way the piano is made means that it will give the player the best sound, expression, feeling, touch that the best digital just cannot give.  It feels different and if you want to perform or do exams that is what you will be playing on.


Looked after well and regularly tuned it will also last for about 50 - 100 years without serious repair/upkeep whereas a digital keyboard can develop faults and broken keys etc within about 10 years (again depending on use/treatment).  If you are determined to go down the exam route or think that you/your child may take up music/piano professionally then a real piano is a must.  


HOWEVER


Real acoustic pianos are expensive.  Just tuning them you need a budget of about £70-100 a year.  A good enough quality piano 2nd hand is going to cost  £1,500 - £2,500 unless you are very very lucky and see one being sold privately at a great reduction but ...... if you do find that amazing deal...you need to go and see it and press and listen to every key or preferably employ a professional piano tuner to check it out for you to make sure it's good enough.   It is generally better to go to a piano shop where they have done those checks for you and can provide a guarantee.


I totally understand that a cost like that is too much when you are/have a beginner family member and you don't know if they are going to enjoy playing or even continue.  Expect to pay a minimum of £500 for an appropriate electrical instrument that you can start them on BUT please please remember that should they continue and take it more seriously then you will need to get a better quality instrument. 


New vs 2nd Hand

Treated well, regularly tuned and maintained, a mass produced piano may last 30 years, a hand crafted, good quality piano may last longer than 50-100 years.  Once past 50 years, it may need parts replacing but it will still work!!

Therefore, before you get that free piano on gumtree, checkout the sound of it, that all the keys work, ask how old it is and how it has been stored. The humidity surrounding an instrument is relevant.   To be on the safe side employ an accredited piano tuner to check it over for you and give advice on it's condition. 

Piano Tuners' Association


Listen to someone play an acoustic piano that you are thinking of buying, there can be a variety of sounds that each acoustic piano has.  Some are brash and harsh, some are soft but too quiet - make sure you like the overall sound it makes before purchase.

Brands:

The best brands to choose from tend to be those that have Japanese structural and working parts as they are the best quality & great for longevity.   Leaving aside the mega expensive brand that professionals play on, I lean towards Yamaha and Kawai. 


Info & Pros and Cons

  • The same touch as in an exam situation. 
  • Will create a huge round of expression. 
  • Proper pedals that develop proper pedal technique.
  • There is a range of pianos called "silent" pianos where you can plug in headphones to a real acoustic piano and sidestep the acoustic mechanics playing a digital sound board version when plugged in BUT OTHERWISE, an acoustic piano cannot be silenced as such. 
  • A real piano can produce magical sounds by depressing keys silently and then playing other keys over the top.  Creates an eerie beautiful sound using harmonics that cannot be reproduced on an electronic instrument easily.
  • Doesn't require electricity ... think ... powercut! ... fuel bills!  😉


Digital/Electric 2nd Hand

Personally, unless it is a well cared for Clavinova or equivalent, I wouldn't buy an electronic instrument over 7-10 years.  Keys/parts can break, plus the technology moves on. 

Having said that you can be lucky and find a good 2nd hand instrument ie: a Roland FP-10 or FP-30(x) are my go-to choices here just make sure all the keys work. 

Don't buy a Yamaha P-45 - they are going obsolete. 

(More info detailed below).


What to consider when buying:

Cost- as a general point:  buy the most expensive instrument you can afford.  The price will reflect the quality. 

Purpose - If you believe now that your child/you will be taking grades and to a reasonable standard, a real acoustic piano is of great benefit as the majority of exams are taken on real acoustic pianos and they feel and react differently to an electronically powered instrument.


If you/your child is just playing for fun and is/are not interested in exams, an electronic instrument is fine but even a beginner will soon need:

  • touch sensitivity   (see below)
  • graded piano action  (see below)
  • a strong frame for the keyboard to sit on (metal, fold up cross beam stands are not good enough as they will rock around when playing - sometimes we really do use our whole arm weight to make loud sounds, a frame needs to be able to cope with that without rocking).
  • good quality pedal 
  • all 88 keys!!!!


BRANDS

Roland, Yamaha, Kawai, Casio (but needs to be good quality)

Roland can have the edge here because it is their absolute speciality whereas Yamaha specialise in acoustic AND digital/electric so spreads itself a bit thinner even though it is better than Casio.


So many types to choose from and technology changing all the time - hence the need to go to a piano shop.  The more money you can afford, the better instrument you will get.


As of May 2024 my suggestions for a digital keyboard on the cheaper end are as follows (Roland is my preference though):

  • Roland FP10
  • Roland FP30X
  • Yamaha P-125/ P-145
  • Kawai ES110 (or similar model)

Pros:

  • You can plug headphones in.
  • The more modern ones can be connected to the internet and in-turn - interactive educational piano tools. 
  • You can play music from the internet through the speakers of your keyboard (if it has that facility).
  • The student can have fun choosing different instrument sounds to play their music with but this can tire after a while.
  • Digital instruments can have metronomes / drum beats included which can make playing scales/pieces more fun.


Concerns:

You need to be very careful that you choose an instrument with:

  • Touch sensitivity:  the ability to play loud or soft depending on how strongly you press the keys
  • Graded piano action:  what makes it feel like a real piano between low and high sounds - called different things by different brands.
  • Weighted keys:  this is the resistance a key gives you when you press it down. Vital for building hand/finger strength and hence control expression.
  • Pedals are important too!  They are part of playing the piano.  A beginner may not need all 3 pedals but the sustain pedal that they do need needs to feel and look like a real piano pedal. 
  • The frame the keyboard sits on needs to be strong to withstand sudden pressure.  See below.

Please please do NOT buy a cheap electronic keyboard with less than 88 keys that doesn't change volume by how hard you press.   This will not be suitable for longer than about 6 months.  The sound is likely to be dreadful and it will not encourage the student to play at home. 


Piano Stool

If you have a growing child as a student, then an adjustable piano stool is important so that their elbows and arms are at the right level to play. Not sitting correctly can result in poor playing technique, an inability to play with proper expression, plus the potential for pains in the back/wrists/arms. 


Don't buy a Stagg fold up piano stool.  I have one for when I'm out of my home!  It can easily fall over when you are sitting on it if you can't touch the floor properly. 


Feet!

If your child cannot touch the floor when sitting on the front edge of the piano stool with the stool at the right height for their arms, please provide a box/stool for their feet to firmly placed.  This provides balance, good posture and in turn avoids back issues. 


Frame!

If you are buying a digital/electrical piano please make sure you buy a good frame to put it onto.  Do not buy a frame in the shape of a cross.  You have use a lot of weight to play the piano loudly - it will shake and the player won't be able to see the music (it will wobble and go out of focus).  If you have to buy a portable stand - buy a Z shaped one.  But really a solid framed stand is what you want.