Piano music articles by Attila Fias

Everything You Need to Know About Piano Lessons - part 3
By Attila Fias

I want to re-emphasize the importance of at-home practicing, and this is obviously not possible without having a piano or keyboard of some sort in your home. I have actually come across students who have not had a piano, and were forced to practice on a drawing of a keyboard on their kitchen table... certainly less than ideal! Do not expect your child to enjoy or continue their lessons if this is your 'set-up' at home...

So - here comes the part where your child seems interested, has started lessons, and you must now decide what to do about getting a piano..!

Luckily we live in an age where we have options available to us with this. We have electronic and acoustic pianos of all different shapes, sizes and price ranges.. so let me go through the basics with you. This information is very useful, as this is where many people get tricked into buying things they don't need...! All you need is to be well informed, and you could save yourself some hassle and money.

Electronic keyboards range from completely useless toys to ultra-expensive professional gear. Purchasing a decent electronic keyboard is less expensive than an acoustic piano, and a perfect starting point for beginners. They are easy to maintain, and aren't a significant investment you cannot afford, if the child loses interest. I look at it as something to get you going, at least. If your child gets serious about piano though, you will eventually have to replace this with a proper acoustic instrument, or at least a very good electronic one.

In order to be worth anything to anyone that wants to learn piano, an electronic keyboard must have these basic features:

- Full-size keys. Mini-keys are unacceptable, and actually detrimental to proper development of skills.
- At least 61 keys (5 octaves) is a must, but 76 and especially 88 keys are much better. Remember, anything less than 88 keys is less than ideal, and if your child develops quickly, you will be replacing your 61 keys for 88 soon.
- Touch sensitive keys. If you strike a key harder it will sound louder, if you strike it softer it will sound quieter. Without this capability, any keyboard is just a toy, and useless for learning on.
- Weighted keys. Non-weighted keys are acceptable for some time, mainly to get the child interested. But weighted keys, which simply mean that the keys have a weight to them, that they feel heavier to press down, similar to a real piano, are far better.
- Pedals. There must be at least a sustain pedal. It is even better if there is also a soft pedal. (you can ask about this when purchasing)

Electronic keyboards have a variety of sounds your child can play with, and some have a built in drum machine with some rhythms etc. But in the end these features become meaningless for most children and the novelty wears off very quickly. Really, you just need a basic good piano sound, everything else is extraneous. Trust me.

Don't forget that in many places, you can rent a keyboard (or even an acoustic piano) on a monthly basis. This is perhaps the very best solution, as the cost is relatively low, you can make sure to choose a better quality electronic piano, and you can even return it any time if the child loses interest. Rent per month should run you in the range of $50-$120.

You can also hunt around for used electronic pianos, they are perfect, as usually not much goes wrong with them. This way, you can find something for as low as a few hundred dollars. To purchase a decent electronic piano new, you are looking at upwards of $1000-1500 at the bottom end of the spectrum.

So what about acoustic pianos? Well, this is the only real choice for professionals, and eventually, all serious piano students have to have one of these. There is something about a real acoustic instrument that is much more deep, and a child can also sense this. In fact I have found children with acoustic instruments, particularly good ones, tend to take their lessons more seriously. And having spent the money, their parents tend to take it more seriously as well, so it all works out for the best really!

Just as you can hunt around for a used electronic piano, you can do the same for an acoustic piano. The problem is that this is a much more subtle item and you have to have some knowledge about what you are buying. For this it's best to do your homework, talk to some professionals, go to some piano stores pretending you want to buy a piano (you just might walk out with one) and get some information about what to look for. Then you can make a decent worthwhile purchase.

A used acoustic piano can be had for VERY cheap, sometimes for next to nothing (a few hundred dollars), if you know what to look for. You have to be careful, and not just buy some old wreck with broken keys, falling apart...there are a lot of duds out there. If you choose to buy a new or a used piano from a store, you will likely be getting a good instrument, paying probably at least $2000 and up for the used one.

Acoustic pianos require a little more upkeep (not much). You will have to make sure the instrument is tuned and regulated at least once a year (should cost about $80-$120). All the prices I mention are just guidelines to help you, and they are as of this writing.

In the end, I hope you are now more informed about enrolling your children or yourself in piano lessons, and armed with this information, the experience should be a lot easier. Considering all the benefits, it is an investment that is well worth it! Enjoy!

About the author:
Attila Fias is a pianist, composer, teacher and recording artist. If you would like to find beautiful piano music recordings, original midi music files or ideas about music production,
visit http://www.attilafias-piano.com

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