Are you looking to buy your first piano? It can be a difficult decision to make. Especially when you start your search online, and find a lot of mixed viewpoints on where to start. With decades in the business, here are a few things we recommend our customers keep in mind as they shop.
What is your commitment level?
Playing the piano isn’t something you’ll pick up overnight. It’s a commitment that can give you a lifetime of pleasure, providing you’re willing to do the work. Are you ready to give what it takes to ensure your child succeeds at playing the piano? It starts with commitment right upfront. You have to have the right tools – a cheap piano you get on sale at the holidays from a big box store isn’t a real piano. You have to have a piano that sounds good and plays good. It should have weighted keys to learn to play by touch. You should invest in proper training, and ensure your child sticks with a schedule to make practice a part of their week.
Are you ready to maintain the piano?
A piano is a piano, you buy it and play it, right? There’s actually more to it than that. To keep a piano in good playing condition, it needs regular maintenance. That starts with tune-ups. A new piano might require several a year to ensure the notes stay in tune. A seasoned piano may require two a year – this is where working with a piano tuner comes in handy, as she’ll learn how your piano plays.
Do you know what you’re looking for?
You’re new at piano, so you begin with price. We all do it when we’re taking on a new hobby. But if you’ve learned in other activities that low-balling tools of the trade don’t always work, you won’t be surprised to learn that’s especially true with playing the piano. Shop online and you’ll quickly find pianos at low cost, or even offered for free. You can take lessons for free just from watching YouTube videos. Isn’t that “good enough?”
You already know the answer … No. Those free pianos are free for a reason. Chances are, they’ve sat in a corner for years, decades, without attention, and without proper care. They won’t sound right. They won’t play right. And it’s difficult to fall in love with an activity when you can’t participate properly. A highly trained and motivated instructor will also provide what it takes to stay excited and engaged with lessons and practice. Try that with a YouTube channel.
If you’re going to dedicate yourself to learning the piano, the only way you can reach for success is to do it the right way.
If you’re buying a piano because you want to play the piano, be sure to spend the time, energy, and money ensuring you select one that can give you years of enjoyment.
