You’ve decided to buy a piano. And with a bit of research, you’ve discovered you need to make a choice – acoustic piano or digital piano? What?
Should a digital piano even be in the running? Is it truly a good instrument, or is it more of an expensive toy?
Good question.
While most of us think back to our youth when the only choice we had was an acoustic piano. We think of the upright sitting in Grandma’s living room, or the baby grand we played on for lessons. Can digital ever compare with that?
Yes. A good digital piano may actually be a better choice than an acoustic piano in the same price range. And depending on the user and their goals and desires, a digital piano can actually motivate the user to continue on.
Let me give you an example.
Kids today start out on computers and mobile devices almost from birth. We show them videos and let them play games when we’re busy and need a little interrupted time. They play games that help develop coordination and rhythm. They start playing around on Garage Band, developing their own sounds. The next obvious step is to introduce them to a more sophisticated tool … the piano.
But an acoustic piano does one thing. A digital piano takes that concept to a whole different level.
Digitals have built in sounds, many of which are useful and fun. For instance, Bach actually loved playing with sounds, and wrote a great deal of his music for harpsichord, not piano. Most digitals have a harpsichord sound, giving you the ability to play the music as it was intended.
When first starting out, one of the first things a teacher teaches is to keep time to the beat. Digital pianos have a built in metronome to allow the student to understand and develop a steady sense of time.
When does your child prefer to play and practice? Are others in the room trying to work on homework? Sometimes its hard keeping everything at home moving smoothly. With a digital, timing is never an issue. Simply plug in headphones for privacy, and a child can practice to their hearts content without disturbing others in the room.
And when they need a little bit of extra guidance, or want to record a concept to share with their teacher later on, the handy built in recorder can do the trick.
Digital pianos can be simple, or they can be as full featured as you desire. Digital pianos can be portable to carry with you to school, lessons, and even on vacation. Or they can resemble the good old acoustic pianos that bring back memories. With so many options, now may be the perfect time to stop in and see what would be the perfect choice for you.
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