Buying an upright piano

Hi, everybody, I'm new here.
I've been playing guitar for 5 years now, and it's going great, but I've always wanted to learn piano as well. So I'm thinking of buying an upright piano, because of cost and lack of space for a grand. I believe my decision to get the 'real thing' and not a keyboard is right, but feel free to try to talk be out of it if you think otherwise.
Problem is, I know almost nothing about pianos. I'll try to find someone who does to help me with the purchase, but in the meantime I'd like to ask a few questions. Firstly, what is the price range for a decent upright piano? Also, what brands would you recommend? Should I buy used or new? Any other advice would be appreciated as well.

Hi

Well! Yamaha is a safe bet. They are at least know for good quality, and are known on the marked! They are fair in price, and sound good! But you should go to a store and Test the piano if you are getting an acoustic piano. You would get a good piano for about 5000 bucks - 10 000 bucks!!

If this is to much you should think about getting a digital piano!! Its actually very good!! Not like the real thing, but I love my digital!! I was 3000 bucks, and is a Very good Digital Piano!! You can also get deacent digitals for about 1500 +/-

I wouldnt buy a used one if you are sure about getting into piano, but if you want to test it out and see if you like it, used might be a nice choice, but you might get a really bad piano that are to untunes, old hard to fix etc, so yeah..

Thats the tips I can think of now at least.
Youtube often got Reviews made by people on all different kinds of digitals at least, so before you buy one you might want to try to search the brand name with nr Good luck!

TheCat wrote:Hi, everybody, I'm new here.
I've been playing guitar for 5 years now, and it's going great, but I've always wanted to learn piano as well. So I'm thinking of buying an upright piano, because of cost and lack of space for a grand. I believe my decision to get the 'real thing' and not a keyboard is right, but feel free to try to talk be out of it if you think otherwise.

*my attempt to talk you into a keyboard / workstation* (it's what I got)

From what I can ascertain from your post and your profile, you're young, musically inclined (play guitar and want to learn piano), and want to buy an upright box.

As far as positives to an upright, well, the only thing I can really think of is the "real thing" you mentioned in your post. Besides that, there are a whole lot of positives for a keyboard.

First and foremost is the ability to resell easily. Try shipping an upright piano. I bought my synth used on ebay, which was shipped in all the original packaging. I kept the packaging in case I crap out on piano and need to ship it out myself someday. (the reseller actually packaged it better than the manufacturer) The difference between what I bought it for and what I could sell it for is, as of now, minimal, which makes it a good hedge if I crap out on the piano. The longer I have it, the less it's worth. So, naturally, it's in my best interest to either poop out on piano right away and sell it, or take the time to really learn it and get my money's worth for what I spent. So far, so good. I haven't listed it on ebay yet.

If you're a noob to piano, your ear (or anyone's ear nearby) won't be able to tell the difference anyway. Get some good speakers and a subwoofer (I think mine were around 30 us dollars (computer speakers)) and your audience will not likely tell the difference anyway.

Patches (i.e. sounds). Why get an upright with only 1 sound (piano) when you can get a synth with several dozen (or hundred) to tickle your feathers. It comes in handy next point:

Sequencing. If you get a synth with the ability to sequence (put sounds together in order to make a song), the world is your limit. Piano, drums, sitar, horns, etc...
Some synths even allow you to hook up your mic'd instrument as a separate track (i.e. in your case, your guitar).

Honestly, I've only played my guitar once since I got my keyboard. (OCD / whatever. The keyboard is way more fun)

But this is the take-away: If you want to spend the money to get the "real" sound as a beginner, get a synth and get all the extras that come along with it.

Well, I must say that I really disagree with you Circle_of_Fists!
Keyboards are in my opinion more a toy than a serious instrument. It might be more fun if the Goal is to just play around have have fun. But its not more fun If the Goal is to become good at the piano!

Why: The audio sampling are likely to mess with your ear, delaying or ruining your relative pitch since the samples aren't of a high quality. Lots of different sounds are usually only fun for a little while, Or if you are into making beats etc, but then again the goal is not to become a good pianist. The keys do not simulate real pianos in a good way unless one buy a really expensive one, but then a Digital Piano is the way to go! And I havnt even mentioned Dynamics! I would go so far and say; when you play a keyboard with no or little dynamic range you are creating sound! When you have an Acoustic Piano or a Digital Piano with good dynamic range, first then you will be able to create music! ^^

So ita all about the reasons and goal. If one only wants to play around, making samples, sounds OR test out if one really wants to play piano a keyboard might be good! I started with one, and had almost no development the 3months I had it!! But if the goal is to learn piano and become good at it, a 1000/1500 + Digital Piano is a "Must" (Opinion-Alert^^)

I started with a keyboard, and went from grade 1-2 in 3 months!
Then I bought a piano since I was sick and tired of my "toy" and then I went from learning grade 2pieces - learning grade 6-7piece in the next 5months!! That is something I would never have managed with my Keyboard!!^^

But these are basically my opinions based on some facts and some experience, so dont take it as proven theory and feel free to disagree

Thomandy wrote:But these are basically my opinions based on some facts and some experience, so dont take it as proven theory and feel free to disagree

Of course I disagree. Well, not really. I think we are saying the same thing, actually. We both are advocating an electronic instrument over an upright.

If someone has the money available to purchase an upright, then they also have the option to get an electric instrument that simulates the piano quite well, whether it be a digital piano or synth / workstation.

[quote="Circle_of_Fists"]

Thomandy wrote:
If someone has the money available to purchase an upright, then they also have the option to get an electric instrument that simulates the piano quite well, whether it be a digital piano or synth / workstation.

But thats the thing, a digital piano simulates the piano often very well, but a synth often dont simulate, or attempt to simulate at all. But actually I would recommend buying a Real Acoustic Upright if he can afford one instead of any electrical instrument!! But if the option is a synth or a digital piano, I would ONLY recommend a synth if he is very much in doubt about if he wants to play it or not, cause the Digital Piano beats the crap out of a synth hehe

I do think, since you are playing a synth, that you are ruining and delaying your potential progress!!

What is the difference between a good digital piano and a good synth? Aren't they essentially the same thing with different names?

Circle_of_Fists wrote:What is the difference between a good digital piano and a good synth? Aren't they essentially the same thing with different names?

Well, from what I have Thought, and of course I might be wrong! But, a Digital Piano is a Piano Simulator.
A Synth is a Keyboard! Am I wrong?

A good Digital Piano got the same weighted keys, gone through time consuming and good audio-sampling with several mics and also got great and accurate dynamic control in different grades.

A Synth usually dont have any form for weighted keys, unless they are Extremely expensive also they usually dont have Any kind of dynamic control at all, even though there are synth with Touch Sensibility but this isnt at a high level at all and since they dont have weighted keys its not that accurate, and differently not simulating a real piano! Usually the Audio isnt live sampled at all, its just digitally added samples in different frequencies!!

Am I wrong, please tell me hehe - I might have misunderstood at one point, but I think this is the General Principe!!

Thomandy wrote:A good Digital Piano got the same weighted keys, gone through time consuming and good audio-sampling with several mics and also got great and accurate dynamic control in different grades.

A good synth will have these features as well. I think in the higher price ranges, these devices become very similar.

When I purchased mine, I wanted to make sure it felt like a piano. My wife wasn't too pleased with the price tag, but I would have spent just as much on a digital piano (I think), but I get to do all the other fun stuff with it as well.

When I visited the local piano shop, some of the low end accoustic pianos had very poor keyboards, but these were more expensive than my synth. So, I guess it's a matter of personal taste, what one wants to use the device for, and what one is willing to pay or can afford.

Circle_of_Fists wrote:

Thomandy wrote:A good Digital Piano got the same weighted keys, gone through time consuming and good audio-sampling with several mics and also got great and accurate dynamic control in different grades.

A good synth will have these features as well. I think in the higher price ranges, these devices become very similar.

Okay I see Well, then Im mistaken then
Sorry about that then^^

This is what I have:

http://www.rolandus.com/products/productdetails.php?ProductId=918&ParentId=83

It really is overkill for learning how to play piano, but oh well.

Ah, I have never heard of a: Workstation But is it the same as a synth or more complex?

Thomandy wrote:Ah, I have never heard of a: Workstation But is it the same as a synth or more complex?

It is still a synth, but I think they start calling them workstations when one can mix and record on the instrument itself rather than exporting the sounds to a computer or mixer to do the work. But I don't think there is a strict definition.

I synthesizer is a thing that is a little "sound factory", you have the ability to make your own sounds. That's basically the difference between a synth and a keyboard. A normal keyboard has the 128 or so midipreset of sounds ( GM ) and you've got no ability to mess around making your own sounds.

A synth doesnt need to be a keyboard, my Roland SH-32 is a box. I didnt really need a keybed when I already had one on my old keyboard.

Why do you want to buy a digital piano? If you work beside your computer, and make music in a music program, and think it's fun, a digital piano would be the best thing. It makes it easier to make music since you dont have to use your mouse to add notes, you can just play it and it records it ( and with the impressive 127 levels of velocity you will have the wanted dynamics ). It makes working with music on a computer like a dream. ( what a drawingboard is for photoshop, compared to a mouse )

It doesnt really matter if you buy a synth or digital piano ( if you're gonna connect it to your computer ), what matters is that you'll buy the one with weighted keys that are velocity sensitive. If you aint happy with the high quality samples the factory gives you that have costed them a huge amount of money to create you could always buy a VSTi and connect the digital piano to your computer.

Why do you want to buy an acoustic piano?Because you wanna feel the piano, the vibrations, strings, hammers and you dont care about making it computerized. You just want it simple and real. You'll have less options but at the same time no limitations because it's analog, no need to find a power outlet. If you decide to buy an acoustic, try several, because you dont wanna end up with a piano that doesnt have the sound you want.

The best options is to have both ( i wish i had both ), one infront of the computer so you can compose and make music with ease, and one in the livingroom where you can unlease the analog force ^_^

Grand or upright?Does it really matter, I do believe it's more about how it sounds and how it's to play. I'm not an expert in that area, but i've experienced both grands and upright and noone stands out, some gives me a warm feel others a cold ( both can be good or bad ).

VictorCS wrote: It makes working with music on a computer like a dream. ( what a drawingboard is for photoshop, compared to a mouse )

Nah, mouse is preferred.

Thanks for the replies, guys, you've been very helpful. I'll check out some synths and digital pianos too, although I think I still want an acoustic. I'll probably have more questions when I check out all music stores within a 50 mile radius and try every piano I can lay my hands on.

TheCat wrote:Thanks for the replies, guys, you've been very helpful. I'll check out some synths and digital pianos too, although I think I still want an acoustic. I'll probably have more questions when I check out all music stores within a 50 mile radius and try every piano I can lay my hands on.

Yeah, If I could afford a good Acoustic I wouldnt doubt what I would do Im going to get a grand someday though A really good one, hehe... Some day... *dreaming*^^