You learned to play on an acoustic piano and have always practiced or performed on one, so why would you choose to buy a digital like the Yamaha CP33 or the Yamaha CP300? There are a number of reasons for even diehard acoustic fans to consider a digital piano.
The first argument against a digital will always be that the feel and electronic sound cannot compare to an acoustic. Although this may to some extent be true, the huge advances in keyboard technology made by companies such as Yamaha and Korg are producing keyboards that really do play like an acoustic.
Products such as Yamaha’s Graded Hammer Effect keyboard simulate the weighted hammer effect of a grand piano, ensuring that a lighter touch is needed in the treble area and a heavier touch in the base area. Contemporary digital pianos incorporate highly realistic voices that are recorded to a superb quality from actual grand pianos, so their sound is almost indistinguishable from an acoustic.
In a practical sense, digital pianos require less maintenance as they never need to be tuned, unlike an acoustic which will require a costly tune at least twice a year to maintain good sound quality. At a fraction of the weight of an acoustic, digital pianos are also highly portable, enabling you to take your own instrument to any performance venue rather than having to use someone else’s which may be unfamiliar to you.
The overall cost of a digital piano is far less than an acoustic. A really high quality digital can be found for around $2000, and if you are buying for a child you may want to look at one for only a few hundred dollars. This will ensure that, should your child decide the piano is not for them, you have not wasted thousands on a redundant acoustic.
You may feel that a digital piano does not add the same aesthetic value to your home, but with a wide range of very stylish digitals now on the market this need not be an issue. Just take the Yamaha Nocturne N100 as an example. The sleek and contemporary black cabinet of this piano would do credit to any living room.
Overall the digital piano is much more versatile than the acoustic. You can alter the volume depending on where you are playing, and even use headphones if you really don’t want to disturb the neighbours. You can use a huge variety of sounds, including different types of pianos as well as other instruments such as strings, guitars or harpsichords. Your digital piano will have a number of pre-recorded songs for you to play along to, and you can even mute one hand or the other for practice purposes.
MIDI capabilities enable you to interface with a computer. Whether you use this to turn your piano into a control centre for a complicated recording set-up, or simply to download your child’s first piece of music to e-mail to their grandparents, this is a useful function in today’s technological world.
There will always be a place for traditional acoustic pianos, and their beautiful sound is hard to capture electronically, but consider the above if you are planning to buy a piano. A contemporary digital may just give the answers you are looking for.
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About the author: Dan Maynard is a pianist, marketer and writer. He has a passion for playing the piano and learning about the latest models of digital pianos. You can visit his web site at discount Yamana keyboards or piano keyboard picture
