Keyboard questions

[crl]

I talked with the place that I plan to send ds for lessons this summer and their advice was to start with a keyboard or a rental piano. (I said I was looking for a low upfront investment in case ds hates it.) Their advice was that for the first year it didn't really matter much if the keys were weighted or not. I know a lot of people disagree with that, but it's really important to me not to invest a ton upfront on this and we have a small house (and a destrctive three year old) so I am also reluctant to go with a rental piano.

So, their advice was just to get a new keyboard at Costco, because they are so inexpensive to start with so used isn't that much savings. Cool. Now which one? Is there any cool feature or anything that would prompt me to get a more expensive one? The cheapest includes headphones and is $119.

(Totally off topic but in case anyone remembers and is wondering, my grandmother's piano was essentially beyond repair. The piano guy said it could be fixed enough for a beginner, but beyond that it would very expensive and he wouldnt recommend it. Since it would have to be moved from the Midwest to California we all agreed it isn't worth it. :(. )

Thanks!
Catherine

[lizzywednesday]

I had a Casio with full-sized keys. My parents got it for me the Christmas I was 8, so 3rd grade.

It was very helpful to have the feel, reach-wise, of a full-sized keyboard, though it wasn't a full 88 keys.

Maybe it was 76?

[KonzaPrairie]

I'm definitely in the "I don't like keyboards" camp.

I think you're in the SF Bay Area? I would check this one out:

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/msg/3727072890.html

It's almost exactly like the one I learned on that I still have in my house that is still in almost perfect condition. The missing Eb key is kind of weird but that might be an easy fix at a piano store.

Good luck! I still think the most important thing is that your kid is excited about whatever you end up getting so they will want to play it.

[crl]

Thanks!
Catherine

[o_mom]

I would look for something with full-size keys at a minimum (which the Costco ones appear to have). I don't necessarily think you need a full 88 (in 8 years of piano lessons, I don't think I ever went more than 2 octaves above or below middle C). All the other features are really just 'bling', IMO (recording, voices, etc.).

If you are going the keyboard route, I would go cheap on this one and put the money into the next one.

ETA: That CL one is an option as well - keep watching for a good name digital piano as an option as well.

[crl]

Thanks. I think the downside to a digital piano is space? Ideally this would fit in ds' room. It looks to me like the keyboards could be taken down and stowed in his closet, where the digital pianos can't?

Catherine

[o_mom]

Thanks. I think the downside to a digital piano is space? Ideally this would fit in ds' room. It looks to me like the keyboards could be taken down and stowed in his closet, where the digital pianos can't?

Catherine

Some can, though they are usually slightly bigger (there are some digital pianos that are 'portable' and sit on a stand like a keyboard).

However, I would say that if you want him to practice and be interested in it, you need to leave it out all the time. If it's a production to get it out, it's likely going to stay in the closet.

[crl]

Some can, though they are usually slightly bigger (there are some digital pianos that are 'portable' and sit on a stand like a keyboard).

However, I would say that if you want him to practice and be interested in it, you need to leave it out all the time. If it's a production to get it out, it's likely going to stay in the closet.

If it's blocking his play space he's really going to hate it though. And if it's out of his room and his sister messes with it he's going to be really pissy about it.

Long term I would be fine with getting a real piano and making space for it in the dining room. And in a year dd should be old enough to not destroy it (I hope!). But short term it would be a lot better if it is in his room. . . .

Catherine

[Reader]

We have a 10 year old Yamaha digital piano with weighted keys that can be taken down (in addition to a regular spinet piano). It rests on a stand that looks like an ironing board bottom that's easy to move around, too. However, I think I would be less likely to practice if I had to drag out a keyboard every time I wanted to play.

[crl]

We have a 10 year old Yamaha digital piano with weighted keys that can be taken down (in addition to a regular spinet piano). It rests on a stand that looks like an ironing board bottom that's easy to move around, too. However, I think I would be less likely to practice if I had to drag out a keyboard every time I wanted to play.

I don't care if he wants to leave it set up in his room. I just think it would be best to have the option to stow it away for play dates and if he wants the space for a big construction project. (He builds baseball stadiums and American Idol stage sets and the like in his room and I don't want to prevent that).

Catherine

[AnnieW625]

My mom and I were talking about this the other day and she says that pianos are relatively cheap these days because people just don't want one so I would keep that in mind if your son ends up liking it.

I had a Casio keyboard as well from 9 on. I never ended up picking up piano playing but I enjoyed playing with it as did my siblings. My brother learned to okay by ear starting with that keyboard and then my parents bought their piano (my mom plays as well) and my sister took lessons for a while.

If you do end up deciding to rent a piano we have told our DDs that the piano sleeps for certain times throughout the day and that really works for them when we are visiting my parents or my grandma's where a piano is present.

[codex57]

DS just started piano. I looked at the inexpensive digital keyboards all the way to grand Steinways (I grew up with what turns out to be a mass market grand).

Went with the digital keyboard. It has somewhat weighted keys. There was a nice full sized (88 key) fully weighted keyboard that really felt close to a real piano for about $400. In the end, my kid is just starting. You really don't need much at first. We figured that it's better just let him try it out on a cheap keyboard and see if he likes it or not. We can reassess later.