Hi Everyone!

This is my very first post and I would just like to say hello and get acquainted. I have been saying for a couple of years that I would love to learn to play piano but never really put a lot of thought into it. Lately I've been pondering the idea more and more. I decided that since I'm going to finish school in a few months, now is as good a time as any to start planning out this seemingly daunting task. A couple things I'm wondering are

1) Does anyone have any suggestions on a good piano or keyboard to start with? I don't want to get one that, a year from now, I decide is less than mediocre at best. At the same time, I don't want to spend more than a thousand bucks, either (though less would be even better). I will hold quality with higher regard on this matter.

2) Does anyone know of a good instructor in the Louisville area? If you've tried some and liked or disliked them please let me know.

My goal here is to get a good understanding of the piano and learn how to read music. I have virtually no experience with music, unless you consider playing the Recorder in fourth grade or learning a couple cords from my brother during his oh-so-brief session with the guitar. I do, however, listen to music fanatically - all genres. Lately, I've really been getting into Jazz, the Rat Pack and especially Cabaret. I've also been into Classical for quite some time. I want to be able to play Jazz/Caberet more than anything, though Classical is something I definitely want to learn eventually. I won't be starting lessons or purchasing a piano until I finish school (unless, of course, my mother gets really generous this Christmas ). Until then, are there any books anyone suggests I pick up to get me headed in the right direction?

Thanks in advance for all the help, and I hope to hear from everyone soon.

Tim K

I'll tell you what my brother-in-law told me last year when I mentioned that I'd always wanted to learn to play the piano. He said, "well, you're not getting any younger". I realised he was right and started lessons shortly thereafter.

If you can swing it, I would highly recommend a real piano. You should be able to find a decent upright for around $1000.

If for whatever reason you don't want to buy a real piano yet, then don't buy anything less than a Yamaha P90. A keyboard has to be have weighted keys to be any good at all for practicing. I made the mistake of buying a DGX-500 at Costco for about $600 and found it to be nearly useless because of the non-weighted keys. I bought a piano about a month later.

Thank you, I was just about to ask if buying a crap-pot little $300 piece would be okay for now if it meant I could learn and buy a REALLY nice piano in a year. I know, I said I didn't want to do that, but if learning on one of these is almost a waste of time, then I won't even bother. I just don't know if I will be able to swing $1200 for a P120. I'm going to look right now for someone selling one on the 'net for much cheaper, but if anyone knows of a reliable site or retailer with the lowest prices, please let me know.

As for a real piano, any suggestions for a nice one in the hopefully-under-$1000 range?

Thanks again
Tim K

I agree with Bob, that you do want good weighted keys. I bought a $300 DGX202 with the idea to learn, and it was good enough for the first couple of months, but once I could actually play a bit and was spending more time trying, then the unweighted keys were unsatisfactory and unpleasant. I bought a P90 about a year ago, and its been fine. As yet, I think I'm not sufficiently skilled to benefit much from a real piano, at least it never enters my mind that I need more.

Welcome to the forum Tim. I've sent you a list of teachers from the MTNA site. I hope you find a good one. A lot of us have been exactly where you are and have come to the conclusion that to play piano you need to play on a piano. When I started a little over a year ago, I knew I would need a piano, but I didn't want to lay out a bunch of cash. I opted to rent a piano until I could figure out whether playing piano would be a passing thing or not. Here I am 14 months later still enjoying myself and wanting desperately to buy a good piano. You might visit some local shops and see what they have that you can rent. I was able to find a nice little Kawai upright that I'm just now growing tired of.
Good luck and let us know how it goes with your first lesson.
Jon

Casio PX100 is about $500, which is the cheapest digital piano (with weighted keys) i know of. you may find it at BestBuy. it is not however as good as some Yamaha models, but for a beginner it is good enough to learn on it for a year or 2. later on, if you think you really want to continue playing piano, then you have an option to buy a better piano.