Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Don't practice on a DP

...if you can help it. Few appreciate the exceedingly sensitive nature of our non-conscious nervous impulses. Unaware to us the nervous system feels key depression entirely all the way to the bed. We are here dealing with wood, felt, pivots, hinges et al. Compressing a string just doesn't do it for the nervous system (I can already hear all the 'real piano action' DP declaimers, and the 'good DP better than a bad piano(ers)') - the bottom line being the feel of pulling a lever that throws a hammer that hits strings that resonate with the body, all of which you are not conscious of.

Don't get me wrong. Perform on what you like. It's what you train on that that's essential.

For the same reason, I don't practice on upright pianos, either. The upright at my school is a piece of junk, and it actually hurts my hand when I play on it.

If you want to perform on concert grands, then at the very least get a baby grand for practice.

I honestly have no idea what you are talkig about. On a reao piano, you press the key to the keybed, then the hammer files out of the escapement and by the time it strikes the strings it is already out of your hands so to speak. n a DP you also press the key all the way to the keybed and have a similar sensation. Only the actual sound-generating mechanism is different. On a good DP, the sound is directional (bass from the left, treble from the right) and the case and keys will subtly vibrate from the sound, similarly to an acoustic.

Mind you, most DP players would prefer to have an acoustic, at least during the daytime. But transitioning from a good modern DP to a real piano is trivial, and the skills learned on one are directly applicable to the other with minimal change. Frankly, the difference between a DP and acoustic is no more than the difference between an upright and grand in terms of technique and simularity.

If that doesn't work for you, that's fine. Everyone has their preferences. But even conservatories are using DP's extensively now--for the reasons you disparage--namely that practicing on in-tune, properly functioning DPs is far better than studying on broken-down out-of-tune acoustics and directly comparable in terms of skills developed. Not to mention playing late at night.

Geoffk, as I quite carefully stated it's the non-conscious extremely sensitive element of the nervous system that I'm concerned about. I feel sure it gets blunted. A DP with 100% hammer-flying-at-something action would be close though still missing the interaction with resonance.

I think you understand. How can we dare assume how sensitive we are?

I'm sure they cry all the way to the bank!

This isn't good... a majority of my practicing will be done on a digital piano next year.
It'll probably take a lot of effort to walk all the way to practice rooms whenever I'm on campus... *sigh*

Well, if you *think* playing on a DP screws up your performance, than it probably does. Whether that's the fault of the piano or the fault of your mindset when you sit down to it remains to be seen. Which is why I encourage people not to develop unhelpful prejudices that they may regret.

Maybe not an average DP, but I'd be willing to bet that there are very high-end DPs that you couldn't distinguish in play from an acoustic if you were blindfolded before seeing it. I'd be interested to see whether your unconcious would still revolt under that circumstance. Mine certainly wouldn't.

This is the sort of statement that gives instrumental teachers a bad reputation as pedagogues. What evidence have you got for the assertion that practicing on a DP is bad for performance training? Has the evidence been published in a good journal of music education? Or is this just "feeling"?

"DP with 100% hammer-flying-at-something action" - that's exactly what they have: a hammer flying at a damper (see http://music.yamaha.com/products/highlights/keyboardsAST/8.html the Roland pianos have a similar mechanism)

Anything less than a full concert grand will result in complete failure. I bought my 8 year old his own Fazioli (I have one too) because I couldn't imagine how he could do justice to "Our Detective Agency", his latest oeuvre, and not develop a personal relationship with a high end piano.

I agree with keyboardklutz that it is better to practice on a mechanical piano, however if one can`t help practising on it a DP develops a more sensitive touch in the way that any little mistake fouling a key ant it will sound, spoiling the practice.

That has the effect of making one more aware of keeping the fingers away from fouling keys and when one plays on a mechanical piano it is much easier as that type of piano is more tolerant to small fouling of keys by the fingers and it won`t sound so readily.

This only applies for those whose mistakes playing is over 50% of the score, like me................if only playing the piano was making mistakes I would be brilliant. It would be a great invention to have software on a DP or mechanical P whereby any mistake made would be instantenously corrected by it...........

That's true for some DPs, especially lower-end models with a very light touch. However, higher-end DPs have a very solid key-feel. The high-end Rolands even have a simulated escapement mechanism which prevents a key from sounding if it's played too softly (just as the hammer on a real piano wouldn't reach the string in that situation).

I agree that playing on an "unrealistic" DP may result in bad habits. But a good DP is very good indeed now, and needs no excuses.

That's just silly, besides you shouldn't second guess the non-conscious.

Mm. I have a DP with 100% hammer-flying-at-something action (which might I add is a brilliant description. :D) and it feels, at least, indistinguishable to a real piano. Unfortunately, it has a maximum threshold of volume that is less than my maximum hand velocity, and, of course, it doesn't help my tone in the slightest. Much as I wish I could have a proper piano, it would cost too much.

It's not silly at all. Look up "placebo effect" or "double-blind experiment". The fact is that you have (bad) expectations when you play a DP and you're probably right, they do affect you even if subconcious. But I still think that they're mental issues, not physical issues with the instrument. Hence the need for the blindfold, so you don't walk in with your mind already set.

Hmm, subconscious and non-conscious are quite different - doesn't help to confuse them.

Glad that you're exceedingly sensitive to these exceedingly sensitive impulses - how did you get to be one of the few...



Nice touch - anticipate objections and dismiss them offhand by simply mentioning them ...



Train on acoustic only but then perform on a DP? Won't one's exceedingly sensitive unconcious nervous impulses notice immediately and respond negatively?

Regards, JF

But isn't that exactly what you're doing in your OP?

Regards, JF

Why not - it's a time-honored tradition - besides how else can we figure out what the heck it's up to?

Regards, JF

I love that tune! One of the highlights of level 2A!

That being said, I regularly practice on a mediocre upright, occasionally practice on a DP, and perform on grands probably 20 concerts a year.

Granted, I'm not a concert pianist who plays solo recitals and concerto engagements, most of my performing is as an accompanist, but an upright and DP works just fine for me. (I have a grand, but it's bad shape and I'm waiting to have it rebuilt.)