I grew up with classical lessons
and acoustic pianos only, an
upright at home and uprights and
grands in the teachers' studios
and at recitals. But since
1989 I've been playing only
digitals, and I like them better.
There are some serious problems
associated with owning an
acoustic piano. They need to
be tuned twice a yr., at
~$90-$150 (US) per tuning. Repairs
for sticking keys and buzzing
strings are common, at ~$100
per service call. They are heavy,
and you'll need to hire movers just
to get one into, or out of, your
house. They are loud, capable
of being heard a block away.
If you live in an apt., condo,
or townhouse, that all but
rules out an acoustic piano
right from the start. And
someone pounding on one for
several hrs. a day can easily
drive people in the house--
and even the player himself--nuts.
We are living in the Digital Age,
and the word processor and
digital camera have driven
the manual typewriter and film
camera, repectively, into
oblivion. Similarly, the
digital piano is slowly but
surely driving the acoustic
piano into obsolescence. I
have an expensive acoustic
upright piano--the first piano
I bought as an adult restarter--
in storage. A similar model
today would be in the ~$20,000
price range, but it stays in
storage because I find my
$600 digital piano much better
for practical, everyday playing.
I can play anything on it,
from jazz improvisation to
big-time concertos.
