Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Ever prefer a digital piano over a grand?

I usually practice on a digital Yamaha P120 and like it for the most part. The action is consistent from one end to the other and the piano sounds are decent although the treble notes aren't bright enough.

I was given access to practice on a small Samik grand piano and I find I don't like the sound as much as I do the Yamaha digital piano. The piano is in a room approximately 28' X 30' in size and with a high ceiling. I played the piano with the lid down and so it was closed except for the music stand area. I think I do this to not be overheard. To my ears there is entirely too much reverberation and the sound seems really muffled although this probably because of the closed lid. The key action is seems to be inconsistent and I very occasionally hit a repeated note that just thuds instead sounding the note. Maybe this piano is just a 'lemon' as it's not an old piano. To be fair, I should try it with the lid open one of these mornings.

I thought I'd be in hog heaven to practice on a grand piano but it's sad that I actually prefer the feel of the Yamaha digital piano over this Samik grand. This ever happen to anyone?

What size was this Samik? If it was a baby-grand (4'll" or less), then it will sound and perform like something quickly thrown together. It'll have the appearance of a grand piano, but won't really play like a true grand piano.

I'd suggest you try playing on the top quality brands like Steinway, Yamaha, Bösendorfer, Mason & Hamlin. etc. And pick something around 6' or better. Also, play with the lid up. You don't play your digital with a "lid" down, so don't play with the grand lid down.

After that you'll change your mind.

It is probably just what you are used to, and that your baby grand doesn't sound like that good a piano. I do think a digital can work better for certain kinds of music, some modern or contemporary stuff. I also like the various things you can do with a digital, but that's more like fun or a toy, than because I think it sounds better than a real piano (ie, you can play duets with yourself or something).

It may also just be because a lot of people nowadays aren't really used to hearing real instruments, just digital recordings, so it may be that the digital piano sound is preferable to you now. Sometimes when I go to live performances now, if I don't have a great seat, or the hall acoustics aren't so good, I think -- gee, it would have been nicer just to sit at home and listen to this on a good recording and save my $75.

If your only pianos of comparison are a Samick "baby" grand with some keys that don't always work, an inconsistent action and poor sound quality against a Yamaha digital, then you don't have any basis for comparing between a digital and a grand.

In Larry Fine's classifications of pianos (The Piano Book Supplement 2007-2008) where pianos are rated in categories from
1A, 1B, 1C (Highest quality performance pianos)
2A, 2B, 2C (High performance pianos)
3A, 3B, 3C (Better quality consumer-grade pianos)
4A, 4B, 4C, 4D (Medium quality consumer-grade pianos)
Samick is classed as a 4C; no wonder you prefer the digital.

Try some well-prepped and/or well-maintained class 1 and class 2 pianos, and you'll find that a digital won't hold a candle to any of them.

Regards,

... that's Bösendorfer, Mason & Hamlin, by the way.

Regards,

has anyone found on the digital pianos that there is a lack of clarity (if this is the word im after?) in the pedals. I find that on the digital my pedalling (going by ear) sounds just nice. But if i do the same pedalling on an acoustic- its too overdone?

i would also like to add...
Digital piano with orchestra = horrid.
played Shostakovich symphony 5 and unfortunatly we could not have an acoustic piano at the concert. We used a digital piano and the sound didnt carry across at all. So much so, that we conected it to an amp. At this volume it carried, but it sounded really false in comparison to a real piano. I may be able to add a clip of the recording if you want to hear it.

yea...any mixing of acoustic with non acoustic sounds fake to me...like what nix said about digital w/ orchestra.

Back on to the main topic, I practically never like a digital piano, and there are some acoustic pianos that I hate with a passion as well (though usually due to simple maintenance issues). However, I usually find a well-maintained piano much better in comparison to a digital, partly because I feel more at home on a real piano, and also partly due to the failure of digital technology to accurately duplicate the experience of an acoustic piano.

For instance, on most digital pianos I play, the touch sensitivity is way off balance. If you play at the threshhold between two levels that the piano senses, and cross it just once, it throws it into a dynamic very different from what the difference in your playing would give you on an acoustic piano. So it's not so great for dynamic subtlety.

In addition, I find it awkard on digital pianos, because of any way that the keys are weighted. In uprights and digital pianos, gravity is not responsible for returning the key to it's normal position, but springs. If they're stiff, the keys return fast, but it doesn't feel as smooth a return as with a grand piano. If they're not stiff, they won't return fast and the repeatability of notes is very limited...for instance on most of the petrof uprights, you have to be very careful in the Chopin 'Grand Valse Brillante' in Eb; op. 18, due to fast, repeated Ebs starting in measure 20b, not to mention the Bb's in the opening. Also, spring-returned keys have the side effect after time and usage of losing their stiffness, and as a result I have a digital piano with the D above Middle C that hangs down a bit, and doesn't return that fast. (and I don't practice on it as much as the Steinway grands at the university)

I could go on but I fear I've ranted enough.

The only grand I've gotten to play recently is a Baldwin that is badly in need of regulation and tuning. Even so it sounds more powerful and complex than my digitals, but the sticking action makes playing it unpleasant. I suspect that if I had a good-quality, well-maintained grand piano to play, I would prefer it if everything else were equal.

I would much rather play a digital piano than any out of tune or dead-keyed acoustic piano, don't care what the size, make or model. That said, I'd rather play a nicely tuned maintained upright than even the finest digital piano, without hesitation!

I personally use a digital for practice but prefer to use a grand otherwise.

- Mark

Oops! I edited my post accordingly.

... duplicate.

I think a nice digital definitely beats a really old and out-of-tune acoustic or an acoustic with sticky keys...etc. Otherwise, a decent in-tune acoustic (upright or grand) beats any digital for me.

Bruce,

How does Larry Fine rate the Yamaha MP1?

I will try to make music on whatever has been provided to me, but will almost always choose a grand piano over anything else.

I think it is good to keep in mind that a digital keyboard is not a piano.

Never was, never will be.

I can compose music for piano on a DP, so I consider it what it's called, a piano! Not my first choice as stated above, but it does the job : )

Joe

I can compose music for piano on my Macintosh computer, but that doesn't make my Macintosh computer a piano.

I think digital pianos are just about to surpass traditional grand pianos. I have access to all kinds of grand pianos in school, like Steinways, Bösendorfers, Yamahas ect, and even though they are tuned and maintained to a high degree, I find myself prefering to practise on my Roland KR103 digital piano.

It doesn´t sound *quite* as good, but it has better dynamics and the action is a lot more precise, both the keys and pedals. And the fact that you can turn the volume down a notch enables practise loud pieces for hours without wearing your ears off.

It´s pretty much the best responding piano I´ve ever played, and I would not be interested in trading it for a grand. And yes, I play classical music.

Although, specificaly for concerts, I still prefer to use a grand piano, but only for better tone-quality, that is the one advantage they still have over digitals in my opinion.

But on the other hand, grands tend to squeek and creek when you least expect it, which can be pretty annoying. Does it still have superior sound if you add that aspect into the mix? It sure is troublesome during recording-sessions, especially while using the damper-pedal (a function that the Roland emulates btw).

And for those about to critisize me, don´t think I´m talking about Roland-digital pianos in general, as many sound like crap, it´s got to be this specific model, the KR103.

To some extent, what you're used to plays a role but finding the right piano is key. I played a digital Yamaha P140S for a while until I decided to purchase an acoustic piano. My first experiences were awful and thought that this was a mistake. I was having trouble getting used to the feel and sound. I must also mention that the first couple of pianos that I tried were not just out of tune but of poor quality. Then I found one that I really liked the feel and sound of. Now, I don't want to play the digital. On the bright side, the digital is an advantage when everyone's sleeping...... just plug in the headset!