Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Will a digital piano ruin my touch?

Hello, I play the piano to about grade 8 standard, I love Debussy and Rachmaninov, and I just played some amazing Roland and Yamaha digital pianos today. A digital piano would be v useful for me for late night/early morning practising but I dont want to ruin my technique playing a digital piano. Do all you professionals / music students out there ever play digital pianos, and should I buy one? ? ?
Any advice gladly appreciated

some musicians or professionals have both acoustic and digital pianos at home or studio. so, i would imagine they didn't ruin their techniques by having the both.

http://www.pianoworld.com/ubb/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?/topic/27/233.html

I suggest you read this topic, where this was debated in full.

My view in short - No, a digital piano will certainly not ruin your touch, go for it!

It depends. If you play digital and acoustic back and forth, you will maintain the acoustic piano touch. If you substitute acoustic one with digital, you touch will be degraded to some degree, especially if you are not careful with velocity setting of digital piano.

I disagree, it depends entirely on what type of digital piano you are using. Obviously, a Casio model from 10 years ago may not benefit you, but a current model from any major manufacturer will be fine.

I have to agree with Cobs on this one. I recently bought a Yamaha P60 and it is a big improvement over the Samick upright that we have. I suppose if you're used to playing only the highest quality grands your touch might degrade a bit, but most of us live in the real world. We have to play lesser instruments and a good quality recent digital piano can actually be an improvement. I would suggest that you not limit yourself to playing only the digital as learning how to make a crappy instrument sound good is a valuable skill and one that will serve you well even with the best pianos.

Cheers,

I've been playing for about 22 years, and I would only recommend using a digital piano that has a fully-weighted progressive hammer action. My keyboard (a Roland KR-7) even duplicates escapement. I couldn't in good conscience recommend anything else (i.e. actions that use springs; I'm sure other manufacturers produce some sort of progressive hammer action) short of buying an actual acoustic grand piano.

Yes, I totally agree. You should never use a keyboard without a proper weighted action for piano practice.
Most digital pianos by major brands (Roland, Yamaha, Kawai...) have a fully weighted action.

my perspective... I have a YDP 121. It has launched me back into serious playing. I love it... however... it is very difficult to transition to my teachers steinway. I am in the market for an accoustical as soon as my move to CA is complete this summer. If I can not justify the extra price on a yamaha silent piano, i will most definately keepy my digital for night time practice... however... at this point in my studies... I can not see it being a total replacement... so to answer Katey... YOU SHOULD BE ABSOLUTELY FINE!!

but to use it as your ONLY instrument... first... the digital doesnt have the sympathetic vibrations or overtones that an accoustical has... and although i have 3 pedals and full sustenudo... pedalling is hindered greatly... there is much more control involved with an accoustical.

For the person learning to play, digs are great... you cant find a decent sounding accoustical for the cost of an average digital with full weighted/graded keys.

But all in all... digital's have come a LONG WAY... I had one of those 10-12 year old casios.. I hated it... sounded twangy... spring action... touch responsive? hahaha sure... and Im the good fairy! I cant beleive I shelled out a grand for that thing. It was in my closet more than my clothes. I was so thrilled when i got my YDP 120.

But, please remember that you can get far better digital models than the YDP121. In fact, all the disadvantages you mention (keyboard feel, lack of sympathetic resonance, lack of pedalling control) are all addressed (and improved) on many models of the Yamaha CLP range, particularly near the top of the range, for example the much talked about CLP170.

I can understand why you'd find it hard to transfer from the YDP121 to a Steinway, but I dont find this with higher end models, personally.

I just bought a Yamaha P120. My plan is to disable the internal sound module and use PMI's Old Lady and Emperor giga-sampled pianos. I had a chance to compare the P90 (which I think uses the same action as the P120, but thats a whole 'nother debate) against a Yamaha baby grand and the actions were fairly similar. If anything, the P90 exaggerated the weight of the lower keys.

I really hope the action of the P120 won't screw me up over the long run even though I'm using a very high-quality sound module.

Cobs,
I appreciate your opinion, and I am sure you are right that they are getting better, but i am a firm believer that nothing digital can replace the total package of an accoustical piano. As they get better, I am sure transferring from one to the other is going to get better to... and i dont think it will "ruin" ones touch. I am so thankful that they ARE out there, because 2 years ago when I got back into playing... there was NO way I could afford a good accoustical.
Anyway... I havent tried a CLP, and probably wont, as I am now in the market for a good accoustical!

take care

Unless you can afford a grand piano, the higher end digital pianos from Roland and Kawai have weighted keys that are better than uprights. They are grand actions, not upright actions.