Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum From digital piano to acoustic piano

Hello guys,


For people who started playing with a digital piano and later moved on to an acoustic one, I have a few questions for you!

How long did you play with a digital piano after moving on to an acoustic piano?

How fast did you get used to your acoustic piano?

Did it feel like you had to start playing piano all over again?

Did you get a piano teacher, did it help?

(Random question) Are people with smaller hands and fingers more likely to get strains/injuries than people with stronger fingers and bigger hands?

I played a digital piano a lot (way too much) for three months and I thought it was a really bad piano so I went to the music store.
I tried an acoustic piano there, and suddenly, all my hard work, skills, and serious effort was drained as I kept playing the acoustic piano, the touch of the keys, the dynamics, it felt like I could see the mallets hitting the strings in my minds eye. It was like starting to play the piano from the beginning again (yes, yes 3 months is not a lot of time but I played 5-10h a day) also I haven't played for about 2 and a half months after getting a trigger finger (luckily not a bad one)


TL;DR How to approach an acoustic piano after playing a digital piano and got a bad technique and habits, did getting a piano teacher help you? did you get one?

I think that your main problem is playing for 5-10 hours per day! Acoustic or digital.

Even professional pianists didn't start playing as long as that out of sudden, why are you?

If you get an acoustic and start playing it for that long you'll only hurt your hands again. Specially if you go for hard fast pieces as I'm afraid you will.

Enthusiasm is all fine, but not when it will clash with your health.

How long did you play with a digital piano after moving on to an acoustic piano?


Once I got the acoustic I abandoned the digital ...however my acoustic has a digital component so I can still play in "silent mode". The feel is very similar - though not exactly the same - as playing the acoustic. My Dp wasn't weighted and I find it almost impossible to play now.



How fast did you get used to your acoustic piano?

In terms of touch, it didn't take too long - a few weeks. In terms of sound ... months. It was so much more than the dp, which I had typically played at low volume.


Did it feel like you had to start playing piano all over again?
No.


Did you get a piano teacher, did it help?
I had a teacher before I got the acoustic and still have one - I believe it helps me.

(Random question) Are people with smaller hands and fingers more likely to get strains/injuries than people with stronger fingers and bigger hands?

I don't think so. You said you were playing 5-10 hours a day...that's rather a lot. Tension, and incorrect positioning could be the root of the trigger finger problem. A teacher should be able to help you get rid of bad habits and play without injuring yourself.

I'm gonna buy an acoustic in a week, I've learned that too much practicing is bad, especially with bad habits.

I feel like a grand piano is easier since that DP was heavy.

Thanks both to your answers, that was surprising to hear that you did not feel like starting to play piano again, I mean there's so much different techniques you can use only with an acoustic piano.

I probably did not feel I had to learn again because I played on my teacher's grand piano and the upright acoustic at the school regularly.
I also only played the dp for about 10 months before my husband bought me the acoustic.

Have fun shopping for your acoustic!

I had a teacher with my DP and switched to an acoustic after about 2 years. How long did it take to get used to the acoustic? About 25-30 minutes. I still play both and find it very easy to switch between them. If you have a good quality DP with weighted keys, I doubt you develop any seriously bad habits, at least as a beginner. Trying to teach yourself to play provides a lot more chances to develop bad habits then those due to the particular instrument you practice on.

How long did you play with a digital piano after moving on to an acoustic piano?

I still play both. Digital = late night headphones. Acoustic = 'live', in concert sound.

How fast did you get used to your acoustic piano?
They are just too different to ever 'get used to'. Like a truck and a sports car. Both very good, but different. But you can get comfortable and confident playing on both. They are just different.

Did it feel like you had to start playing piano all over again?

No, just like if you rent a truck, but have only driven cars. You just need to get familiar with the new instrument. It doesn't mean you forget how to play!

Did you get a piano teacher, did it help?

No, but it could. It just depends on how you learn best. However you go about learning things best is how you should approach learning anything.

(Random question) Are people with smaller hands and fingers more likely to get strains/injuries than people with stronger fingers and bigger hands?

I think people with smaller hands may actually have an advantage on a digital. The opposite is true with an acoustic. I have very large hands and find it much more difficult to clearly hit the white notes between the black keys for lack of space. I must tilt my fingers and thumb sideways many times just to fit.

You get used to this however because you can only play the wrong note so many times before you actually start torturing yourself! As a result, you learn to adapt quickly; and you do.

Final comment: I own both and NEVER confuse the two. Neither does anyone else. But they both serve their intended purpose well and as a result I'll always have both.

How long did you play with a digital piano after moving on to an acoustic piano?
About 2 years.

How fast did you get used to your acoustic piano?
Some aspects such as touch came in a few weeks. Volume took awhile (maybe 6 weeks) because I always played the digital at lower volume because I was wearing headphones usually.

Did it feel like you had to start playing piano all over again?
Not at all, I could do many things pretty much the same just not all for a bit. Now I much prefer the AP and only play the DP late night.

Did you get a piano teacher, did it help? I had a teacher as soon as I purchased the DP and afterwards for ~6 more months. Looking for a new one still.

(Random question) Are people with smaller hands and fingers more likely to get strains/injuries than people with stronger fingers and bigger hands?
I don't think hand size is a issue. If you overdo it (which beginners are likely to do with their newfound enthusiasm) I would think so. Fingers, like any body part will get stronger with longer use. Just don't overuse them initially, and especially if you have previously been playing on an un-weighted keyboard.

"I tried an acoustic piano there, and suddenly, all my hard work, skills, and serious effort was drained as I kept playing the acoustic piano, the touch of the keys, the dynamics, it felt like I could see the mallets hitting the strings in my minds eye. It was like starting to play the piano from the beginning again (yes, yes 3 months is not a lot of time but I played 5-10h a day) also I haven't played for about 2 and a half months after getting a trigger finger (luckily not a bad one)"

A seminal (Eureka) moment indeed!

I had the opposite experience; used to playing a decent straight strung upright, I found the music teacher`s piano dull and lifeless, not to mention clumpy and heavy They were well respected brands too.

I played some Baldwin pianos in the shop where my wife worked; the only pianos I liked were the smallest and cheapest Baldwin (had a clear uncluttered tone) and a Chappell 5 footer grand. That was like the upright I had.

Oh, and this digital. Yamaha CLP 550, late `80`s. Wonderful! I was transported . . .the digital route is now my road to wherever I go musically!

I played a weighted digital for over a year.

With my upright, It felt really weird, somewhat heavy, for about 3 days. By about 3 weeks I just didn't notice it. Now, about 4 years later, it's the digital that feels completely weird and way too light.

No, not at all did it feel like I had to start all over again. It was revelatory and liberating. What's great about the acoustic is you're playing the whole box and there's a range of expression and sound that you simply don't get from even a good digital. It just feels different in a good way. I really did not expect the degree to which I enjoy the acoustic over the digital.

I was taking lessons when I bought the Acoustic but that was neither here nor there with regards to adapting to the digital.

Poor technique causes hand and arm issues. Age is an exacerbator. The internet is filled with information about musicians injuries and how to avoid them.

It shouldn't have felt like it drained your technique. If I may be so candid, I would posit that working without a teacher with a digital has left you with a lack of technique.

If what you want to do is play keyboards i.e. for a rock band, to compose pop songs with etc, then a digital may be your path to happiness. If you love the piano, classical, blues, lounge, etc. and that's what you aspire to, then the digital, as far as they have come, is still a somewhat hobbled substitute.

One man's opinion.

Kurt

How long did you play with a digital piano after moving on to an acoustic piano?
1.5 years.

How fast did you get used to your acoustic piano?
Quite fast I think, about 2-3 weeks for key heaviness, maybe a bit more for dynamics - but I'm still very far from playing soft and fast on the acoustic!
Now the digital feels very light and plasticky, although I use it a lot for my sight-reading and exercises, and when I need to practice a passage many times without going deaf.

Did it feel like you had to start playing piano all over again?
At first it did, but then it wasn't so bad. Sometimes if I start learning something on the digital I sort of have to start over again when moving to the acoustic, but it depends on the piece.

Did you get a piano teacher, did it help?
I didn't have one and I didn't get one.

(Random question) Are people with smaller hands and fingers more likely to get strains/injuries than people with stronger fingers and bigger hands?
I guess so, because people with large hands don't need to stretch them so much. With small hands you really need to be free of any tensions. Sometimes I look at a score and think "there is no way I am gonna be able to play these notes legato, or use this fingering", but then if I try I usually find out that it was not so hard as it looked.

I just put in ear plugs, that solved the main problem.

I'm sensitive to tuning, and an acoustic starts going back out of tune the same hour it is serviced. Most people (including, sigh, many piano teachers) neglect to have regular tunings done; they just get used to hearing out of tune pianos. Their own piano goes out of tune slowly enough they may never notice, but I will if I play it.

Ear plugs. Best approach for converting from digital to acoustic.

Stopped playing the digital the day I got the grand....have not touched it since.

I had a teacher at the time. Took just a few weeks to adjust, although it did feel strange at first. After a short while, the extra dynamic range and responsiveness of the grand was very liberating.

If you are a true beginner, 5-10 hours daily sounds orders or magnitude too much.

I wouldn`t put it quite like that but . . . !

What on earth do you practice for 5-10 hours a day? I have a hard time filling my 1.5-hour practice

WW,

I started on pretty basic keyboard (about 6 months) then graduated to a Kawai CA65 DP. To me, the feel of the action felt remarkably similar to that of many of the acoustics I played at lessons and in showrooms. I played the DP for about a year and a half then bought a baby grand.

I found the transition from the CA65 to the grand to be no problem. There were some differences but none that made me start all over. Quite the contrary, I found my playing ability seemed to improve almost instantly. Within a couple of weeks I was totally comfortable with the grand.

I guess the key was having a DP that was specifially noted for it's acoustic type feel. I made that my #1 priority when auditioning DP's.

BTW, I kept my DP and still use it with headphones for "quiet times". I can transition back and forth easily.

Perhaps it depends on how long you played on a DP before swapping to an acoustic. An adult beginner, I played exclusively on a Yamaha Clavinova for about 4 years; a DP was my only option given the available space at home at the time. My 12 months of piano lessons during this time were also on a DP.

Recently we moved to a house big enough for me to realise my dream - owning a grand piano - but the changeover to my Yamaha C3 has been a challenge. I seemed to have far less control over my fingers, and found playing softly a virtual impossibility. I'm persisting (without a teacher), improving, and fortunately I'm loving every minute of the journey.

I think the major problem is that I always kept the volume quite low on the DP, and if I wanted to play softly I'd just drop the level even more. Perhaps learners should be encouraged to set the volume well up, and work to control it just with fingers. It would have done much to help my transition to an acoustic piano.

I played on a digital keyboard for about a year before switching to acoustic. It had only 61 keys, so it was a real pleasure to move to an acoustic. I don't think it hurt me at all to play on the digital - it was better than not playing!

After moving to acoustic I upgraded twice, so I am on my third, and hopefully last, piano.

I also upgraded the digital keyboard to one with all 88 keys - I use it with headphones sometimes in the early morning when my wife is asleep. And I'm getting ready to use it for a few weeks while I overhaul the damper action in my real piano - a 1927 Bechstein model L.

So my opinion on the whole thing is that playing on a digital keyboard is much better for you than not playing at all...

Sam

I've been exhorting people in the Digital Forum - frequently - that if they want to be able to play on real pianos as well as their digitals with minimal problems switching back and forth, they need to play their digitals at exactly the same volume (via headphones or speakers) as the real things. (If you have no interest in playing on real pianos, of course you can twiddle the volume control to control your volume rather than use your fingers - but don't fool yourself that you are developing proper piano technique).

I've seen so many people who play their digitals with the volume control set at unrealistically low levels, with the result that when playing on acoustics, they are unable to play softly, because they have no control. They end up banging, because they could get away with it on digitals.....

I use a digital at home and give piano recitals on acoustic grands - with absolutely no problems switching between the two. That's because the volume control on my digital has never been shifted from the position I set it when I acquired it in 2010, which is commensurate with the volume from a baby grand when played with the same force, through my headphones. (My digital has no speakers).

Well I'm still waiting to get my piano, in a year or so (can't wait! ). At the moment I play on my 61 key yamaha which, though sounding like a piano has none of the feel. So when I do get my upright (or DP) I have a lot to learn again! Ive played around with a few acoustics (including an 1890s Broadwood grand) and I can tell straight away there's going to be a fair bit of adjustment!

Due to lack of space I will probably just give my beloved Yamaha to one of the kids to learn on.