Which Piano ?

Hi There !

I am 22 and i decided to learn play piano.I dont want to become a pro or something i just want to play at home for fun.I am looking for a digital piano or a keyboard ( cause i am a student i dont have enough space and money ) which one do you recommend ? i actually want to buy it form amazon or ebay because there is no big piano shop in where i live ( small town in Germany ).I found in internet Yamaha NP-11 but i am not sure..i hope you ll help me to find the right one :))

Thanks in advance !

I would recommend you travel to a shop and try one out.

Also think long and hard about it as the Yamaha you mention only has 61 keys.

I had a 61 key keyboard for 5 months. I wish I had skipped it and jumped right to an 88.

I heard good things about the yamaha p95. It has 88 keys and price is reasonable.

If you want to play piano, you'll need 88 keys -- preferably "weighted keys".

. . . How much money do you want to spend?

. . . Do you want a nice cabinet, or
. . . is a "slab piano" (or "stage piano") OK ?

"Slab pianos" are (for example) Yamaha P105 / P155, or Casio PX-150 / PX-350.

. Charles

thanks for the quick answers ...

I dont need a cabinet. / What is the Difference between 61 keys and 88 keys... i checked it out :

Yamaha NP-11 costs (61 keys) : 193 €

Yamaha P 95B costs (88 keys) : 566 €

there is a big difference ...

is casio cheaper than yamaha ?

Without a lot of hand wrenching and comparing and fretting over this purchase, I would suggest you get one of these two options. They will be fine for your situation and will not break the bank. You can be presented with pages of options but in the end you have to make a choice and from other discussions on this forum and my personal experience with these, it is my opinion that these options will serve you well.

Casio PX-150 Bundle:

http://www.amazon.com/Casio-Digital-Furn...ds=casio+px-150


Casio PX-350 Bundle:

http://www.amazon.com/Casio-Digital-Furn...ds=casio+px-350


Good Luck

You may want to check the "Digital Pianos - Synths & Keyboards" forum.

This type of question comes up frequently in that forum.

Have a look at Thomman.de

Try and igore the Thomman brand digital pianos they are an unknown quantity.

The cheapest 88 key weighted key digital piano from the big Japanese companies is a casio CDP120. Then the PX135. Then the CDP220R, then the PX150.

Phone them up and ask them about it. They are a German company.

I have the Casio PX-350 and LOVE it. There is so much there it will be years before I grow into it. The speakers pn the PX-150 sounded "thin" to me. I avoided it for that reason.

That being said look into the matching stand and pedals. The pedal that comes with it is CRAP. X type stands get knocked all over by your knee and for what you pay for others you can get the matching stand and pedals.

A piano has 88 keys. Learning to play on a keyboard with fewer keys may 1) limit the music you can play, and 2) create difficulties when you have the chance to play on a full-length keyboard, whether digital or acoustic.

Something important to consider is that you should look for a "weighted" keyboard that mimics the physical feel of depressing and releasing acoustic piano keys and enables dynamics (the ability to play from very softly to very loudly). Dynamics are a major component of piano playing. The word "piano" actually comes from "piano-forte" meaning "soft-loud" because it was the first keyboard instrument that could be played dynamically. Earlier instruments like the harpsichord didn't allow a dynamic range; the volume was the same no matter whether one banged on the keys or pressed them delicately.

The closer the digital gets to providing a "real" piano touch and sound, the better for you when using it as a learning instrument. You should probably stop by the digital forum here in PW for in-depth help in choosing an electronic instrument.

Good luck and let us know which keyboard you buy. We like to see pictures, too!

Maranello - I was in your position about 18 months ago. I wanted a digital piano. I'd never had a piano. I bought a Yamaha P95. I "played" it for about an hour. Totally disappointed I returned it the same day. It felt OK but sounded terrible. I ended up with a Kawai KDP80. I spent much more than I intended but have decent keyboard which is enjoyable to play.

Maranello,

You live in a small town in Germany, where? Perhaps I can help you.

Otherwise is this an opportunity? Lurk around here.....Look only at Yamaha, Kawai or perhaps Roland if you like the sound....no Hemmingway or Casio....that's junk....

Thomann

Best regards,
Johan B

I wouldn't call a Casio PX-150 / PX-350, or the current generation of Privia consoles, "junk". You must judge the piano, not the brand.

. Charles

Yamaha P35. Selling in the UK for £349.

For similar aims to me, some more experienced players will say it's specs are not good enough, but for your first purchase, and a 'realistic' piano feel, I don't think you can go wrong.

For about £150 more you can get the Yamaha P105, with more features and specs.

Agree. I used to consider Casio digital pianos like toys but no more. I played the PX-350 and it is quite good. I ended up purchasing the Kawai ES7 but I am not sure it is much better than the Casio PX-350. The Casio brand is starting to come to the main stream of low-cost digital pianos. They are worth a look.