Buying a piano?
Rrishi Raote tells you how to go about it.
Structurally, the traditional acoustic piano is a simple mechanism. The player presses a key, which causes a hammer to tap a wire; the vibration is picked up and amplified by the wooden soundbox. But when a pianist plays, several keys move several hammers, which tap several wires, which cause extraordinarily complex patterns of vibration in each other and in the soundbox... It all becomes very complicated very fast. Which is why — difficult as it is to make superb acoustic pianos (mechanical ones of wood and metal), it requires a whole different scale of technology to make digital pianos (in which an algorithm decides what sounds will play out of speakers when keys are pressed).
When you have to buy a piano, the choices are many. Your budget will help you make some of them, and the rest will depend on how you plan to use the instrument. We list some of your best options depending on your need.
ROLAND RD700GX
Not traditional-looking at all, this is an up-to-date keyboard which teachers swear by, especially for beginner pupils. You can customise its sound to a fine degree.
Price: Rs 1,24,750
YAMAHA AVANTGRAND N3
This 2009 release (and its little sister, the upright N2) is probably the most advanced digital piano in the world. Yamaha’s engineers have done everything to make the experience of playing the N3 as close to that of a concert grand as possible — down to harmonics, body vibrations, key response, and even the way the pedals vibrate.
Price: Rs 10 lakh
YAMAHA P-85
You probably couldn’t get a cheaper, better digital piano than this one. Though sparse in its furnishings, it is generous to the beginner player, with decent sound and touch, and a handful of other digital features.
Price: Rs 41,750 (plus Rs 6,100 for stand)
STEINWAY PARLOR GRAND MODEL A
Piano players say the Germans and Japanese do pianos best. This Steinway is from the American branch of the German brand. At about 6 ft long, the Parlor Grand is no more than medium-sized and will fit into a home, yet it generates the size and quality of sound of something much larger.
Price: Rs 27.5 lakh
KAWAI K6
For skilled players and serious learners, this is a digital piano with very good (and highly engineered) key action to allow you to play faster, smoother and with less effort. It is also respected for a good sostenuto pedal (which allows the notes to play longer). It’s compact, so the K6 will fit in at home.
Price: Rs 5.25 lakh approximately
YAMAHA U1
This acoustic upright is known for its good sound over the entire range, and did very well in the US market. It’s compact, but its fine action and powerful sound make it valuable for professionals as well as serious students. It is supposed to come pre-seasoned for the destination.
Price: Rs 4,92,000
YAMAHA JU109
At the bottom of Yamaha’s acoustic range is the JU109, a popular but good-quality beginners’ piano.
Price: Rs 1,99,500
| DIGITAL OR ACOUSTIC? Should you buy a digital piano rather than a traditional acoustic? |
No, if you value the sense and feel of an acoustic. It is very difficult to recreate the sound of wood and metal on a computer chip. Individual notes may play well, but complex harmonics may not. What’s more, a digital piano behaves differently: the keys may not have the same physical response, which affects how you play fast pieces or those with many key repetitions. Digitals also become obsolete much faster than acoustics, which can easily last a century and retain their value.