Acoustic vs. Digital Pianos

Paying for piano lessons is a big investment. Protect your investment by purchasing a quality instrument that provides you with the best environment for learning and the enjoyment of playing for years to come. My favorite brands for both digital and acoustic pianos are Kawaii and Yamaha.

Have a questions about pianos? I'm happy to help. Contact me.

Acoustic Piano PROS and CONS

Acoustic Piano PROS

A real piano provides the key resistance that builds strength in the your fingers and if played properly has a beautiful, rich sound unmatched by any digital piano.
Acoustic pianos are hand built and as a result each piano has its own lovely distinct characteristics and sound.
Contrary to what you might thing, a new acoustic piano can be affordable and around the same price as a high-end digital piano.
Because an acoustic piano isn't electrical it can be played even if the power goes out during a storm.
They rarely — if ever — need repairing of any kind especially especially a quality brand like Kawaii or Yamaha.
Having a piano in the house is a show piece that can be handed down from generation to generation. A high-quality piano holds its value far better than any high-quality digital piano.

Acoustic Piano CONS

Acoustic pianos are mechanical instruments therefore there is no "turning down" the piano. When you play the whole household will hear it.
Purchasing a new piano can run as low as $7,000 which is still a lot of money for many people. An excellent piano can cost as much as $75,000 for the average person. Of course, there are pianos that costs more than $100,000, too, but those are generally purchased by professional theaters, virtuoso pianists or for music conservatories and universities.
Acoustic pianos need annual tuning and maintenance in order to maintain its overall health and performance quality. A Certified Piano Technician will generally cost $100-150 per visit although it depends on your area.
Pianos are very heavy. Moving a piano from one house to another should only be done by piano moving professionals. This can costs several hundred dollars.

Digital Piano PROS and CONS

Digital Piano PROS

High-quality digital pianos can provide you with several years of enjoyment and learning through intermediate playing.
A new, high-quality digital pianos ranges from $900 to $12,000 which makes it more affordable than many acoustic pianos.
High-quality digital pianos offer a similar experience to that of an acoustic piano.
You can play with head phones so you don't disrupt the household or your neighbors when practicing.
Some digital pianos offer many additional features like changing the voices to other instrument sounds and recording your playing.
As compared to acoustic pianos, digital pianos are relatively light and can moved easily from room to room or house to house. In most cases, you don't need to hire Piano Moving Professionals to move it to a new home.
Digital pianos never go out of tune so there is no routine maintenance needed.

Digital Piano CONS

Like all technology, digital pianos depreciate in value rapidly. If you you want the option of selling it to recoup your cost, you may be very disappointed in how little you might get for it (if anything).
Less expensive digital pianos can adversely affect your progress (inadequately weighted keys) and can lead to bad habits that are hard to overcome.
Digital pianos are mass produced and known for occasionally needing repairs which can be a real hassle as well as costly if you didn't purchase it from a reputable showroom or if it's out of warranty. It may take a week or more to have it fixed.
If the power goes your won't be able practice or have your lesson.
Power surges or brown outs may damage your piano. I recommend purchasing a UPS Battery Backup.
Digital pianos don't take the abuse that they are often subjected to in a household with children or if you will be playing at an advanced level.

The DO'S and DON'TS when purchasing a piano

DO visit a piano showroom or retail store that specializes in both acoustic and digital pianos. Most offer discounts and finance options. Plus, it's fun to play all the pianos of which there are likely dozens. This is also important (especially for acoustic pianos) because the key action and sound is different for each piano. A showroom will often employ a technician so that any repairs can be handled with minimal hassle to you.

DO consider pre-owned pianos from a reputable showroom.
You can get great deals on excellent pianos and will generally come with a store warranty. Some showrooms also allow you to rent a piano and build credit towards its purchase.

DO your research before buying any piano, especially digital.
There are a multitude of manufacturers and a huge range of quality (just like cars). Be aware that an inexpensive piano will likely be an inferior instrument if you're serious in your pursuit of playing the piano.

In my many years as a pianist and teacher, I've seen a direct correlation between poor student technique and low quality digital pianos. I've also noticed a correlation between inadequate pianos and students giving up piano lessons in only a couple of years. Imagine learning how to play basketball with a net that is too high or learning to play tennis with a hole in the racket? Give yourself the best chance of success by buying the best instrument you can.

DON'T allow a sales person or marketing ploy convince you that an inexpensive digital piano is good for beginners. In my opinion, this is the worst thing you can do. Inferior digital pianos will lack the key resistance you need for building finger strength and will not offer a realistic piano experience. In addition, buying an extremely low-end piano means you'll likely want upgrade to a better piano in a couple years so in the long run, there's really no cost savings.

DON'T purchase a digital piano from Amazon or other online retailers unless you're prepared for the hassle of packing it up and returning it because it doesn't work properly. This might seem like a convenient option but only creates headaches if it arrives damaged or if it needs repairing in the future. If a feature stops working, you will need to source an independent repair technician who specializes in digital pianos. These individuals are scarce and the cost will not likely be covered by warranty.

DON'T purchase through social media or online advertising without a piano technician inspecting it first. If this isn't a realistic option, then you arrange with the seller to see it in person so that you can check that all the keys play, that all the buttons work and that the weighted key technology in functioning properly.

DON'T bring home a free acoustic piano without a piano technician inspecting it first. Just because it's free doesn't mean it's worth having and it will cost several hundred dollars to move it to your home.

DON'T purchase a digital piano with less than the full 88 keys or without weighted keys.