Hello!

My 5 years old kid has been taking piano lessons for a few months and he seems to enjoy it.

I’m thinking of buying a piano for him so that he can practice at home. However, I don’t know much about pianos and I’m not sure what to buy.

I’m looking at digital pianos mostly since they look cheaper and I don’t have much space at home anyway. I did a bit of research on the internet and I understand I should be getting one with weighted keys. Beside that, I don’t know what brand or model to pick.

Do you have any piano recommendation for a kid who is just getting started?

Thanks!

  • Joakim@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Kawai ES-110 and 120 are great. Also Yamaha P125 and Roland FP30 are great beginner pianos. Naturally also the higher numbers from those mentioned.

    • poka@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      Thanks! I will take a look at those models. Also, there is a store near my place which only sells Casio and Korg digital pianos. Do you recommend anything from those brands?

      I noticed most digital pianos come with 1 year warranty only and that looks quite short to me… Are maintenance and repairs expected if I plan to keep the piano for at least 5 years? Is there a brand with a reputation of making products with good quality that can last for years?

      • ExplosiveDC@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        The Korg B2 is another popular choice for beginners. Never tried one myself so I can’t say much past that.

        Generally, any quality digital piano such as the ones you’ve been looking at will last quite a few years, given that you care for it properly.

        Edit: About maintenance, there’s hardly much you’ll have to do beyond just cleaning the pianoand making sure not too much dust accumulates (I recommend just covering the keybed with a large sheet) Issues with the internals should be taken back for potential warranty claims.

      • Joakim@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        Oh and about maintenance and repairs. Short answer: no, I don’t think you need to worry about any maintenance for at least 10 years and then, you’d be better served buying a new instrument. Your mileage may vary and sometimes these instruments break. The better you treat them (no liquids, no slamming, no dropping, no exposure to direct sunshine all day), the better they usually last. In normal use a normally functioning piano will last you a long time with no maintenance save for wiping it with a damp cloth if the keys feel sticky. An acoustic piano will require at least a hundred dollars of maintenance per year if you want it to work and sound properly. Digitals are almost free in comparison.

        Also: a good pair of headphones is good to have. It is important the pianist feels they can practice without remorse or wondering if they are disturbing others. The possibility to play silently is one of the main reasons for getting a digital instrument.

        There is a pretty vast difference between a digital and an acoustic and for advanced players it is a real concern: they should get to practice on a real instrument. But that is after playing for 10 years and if the pianist is gifted. “Normal” players playing for their own amusement can play on a digital all their lives in my opinion. I’ve been playing for 42 years and I still have a Kawai upstairs and a hybrid Yamaha downstairs as my main piano and I am between advanced and very advanced these days.