One of the first steps in learning to play the piano is to familiarize yourself with the instrument. The piano has gone through several stages of development over the years since the time that it was created and invented.
The modern version of the piano is a fascinating and complex instrument. Yet at the same time, it is the simplest instrument that you can start to play. Start by learning about the basic structure of the piano, how it plays, what are its essential parts and how does it produces sound.
Learning about the piano also helps you make the correct choice while buying one.
A prospective buyer for piano today has 3 main options, that is, buying an acoustic piano, a digital keyboard or piano or a hybrid piano.
Acoustic Pianos
The two main styles of acoustic piano are the grand piano and an upright piano, which also come in different sizes and prices.
The main fundamental system of creating musical sounds is similar in both the vertical and the grand piano. Both these instruments allow you to control the volune and the tone quality through the speed and sensitivity of your touch as you press down any key.
The basic system on which the piano works is when you press a key, a felt covered wooden hammer strikes a string or a set of strings inside the piano. The resonance of the vibrating string is amplified by the wooden soundboard which is parallel to the strings. The soundboard of a piano is one of its primary components and is very importantly connected to producing the kind of sound that a piano does.
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source: pianoforall.com
Digital Piano / Keyboard
There is a wide range of digital keyboards available today which can be an attractive alternative to buying a full fledged acoustic piano.
Most of the celebrated and popular digital keyboards work by sampling the sound of a real piano and come pretty close to reproducing the real sound. That having been said, they still fall short of capturing the actual sound of a real acoustic piano in most cases.
Sampling of the sound involves recording the sound of an actual piano and storing it as digital information. When you play the keys on a digital keyboard, the sound is amplified electronically through the speakers.
One advantage of digital keyboards is that they put the luxury of a wide of spectrum sounds and instruments at your disposal. It is possible to play sample sounds of a guitar, saxophone, trombone, flute and there is other instruments just by using a digital keyboard etc.
Just as is the case in acoustic pianos, the digital ones also come in a wide variety. In fact you will quickly discover that you perhaps have more options when looking to buy a digital piano. Things can get quickly confusing as well. Believe me when I tell you, you will get what you pay for.
There are some very sophisticated keyboards available today that are endorsed by professional piano players for the quality of the piano sound that they are able to reproduce. We will discuss some popular models later on in another post. For now, just understand that you need to understand your buying options as well as the difference between the various options in order to make the correct choice.
The main features you are looking for in a digital piano is a a very high quality sound sampling for a piano and great inbuilt sound quality of the speakers.
There is another option available to someone looking to buy a piano and that is of a hybrid piano.
What Is A Hybrid Piano
A hybrid piano is an uncommon buy for a beginner. A hybrid piano combines the acoustic and digital technology in the same instrument. One of the reasons why this option is not attractive to a beginner is that these instruments can tend to be quite expensive.
A hybrid piano is about blending the digital and the acoustic technology and trying to deliver the advantages from from both with none of the dis-advantages. The way this blend happens depends on the company that is making them.
Yamaha hybrid pianos choose the make their hybrids a certain way. They have silent pianos that you can only hear through your headphone in-spite of having the full hammer and key mechanism like an acoustic. This is often done by replacing the strings with digital sensors.
Another kind of hybrid piano might allow you to switch from digital to acoustic and include the feature to record your own performance. In this manner, hybrid pianos can come in various avatars. If you an afford them they are quite fascinating and beautiful devices.
Again today, whether you choose to buy a digital keyboard or an acoustic piano, you can rest assured that the quality of the interment you buy is only going to be limited by the amount of money that you are ready to spend.
Unless, of course, you are able to find a great deal on a second hand piano in a garage sale or a discount sale. We will talk more about what to what to watch out for when buying second hand piano as well so that you do not get scammed.
There are several options available to the piano buyer today and what ever you choose, you can be content in the knowledge that you are choosing one of the perfect solo instruments to play and have at home. We will talk more about different styles and designs of a keyboard and piano in the next posts will that will help you pick up the right instrument for yourself.