Every piano enthusiast wants to have a piano in his or her home. Nowadays, you can access great digital pianos without having to worry about the weight and size of buying a traditional piano. You can access high quality digital pianos. The trick is finding the right piano that feels great to the touch and sounds like music to your ears.
Here are 10 tips to help you when you’re shopping for your digital piano:
1. Are the Keys Working?
What is a piano if the keys don’t work? It’s not a piano you want to buy. A piano should have keys that work flawlessly to deliver sound and flow up and down the scale. The scale should not be difficult to play up and down.
Check to see if you can move from a staccato to a more relaxed way of playing. The keys should respond to every intended movement. This will help you expose any wobbly keys and the ones that get stuck!
2. Check the Digital Features
Digital features are what make a digital piano work. Pay close attention to sensitive features like the touch screen, equalizers and how the piano keys react to touch.
The way you touch a piano changes how it sounds – it can be hard with a harder touch and soft with a softer touch.
The volume is therefore diversified by touch. The intention is for it to feel like an acoustic piano by giving you more control over the piano sound.
Play the keys at different volume levels and strike them softly and hard to feel the differences. You shouldn’t have to touch the volume knob, as the striking will change the volume levels.
So if keys sound the same even after being struck harder, they are likely not working.
3. Do a Pedal Check
Pedals are the pinnacles of great sound. Check to ensure that all pedals work with their intended use. The most important pedal to check is the far right (hold) pedal. It creates the ebb and flow of music.
When you play a song that needs to connect note to note, you will be thankful you checked the pedal. Release and play and continue holding the note to see if the pedal equally responds.
4. Test the Volume
Digital noise is important when it comes to digital acoustics. The process of lowering and increasing volume will help you determine whether or not the piano has any crackling sounds in the soundboard. The higher the volume, the more you’ll be able to see if there’s static in the piano.
Once you reduce the volume, you can listen to mechanical issues like clonking and echoes. The volume your piano should produce should be a uniform pattern.
5. Bring an Expert
A piano is a pretty big purchase and you want something that you can keep for a long time. If you’re a beginner, you will benefit from having a pianist, or piano tuner, accompany you to buying your first digital piano.
Experts can tell you what sounds and looks right because of their enhanced judgement with the usual sounds of a good piano. Experts, unlike salesmen, have no personal interest apart from helping you find the best digital piano.
6. Check the Entire Look
Like a good car, a good piano will appeal to you on the first sight. If you’re buying a digital piano, you want to check for the aesthetics as well.
If you like the design, you will love spending time there and showcasing it at your house. You need to fall in love with the entire look and feel of the piano before you even get down to play the instrument.
If you’re looking for a particular color, don’t let a salesman force you into buying something you’re not aesthetically into.
7. Check the Soundboard
The soundboard is the place where most of the piano sound will come from. It is critical that you take a look into this area.
Open it and look at the way the keys are set up and how the condition of the back area looks. Play the keys with the soundboard open so you can get the noise and assess the way it sounds.
8. Which Type of Piano Player Are You?
Determine what type of music you will be playing and start looking at the features that will make your digital piano experience outstanding.
You could be looking for more drums and percussion instrumentals or a more simple piano structure. Either way, pianos are equipped to handle digital additions.
But, don’t let all the fancy additions cover up your attention to detail when it comes to high quality digital piano.
9. Will It Fit Your Space?
The digital piano you choose can affect whether or not you have to sell it if you move to a new place. For those who are living in condos and apartments, this is an issue that is worth examining.
You want to be able to move around without having to worry about the fit of your digital piano. A great way is to buy a smaller piano if you anticipate a move in the future.
10. Find Reviews and Articles Online
The Internet provides such an amazing space for musicians to collaborate and review different instruments. If you’re lucky, you may even hear a live piano on YouTube to get an idea of how the piano sounds. In addition, you can go on forums and ask direct questions about particular digital piano models. Also, don’t forget to check out our digital piano reviews.
In the end, remember, you buy what sounds the best for you and suits your needs. A digital piano is a purchase that has unique needs for every individual.
You should be able to test everything before you make your decision and make sure to see more than one piano for comparison reasons. Don’t be afraid to search until you find your ideal piano. It can take time to find something worth waiting for.