Equipment Requirements

A Keyboard Instrument for Your Home

There are two basic categories of keyboard instruments available. The largest and most expensive (but also the best) are acoustic pianos. There are also many good digital pianos. Digital pianos are smaller, less expensive, and do a fairly decent job recreating the sound and feel of an acoustic instrument.

Acoustic Pianos

An acoustic piano is far more more superior option than a digital keyboard. A major benefit of the acoustic piano is how they feel to play; an acoustic piano is far more touch-sensitive. While many digital pianos do feature weighted keys, a traditional piano allows you to feel the vibrations produced by every note, resulting in deeper engagement with the music. The strength and movement of your fingers determine the tone of the sound, and you can produce different shades of sound on the same key - and this detail is not something that can be completely captured with a digital piano.

On an electric piano, because the sounds produced are digital, there is a defined number of tones that can be produced. In other words, even though you played a key differently, the sound might be the same. This limitation will in turn affect the expression of your music and how the instrument feels under your fingers.

Digital Pianos

While it is not entirely possible to simulate the experience of playing on an acoustic piano, there is nothing wrong with starting a beginning student on a digital piano for the first 6 to 12 months.

Digital pianos are designed to sound and feel like an acoustic piano. If you decide to go with this route, be sure you have an instrument with weighted keys. This will provide the right resistance to touch, and these instruments are sensitive to speed and pressure to give a range of dynamics.

Our favorite digital pianos are the Yamaha Arius series and the Cassio Privia series.

But, the sooner a student has the opportunity to practice on an acoustic piano, the better. A quality acoustic instrument produces sound from real strings and real wood and offers a level of responsiveness and a range of dynamics and sound quality that even high-end digital piano cannot match. The sooner a student has the opportunity to practice on an acoustic instrument with that kind of nuanced musical responsiveness, the better.

Acoustic vs. Digital

There are advantages of having a digital piano. They can be plugged in to headphones so one can practice without disturbing others and digital instruments can be connected to a computer and used with all kinds of educational and music software. They are also portable and never need to be tuned. A beginning student can get a good start on learning the piano with one of these instruments.

Still, there is nothing like an acoustic piano. If your family has space in your home and budget for an acoustic piano, we strongly encourage this option. An acoustic piano adds to your home and shows a clear statement of commitment to making music an integral part of your life.

Equipment for Online Lessons

For students enrolled in online music lessons, there are other equipment requirements. Visit our Online Lessons page for more information.