Practicing on a nice piano

[Carol Beigel]

Taking piano lessons is no small expense whether you
are 6 or 60 years old.  Most parents of 6 year olds
really want to do right by their kids, and many, many
people begin to realize that pianos are more expensive
than they thought, their maintenance and moving costs a
lot more than they were expecting, and that they are
much harder to learn to play than originally
anticipated.  Playing sports is so much easier, but not
really less expensive.  Public money will fund millions
of dollars to build stadiums, but not music schools.
Pointing out that learning to play a keyboard
instrument at an early age helps a person to score
higher on standardized tests in the future can be a
good selling point to pursue music lessons. So one
needs to be gentle with parents shepherding their
children to musical adventures and relate learning to
play a piano with things that are more familiar to
them.  When I come across a totally inappropriate piano
that I am sure would hinder and not help a child learn
to play, I make a comment like:  "Would you teach your
kid to ride a bike with bent wheel rims?"

I always start at the top of what is available, and let
families decide for themselves how to spend their
money.  My first suggestion is usually a Disklavier,
because for the rest of their lives, there will be
piano music in the home even if no one learns to play
it.  I also point out the advantages that it has in
recording songs the kids might compose, the simple
arrangements that can be made using a MIDI Ensemble
sounds, and being able to coordinate sheet music and
MIDI teaching aids.  I end up tuning a lot of
Disklaviers.  I also suggest that a good piano can be
rented with option to purchase, and at least give the
kid a fair shake at getting started.

What a "good" piano is can only be determined by the
player.  It is incredible how many people fondly
remember the old upright they grew up with; or how good
grandma's old piano sounded (until the day they inherit
it, and the movers bring into THEIR house!)  I have met
many talented pianists who grew up with really awful
instruments - and loved them.  I have been amazed by
how many piano competition winners I have tuned for
that started at age 6 with a new Kimbal console, and
had totally worn it out 10 years later!  One of the
most precocious children I ever met was playing an
instrument that wore out 50 years before she was born,
but her parents wanted to redo their kitchen instead of
buying another piano.  I think this kid, and other
budding musicians will buy their own instruments some
day and not be discouraged from ever playing again.

I would say that most new pianos are purchased for
their appearance, and honestly, it also breaks down
into ethnic background as to whether the piano was
purchased to match the existing furniture and decor, or
whether the piano was chosen because it was the most
quality for the money.  I find that children in homes
where the piano was purchased for its furniture quality
are more likely to give up piano lessons sooner than
those who practice on  the plainer cabinet,
better-built studio uprights.  I am also amazed at the
number of people who purchase fine quality grand pianos
to learn to play in their impending retirement, but
most of whom  find learning to play more difficult than
they expected.  Too often I hear those words, "no one
plays it anymore".

The best piano is the one that gets played.

Carol Beigel