What is a good, reliable practice piano…

Having a good, reliable practice piano in your home is one of the most important things if you want to achieve success!
And right away I am going to tell you that NO, a keyboard is NOT good enough if you want to become a good piano player with impeccable technique and control.
Sorry to disappoint you – I know in NYC apartments there is not always room for a grand piano – but practicing on a keyboard is really not something you would want to do longer than a month or two, at the very beginning of your studies. Soon after you start taking piano lessons certain musical and technical requirements will not be doable on a keyboard, and if you continue using it for a long time, you will be basically damaging your technique, and limiting your capabilities on the piano, as well as in musical growth.

If you currently have a keyboard, right away start looking for a good, acoustic piano!
The funny mistake what everybody makes with choosing a keyboard against e.g. an upright piano is that people think that a keyboard will take up much less space in the living room.
Well, sorry to disappoint you again, but that is not true.

Technically, a full-size keyboard has the same width as an upright piano – worst case scenario, the keyboard might be an inch narrower, but even in a NYC apartment that much is not going to make such a difference. Did you know this?
So if you have the wall space (ca. 5 feet) for your keyboard, you should easily be able to accommodate a “real”, acoustic piano as well. Yes, the depth might be different, but again, we are talking about a very few (2-3) inches, and really not more. So here you go – if you were concerned about the space and size before, now you know that you can switch your keyboard or digital piano to (at least) an upright piano in your apartment without any problem.

If you are now considering of getting a good, reliable upright piano, try to go for a rather taller model than a shorter one, so the sound quality is going to be much better.

Do you want to hear about grand pianos, too?
Yes, believe it or not, they are also ca. 5 feet wide, just like a full-size keyboard, digital or an upright piano. Probably you did not know that either.
Of course, they take up much more space because they are longer, but if you want to squeeze them in, trust me, they will fit.

The common mistake when it comes to grand pianos is that people think there is a big difference between models. Of course, if you compare the shortest baby grand to the longest concert grand, the difference will be gigantic. However, I am only talking about “mid-size” grands, e.g. models between 5’7″ and 6’2″. In that range three different models of Steinway grand pianos will fit – the M, the O (or L) and the A. The point is, once you have the space of the width (5 feet) the length is not going to change more than by 2-3 inches between these models, so the difference is not as dramatic as you think. However, the sound quality will improve a lot – the longer the strings (pianos) are the better!

Once you will start working on an acoustic piano, YOU will see an almost immediate, very big difference and improvement in your technique, sound and expressivity. Furthermore, you will be even more inspired to play and practice more.
And as we know, more practice means more progress.

As far as piano brands go, I would not like to discuss those here – that will be probably another blog in the future.

But just to mention one brand name for grand pianos, and one for uprights, Steinway is the ultimate choice for grand pianos in the piano world, and the most popular upright practice piano is Yamaha.
Naturally, just like Steinway and Yamaha, every other brand carries a big selection of models one could choose from, depending on budget and personal preference of size, style, sound and touch.

My personal preference is always Steinway when it comes to grand pianos, and Yamaha when it comes to an upright practice piano.