FUQ (eff -yu - cue) - FAQ's with an EDGE

Tagged As: How To Buy A Piano

Question:
We're considering to buy a new upright piano for my daughter. The obvious question is which one to buy. I was told that Baldwin, Steinway, Yamaha, Kiwei, and Boston made pianos are all good ones. But which one is more suitable for a young starter? What is the major difference among those brands? You can tell from my questions that I know absolutely nothing about pianos. Please help. Many thanks in advance. BTW, I'm planning to buy a full-size or a console-size one like Baldwin Classic series (any experience/comments about this one?) My another question is how to teach little one to play. My daughter now is three and she loves music. Any suggestion?

Answer:
'm not a piano expert, but I do play the piano, and bought a new piano last year. Here's my piano purchasing tips. Visit several piano stores. I had terrible luck with the piano/music stores at the mall. They were more interested in selling me a piece of furniture instead of a musical instrument. If you play the piano at all, play them all. Everything from the cheapest to the grand piano you probably won't purchase. If you don't play, ask the sales person to play them for you. Every piano sounds different and has a different feel. When I bought my piano, the 1st questions they asked me was Who is the piano for? and Did I want to buy a starter piano that would someday be replaced? or was I interested in a piano that would become a family heirloom. Another suggestion is to check your library or bookstore for a copy of a book -- I think it's called The Piano Guide. The author is Larry Fine. It contains info on what to look for when buying a piano and lists all the manufacturers and info about each one. All of the pianos are made differently, some with real wood, some with more plastic parts, etc. The piano salesman should be able to answer all of your questions about how each piano is made. Some of the pianos will last a lot longer based on the components used. The length of the strings is what gives you the full sound. FWIW, I bought an upright, that sounds better than a lot of baby grands because the strings are longer than the strings in the baby grand. I purchased a Petrof, and got a good deal on it. There were a couple of nicks in the finish, and you only see them if you know where they are. They are hidden from general view and do not affect the playing at all. BTW, not all pianos come with benches, this may be an extra cost. (Or do what I did and insist they include it.) You should also request a free in-home tuning approximately 30 days after the piano is delivered to your house. If you have any more questions, feel free to email me.