Choosing your piano

We only teach on acoustic pianos. Why?

Despite technological advancements in recent years, even the best of digital pianos fail to accurately replicate the wonderful feel and sound of the real thing! The good news is that acoustic pianos hold their value better than digital pianos do, so they are usually quite a worthwhile investment even when buying used.

If your child is starting on a keyboard it must be touch sensitive, have a pedal, and have at least 61 keys or more. Please be aware that this will only get them through the first year, maybe two. An electronic keyboard severely limits the technical and musical skills a student can practice on at home. After one, at most two, years, you will want/need to invest in either a full size – 88 key acoustic piano or a good digital piano with weighted keys to get the full benefit of piano lessons.

How often do I need to get my piano tuned?

An out-of-tune piano or an unresponsive touch (the piano action called regulation) can discourage even novice musicians. Regular maintenance also can prevent expensive repair in the future.Putting off tuning is not cost effective; a piano, which is very out of tune, will most likely require several tunings over a period of weeks or months to bring it back to pitch. Most manufacturers recommend servicing at least one or two times a year to keep the piano sounding good and working properly each time you sit down to play. This is especially important the first year of your piano’s life. Some tuning instability should be anticipated during the first year because of the elasticity of the piano wire, combined with the piano’s normal adjustment to the humidity changes in your home. A piano which has gone a long time without tuning may require extra work in pitch raising.