FAQ's regarding piano and keyboards
Q: Do I need a piano at home? If so, what type of piano should I get?
You do need to have access to a piano or a digital piano outside of lessons to practice. When you pick the right piano, digital piano or keyboard in some cases, the student feels more comfortable due to good ergonomics. And the family tends to enjoy the sound and/or function more.
Weighted keys: For beginners, the most important part is to look for pianos or keyboards that have "weighted keys", meaning keys that weigh like wooden keys on acoustic pianos. If your piano doesn't have wooden keys, students' hands cannot develop property on flimsy plastic keys.
Tone: Look for pianos that have a rich bass and clear, bell-like treble
Acoustic grand piano vs. upright acoustic piano: If you have space, and budget and want a nice-looking piece of furniture, a grand piano is for you. Steinway is the standard piano for professional piano performers (concert pianists) because they project sound very far and are durable. Steinway also has responsive keyboards so people who like to play fast will get help from Steinway's keyboard action. Limited editions Steinways like the Crown Jewels collection are made of rare trees that will soon be extinct due to climate change, increasing the value of the rare wood. A bonus is that it also comes with an encrusted diamond. Therefore, people who buy Steinway pianos made of rare wood are buying it for its unique sound, prestige, durability and investments. They are likely to retain their value or appreciate over time. Tom Lee Music is the official retailer of Steinways (contact information below).
AI-integrated Spiro Steinways will play pieces on its own from a preloaded list of concert pianists. You can also play on the piano and it plays back just as you played it. This is suitable for people who would like a high-end performance on acoustic piano for enjoyment or an entertaining atmosphere without actually hiring a human pianist to play.
Steinway has designed a series of affordable pianos such as Boston and Essex. Owners of these pianos are still considered part of the Steinway family and are eligible to become Steinway Artists or Young Steinway Artists.
Italian Newcomer and expensive piano makers like Fazioli has a lighter touch and fancy architectural designs such as the Butterfly Fazioli. Similar to Steinway, Faziolis are collectible designer pianos. It is like buying a Porsche or a Hermes bag.
Be careful not to buy a small baby grand instead of a tall upright. The strings on a baby grand can be shorter than that on a tall upright. So the sound from the baby grand will not be too nice but it will look more impressive.
My favorite is the piano featured on my home page - Steinway's Spiro|R. It is the same piano as the traditional Steinway but it has the capability to play music recordings on its own. I often listen to music on Youtube or from a MP3 player. The sound is digital. The Steinway Spiro will play songs from my favorite pianists in acoustic. I can also edit my own playing.
Elton John, Paul McCarney, Diana Krall and Canada's Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) like Yamaha due to its clarity, quality and budget-friendliness. The highest quality Yamaha upright will take you from beginner to teacher's level without problems. I have had a top upright model of Yamaha since the age of 10. It took me all the way to ARCT (Royal Conservatory of Music teacher's level). From a purely economical point of view, that is all you need. If you would like a performance atmosphere, a Yamaha grand piano will give you a good bang for your buck. Yamaha tends to have a clear treble (higher-pitch sound) and a thinner base (lower-pitch sound). If you like lower resonance, European pianos have richer bass than Japan's Yamaha.
Acoustic pianos require more maintenance such as regular tuning whereas hybrids and keyboards don't. The advantage of acoustic pianos is that it produces a natural sound from wooden keys striking on metal strings. Being around an acoustic piano is like sitting by a roaring fire vs sitting by a heater (digital pianos).
Hybrid pianos have the keyboard action of wooden acoustic pianos with the benefit of digital technology. For example, you can put on a headphone to avoid disturbing others during practice. There are many things you can do with hybrids such as recording your songs. The digital piano like feels like an acoustic piano, but the sound is digitally produced. It comes in all sizes, grand or upright.
Second-hand pianos: If you are the type that enjoys treasure-hunting, you can find barely used pianos or unique, out-of-production pianos at music stores. Tom Lee Music has a good selection of used pianos. I see there are used pianos on Facebook Marketplace or on Craigslist but you need to get a technician to check it before you buy. Buying a second-hand digital piano anywhere is easier because you just plug it in to make sure that it works and there's no turning required.
Buying digital pianos and keyboards from Costco: Some parents have asked me if they can buy digital from Costco. Potentially you can look at what piano models are selling at Tom Lee Music /Long & McQuade and see if Costco sells the same models. I tried to look at a piano at Costco once for a student but they did not have any pianos in stock the first time. The second they had a Casio and may have Roland now. The Casio I tested was decent. Make sure it has at least a pedal. I still prefer music stores like Tom Lee and Long & McQuade because they have expert service, factory sales and second-hand pianos. But if you are afraid to walk go into those stores or like the convenience of buying a piano at Costco, feel free to do so. Upgrade to a better piano when you have the budget and desire to to do.
Old pianos inherited from family members: This is good because the piano has a history. It may not be in the top shape but with a bit of tuning, it can work well, especially for beginners.
Compact digital piano with weighted keys: Digital pianos are inexpensive, lightweight and have fun functions. Make sure the digital piano has weighted keys, a solid frame and pedals. It is for playing comfortably sitting down, not for playing standing up at a rock concert (the stand looks like an "X").
Keyboards with weighted keys: This is okay for beginners because parents don't know how the children will progress or the child is too young to start formal lessons. Keyboards are easy to move around and store. Upgrade to a digital, hybrid, acoustic piano as soon as the child is ready to advance to the next level.
Keyboards without weighted keys: This is not recommended for learning piano well. Students often have trouble playing and progressing on unweighted keys. Unweighted keys keyboards are for rock bands or composing music. If you want to learn piano, buy a weighted keyboard. You can get an unweighted keyboard for other purposes.
There are many, many more brands such as Kawai, Schimmel, Boston, Petrof, Sauter, Chinese-Viennese Hailun etc. that make good pianos at various prices. I have also enjoyed the sounds from obscure brands like Atlas. Hailuns combine Viennese piano-making know-how with Chinese-developed piano technology. Hailuns are sold exclusively at only one retailer in BC.
When students ask me about where to buy pianos, I usually recommend Tom Lee Music Downtown as my go-to place due to its wide selection of pianos and keyboards. It is a large retailer, so you get more service and good discounts on promotions such as during the Steinway Factory Sale or the Chinese New Year sale.
If you require in-person assistance in buying a piano or keyboard, please contact one of the following piano product managers.
Coquitlam:
Linda Li, Assistant Store Manager/Piano Product Manager - Tom Lee Music Coquitlam (she can come downtown)
Call/text 778 991 9867, [email protected]
Downtown:
Katie Yeung, Piano Product Manager - Tom Lee Music Vancouver Downtown
Call/text 778 325 5223, [email protected]
Q: Do I need a piano at home? If so, what type of piano should I get?
You do need to have access to a piano or a digital piano outside of lessons to practice. When you pick the right piano, digital piano or keyboard in some cases, the student feels more comfortable due to good ergonomics. And the family tends to enjoy the sound and/or function more.
Weighted keys: For beginners, the most important part is to look for pianos or keyboards that have "weighted keys", meaning keys that weigh like wooden keys on acoustic pianos. If your piano doesn't have wooden keys, students' hands cannot develop property on flimsy plastic keys.
Tone: Look for pianos that have a rich bass and clear, bell-like treble
Acoustic grand piano vs. upright acoustic piano: If you have space, and budget and want a nice-looking piece of furniture, a grand piano is for you. Steinway is the standard piano for professional piano performers (concert pianists) because they project sound very far and are durable. Steinway also has responsive keyboards so people who like to play fast will get help from Steinway's keyboard action. Limited editions Steinways like the Crown Jewels collection are made of rare trees that will soon be extinct due to climate change, increasing the value of the rare wood. A bonus is that it also comes with an encrusted diamond. Therefore, people who buy Steinway pianos made of rare wood are buying it for its unique sound, prestige, durability and investments. They are likely to retain their value or appreciate over time. Tom Lee Music is the official retailer of Steinways (contact information below).
AI-integrated Spiro Steinways will play pieces on its own from a preloaded list of concert pianists. You can also play on the piano and it plays back just as you played it. This is suitable for people who would like a high-end performance on acoustic piano for enjoyment or an entertaining atmosphere without actually hiring a human pianist to play.
Steinway has designed a series of affordable pianos such as Boston and Essex. Owners of these pianos are still considered part of the Steinway family and are eligible to become Steinway Artists or Young Steinway Artists.
Italian Newcomer and expensive piano makers like Fazioli has a lighter touch and fancy architectural designs such as the Butterfly Fazioli. Similar to Steinway, Faziolis are collectible designer pianos. It is like buying a Porsche or a Hermes bag.
Be careful not to buy a small baby grand instead of a tall upright. The strings on a baby grand can be shorter than that on a tall upright. So the sound from the baby grand will not be too nice but it will look more impressive.
My favorite is the piano featured on my home page - Steinway's Spiro|R. It is the same piano as the traditional Steinway but it has the capability to play music recordings on its own. I often listen to music on Youtube or from a MP3 player. The sound is digital. The Steinway Spiro will play songs from my favorite pianists in acoustic. I can also edit my own playing.
Elton John, Paul McCarney, Diana Krall and Canada's Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) like Yamaha due to its clarity, quality and budget-friendliness. The highest quality Yamaha upright will take you from beginner to teacher's level without problems. I have had a top upright model of Yamaha since the age of 10. It took me all the way to ARCT (Royal Conservatory of Music teacher's level). From a purely economical point of view, that is all you need. If you would like a performance atmosphere, a Yamaha grand piano will give you a good bang for your buck. Yamaha tends to have a clear treble (higher-pitch sound) and a thinner base (lower-pitch sound). If you like lower resonance, European pianos have richer bass than Japan's Yamaha.
Acoustic pianos require more maintenance such as regular tuning whereas hybrids and keyboards don't. The advantage of acoustic pianos is that it produces a natural sound from wooden keys striking on metal strings. Being around an acoustic piano is like sitting by a roaring fire vs sitting by a heater (digital pianos).
Hybrid pianos have the keyboard action of wooden acoustic pianos with the benefit of digital technology. For example, you can put on a headphone to avoid disturbing others during practice. There are many things you can do with hybrids such as recording your songs. The digital piano like feels like an acoustic piano, but the sound is digitally produced. It comes in all sizes, grand or upright.
Second-hand pianos: If you are the type that enjoys treasure-hunting, you can find barely used pianos or unique, out-of-production pianos at music stores. Tom Lee Music has a good selection of used pianos. I see there are used pianos on Facebook Marketplace or on Craigslist but you need to get a technician to check it before you buy. Buying a second-hand digital piano anywhere is easier because you just plug it in to make sure that it works and there's no turning required.
Buying digital pianos and keyboards from Costco: Some parents have asked me if they can buy digital from Costco. Potentially you can look at what piano models are selling at Tom Lee Music /Long & McQuade and see if Costco sells the same models. I tried to look at a piano at Costco once for a student but they did not have any pianos in stock the first time. The second they had a Casio and may have Roland now. The Casio I tested was decent. Make sure it has at least a pedal. I still prefer music stores like Tom Lee and Long & McQuade because they have expert service, factory sales and second-hand pianos. But if you are afraid to walk go into those stores or like the convenience of buying a piano at Costco, feel free to do so. Upgrade to a better piano when you have the budget and desire to to do.
Old pianos inherited from family members: This is good because the piano has a history. It may not be in the top shape but with a bit of tuning, it can work well, especially for beginners.
Compact digital piano with weighted keys: Digital pianos are inexpensive, lightweight and have fun functions. Make sure the digital piano has weighted keys, a solid frame and pedals. It is for playing comfortably sitting down, not for playing standing up at a rock concert (the stand looks like an "X").
Keyboards with weighted keys: This is okay for beginners because parents don't know how the children will progress or the child is too young to start formal lessons. Keyboards are easy to move around and store. Upgrade to a digital, hybrid, acoustic piano as soon as the child is ready to advance to the next level.
Keyboards without weighted keys: This is not recommended for learning piano well. Students often have trouble playing and progressing on unweighted keys. Unweighted keys keyboards are for rock bands or composing music. If you want to learn piano, buy a weighted keyboard. You can get an unweighted keyboard for other purposes.
There are many, many more brands such as Kawai, Schimmel, Boston, Petrof, Sauter, Chinese-Viennese Hailun etc. that make good pianos at various prices. I have also enjoyed the sounds from obscure brands like Atlas. Hailuns combine Viennese piano-making know-how with Chinese-developed piano technology. Hailuns are sold exclusively at only one retailer in BC.
When students ask me about where to buy pianos, I usually recommend Tom Lee Music Downtown as my go-to place due to its wide selection of pianos and keyboards. It is a large retailer, so you get more service and good discounts on promotions such as during the Steinway Factory Sale or the Chinese New Year sale.
If you require in-person assistance in buying a piano or keyboard, please contact one of the following piano product managers.
Coquitlam:
Linda Li, Assistant Store Manager/Piano Product Manager - Tom Lee Music Coquitlam (she can come downtown)
Call/text 778 991 9867, [email protected]
Downtown:
Katie Yeung, Piano Product Manager - Tom Lee Music Vancouver Downtown
Call/text 778 325 5223, [email protected]
