With that in mind - each brand, type and style of piano can sound differently and the sound and feel of each instrument may appeal differently to different players.



When considering purchasing a piano, especially when you don't have a whole lot of experience with the instrument, there are several things that you should do before making your decision. A piano is a very large investment, so it isn't something that should be taken lightly.

Some Valuable Tech Talk

One of the best possible things that you can do when looking for a piano is to talk to a good technician. A good piano technician can be worth his weight in gold when it comes to helping you decide what type of piano will be the best for you. They will know just about everything there is to know about many varieties of pianos - which ones hold their sound best, which are the easiest to repair, which may have recurring problems. Most techs are also players as well, so you'll likely be able to get some good personal recommendations from this valuable source.

Visit Every Showroom in Your Area

This will give you the opportunity to sit down at all different types of pianos to plunk away, giving you a good feel for what type of piano you'll most likely feel comfortable at. It will also allow you the opportunity to compare pricing between the different dealers and different brands.

Talk to Sales People

Though some sales people may be pretty biased towards one brand or another based on what they are selling at their particular showroom, piano sales people can often provide you with some pretty good information as to the quality of certain brands or the difference in quality between different models of the same brand. They should also be able to provide you with different manufacturer's warranty information without necessarily being too one sided with their commentary.

Talk to Teachers and Students

Sign up for a free introductory lesson, and while you're there, pick the teacher's brain about what type of piano they feel best suits a beginner. A teacher will often be totally unbiased in their opinion and have the student's best interests at heart.

If you're lucky there will be other students there that you can ask some questions of as well. Find out what different types of pianos they have played and what they feel would be the most comfortable and appropriate piano for someone who was just starting out. Who is better to ask than someone who was just recently in your position and had to go through the same things themselves?

The best piano to start out with is definitely the one that you will happily play and that you will find yourself wanting to play often. That's why it's so important to do a lot of research before jumping into a decision. In addition to following the aforementioned advice, there are several good books available that will give solid advice when considering purchasing a piano, and today there are an abundance of internet communities that have sections devoted to providing advice to beginning piano players. If you don't happen to see a line of questioning that you think will help your situation, pose the question yourself and let the advice of experienced piano players come to you.