I want to buy a piano and learn how to play it

t0rt0ise

I bought the same one as p00hsticks, the Yamaha NP30 as it was then. It was great and did me well until I got better at playing and wanted one with the real feel of a piano. So I got a Kawai costing a couple of thousand but the Yamaha cheap one was really good for starters. I eventually sold it on eBay and got a lot of my money back, so a good purchase. I have done a mixture of self teaching and group lessons at a local college.

macman

Roland FP10, or FP30? Generally considered to be the main competitor to Yamaha.
The models described as 'keyboards' will usually not have built in speakers.

[Deleted User]

I think you're right.  It would be more sensible to start out with a keyboard rather than a piano.  I'll check out Piano For All

Aged

Lover_of_Lycra said:

I think you're right.  It would be more sensible to start out with a keyboard rather than a piano.  I'll check out Piano For All

I would disagree with this. Playing a piano is very different to playing a keyboard, and if it's piano you want to do I'd start with an inexpensive digital piano such as the Yamaha P45 mentioned above. It has a full-size keyboard, weighted keys, sustain pedal as well as lots of useful extra things that you wouldn't find on an acoustic piano such as your headphone socket! 

[Deleted User]

Aged said:

Lover_of_Lycra said:

I think you're right.  It would be more sensible to start out with a keyboard rather than a piano.  I'll check out Piano For All

I would disagree with this. Playing a piano is very different to playing a keyboard, and if it's piano you want to do I'd start with an inexpensive digital piano such as the Yamaha P45 mentioned above. It has a full-size keyboard, weighted keys, sustain pedal as well as lots of useful extra things that you wouldn't find on an acoustic piano such as your headphone socket! 

Hmmm perhaps you're right. I've seen a Yamaha P45 for sale at a good price and in stock so I might treat myself this weekend and get started.

macman

There's no MIDI port on that model.

[Deleted User]

macman said:

There's no MIDI port on that model.

Please pardon my ignorance - why is that important?  

henry11vr

Lover_of_Lycra, it's hard as hell. In my opinion. My younger brother spent 2 years until he's started playing more or less good.

macman

Lover_of_Lycra said:

macman said:

There's no MIDI port on that model.

Please pardon my ignorance - why is that important?  

It means that you can't connect the keyboard to a computer and use it as a MIDI controller.  Which you might want to do for recording or editing purposes at some point.
http://www.roland.co.uk/blog/connecting-a-digital-piano-to-a-computer/

[Deleted User]

henry11vr said:

Lover_of_Lycra, it's hard as hell. In my opinion. My younger brother spent 2 years until he's started playing more or less good.

And that’s exactly why I’m not being a ‘real’ piano. I couldn’t do that to my neighbours.