11 Mistakes People Make When Buying A Piano

Buying a piano - whether new or used, acoustic or electric - is no easy task. With so many different options and price points, it's definitely wise to do your research before you start your search, and hopefully you will avoid these common mistakes that piano buyers tend to make. 

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Believe it or not, buying the piano is the easy part. Committing to learning is the real challenge, and actually learning is no easy feat either. You have to make a commitment to really learn (or play) the instrument, and *stick with it.* The nice thing is that pianos are big, so you will get a daily reminder to play every time you pass it... Just don't let it become a piece of furniture! Depending on your situation, committing to the piano can mean a lot of different things...

If you don't know how to play piano, "committing" might come in the form of finding the right piano teacher. Feel free to sign up for [piano lessons in Tigard]( https://www.morningsidemusicacademy.com/tigard/piano ) Not only will a piano teacher give you a real foundation for learning the instrument, but it will keep you accountable so you stick with your goals. Even if you already do play piano, you can still find an advanced teacher that can teach you something you don't know, whether that's a new style, or just helping you take your musicianship to the next level. You're never too old for piano lessons!

When buying an instrument, it is sometimes tempting to find something on the cheaper end of the spectrum, but that most likely will mean sacrificing sound and quality, and will probably end with your piano collecting dust in the corner of your living room. If you don't do your research and end up with a piano that doesn't keep its tune or doesn't sound great, you might find yourself abandoning the piano simply because it's not inspiring to play. Finding an instrument that has a sound and a feel that you really love will keep you playing for years. When buying a piano, you should try to picture yourself way down the road. Depending on the decision you make, you will either end up playing happily ten years later, or spending a fortune to get the hunk of junk out of your living room. This is not an area to think short-term. 

If you're looking for an acoustic piano, there are many things that you need to look for. With new pianos, it's a little easier because you really just need to personally like the sound and do a little bit of research into the **manufacturer.** If you're buying a used piano, you have to make sure that it is in good enough shape that it will last. *Read more about buying a used piano and if they have value:*

[Do Old Pianos Have Value?]( https://www.morningsidemusicacademy.com/features/is-my-piano-worth-anything )

If you're looking for a keyboard, the number one thing that you have to watch out for is whether it has weighted keys. This means that the keys have about the same resistance as a standard piano and are basically harder to press down than a cheap keyboard. You also want to make sure the keyboard has standard-size keys. Some smaller keyboards actually have keys that are more narrow than a standard piano, making them more of a toy than anything else. If you can find a keyboard with these two characteristics, learning on a keyboard is just fine. Keep in mind that if you are going to buy a keyboard, you should make sure it either has built-in speakers or be prepared to buy speakers to connect to it. You should be able to find a weighted keyboard for around $400. 

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There are a lot of hidden costs associated with having a piano. Besides lessons, books, and tuners, many people don't realize how expensive it is to actually move an acoustic piano. Pianos are very heavy and cannot be moved by one person. I will say, I did once move an upright piano with one friend and a trailer with a ramp, but it was not easy, and it was definitely not fun. I can't imagine it was great for the instrument either. There's a reason that "piano movers" is a business of its own. Moving a piano is very serious business. Moving an upright piano is about $200-$400 dollars. A grand piano is usually $400 and up. If you're planning on moving a piano out of state, this could be thousands of dollars depending on the distance. Make sure you buy a piano from someone who has professional movers or be prepared to find a pro yourself.

Always consult your piano teacher when it comes to buying a new piano. That is what they are there for. They are great sources of knowledge and guidance when it comes to purchasing a new piano. They have a wealth of knowledge and strong opinions when it comes to purchasing pianos. Listen to your teacher and ask them questions. They are also great at sniffing out some great deals for you. They know what they are talking about.

7. Buying a used piano with a critical flaw

With acoustic pianos, the biggest danger is an instrument with a critical flaw. Sometimes this will be an invisible flaw, so you should definitely do as much as you can to prevent this - researching the brand, checking the sound, and taking a look at the hardware inside the piano. You might find an old piano on craigslist, but you've got to be really careful. You might find a beautiful-looking instrument, but if you look inside, that's where the problems might be. This could be a broken pin block, bad hammers, or simply an apparatus that looks out-of-alignment. These things could actually cost you a lot of money. As lucky as you might get on Craigslist, it is still a bit of a gamble, especially if you aren't a piano expert. Plus you most likely will have to figure out transportation yourself. Piano galleries go through pianos and make sure they are up to snuff, so if you want to be extra safe, and have a little extra money to spend, your best bet is to lean toward a piano gallery. 

If you live with other people or in an apartment building, make sure that you know what you're getting into. How is the sound insulation in your building? Will you be driving your neighbors crazy? If this is the case, you might be better off with a digital keyboard so you can control the volume. Within your family, are you on the same page as your spouse about the value of musical education for your child? With such a big commitment, it is really important that everyone is on the same page. Make sure to get a consensus and agree on what the concept is. Sometimes one parent played piano and really loved it and the other doesn't. One wants to get the cheapest thing and the other wants the best sounding grand piano. Does the child want to play the piano or do they feel forced? Do they really have their eye on another instrument? Communication is key, so talk about it before-hand and make sure everyone is on the same page. 

The last thing you want to do is just buy the first piano you find. Think about what you really want. Do you want an acoustic piano or do you want a digital piano? Are you more of an upright piano person, or are you dreaming of a baby grand? Do you want to buy a new or used piano? How much are you willing to spend? This is not the kind of purchase you want to make on a whim, so do your research and a little soul-searching before you get out your check book. 

Because it is a bit of a commitment, many potential piano owners fall into the trap of thinking about it for *too* long and letting time slip by. But if you never take the leap, all of that thinking and researching will have been in vain. You don't want to miss out on the opportunity to bring music into your life. Of course everyone wants to get a good deal and end up with an amazing instrument, but at some point you just have to jump in and get to playing. It's really really fun so don't put it on hold forever.

Don't let it happen to you! It's so easy with a big purchase, especially with so many options and variables, and such a big price range. But after these tips, you should be feeling a little more confident about making the right choice, so be brave and rest assured that life with a piano is so much better than a life without one. 

Don't Do This When Buying a Piano

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Learning a new instrument is usually a pretty big commitment. Between being time-consuming, expensive, and sometimes frustrating, the instrument-learning process isn't a small thing. That's why the ukulele is such an exciting instrument. Unlike other instruments, you can get up and running with a ukulele in no time. Here are some of the top reasons to learn the ukulele right now. 

The sound of the ukulele is synonymous with happiness. In movie scores, it's used in the most joyful moments, and it's pretty much impossible for your mood to not be elevated when you hear it. Learning the ukulele will mean that you have the power of mood enhancement in your hands. Just pick up your instrument and wallah! Why not learn to play a musical instrument that can instantly cheer you and your friends up?

Unlike the guitar which usually uses steel strings, the ukulele uses soft nylon strings. Because the nylon strings are easier to push down fully, you will get a good tone right away, as opposed to the guitar where getting a good tone can take years of practice. If you've played the guitar, you know that rattling sound that you get in the beginning when your fingers aren't strong enough to push the strings all the way down. If you want to get a decent sound without years of practice, ukulele is the instrument for you.

3. You'll make friends

It's a fact - knowing how to play the ukulele will make you popular. If you know how to play the ukulele, you will inspire sing-alongs everywhere you go. You will make camp-fires more fun, make beach days more musical, and bring your family together with the magic of music. This is something that will enrich your life as long as you keep up the skill. Playing the ukulele will not only inspire those around you to sing, but you will want to sing as well. Anyone who is learning to play the ukulele will likely find themselves singing much more than they ever had, now that they can be their own accompanist.

Songwriters all know that the 3 best instruments for writing songs are piano, guitar, and ukulele. These are harmonic instruments, meaning that you can use these instruments to play chords instead of just melody (for example, the trumpet can only play one note at a time - you can't play chords on the trumpet). Among the 3 main harmonic instruments, the ukulele is by far the easiest to learn. If you want to focus on your songwriting without worrying about the steep learning curve that comes along with piano and guitar, the ukulele is your instrument. The way the ukulele is tuned, beautiful chords are very accessible...  For songwriters that don't want to put years into practicing guitar or piano, the ukulele is the best instrument to find chords quickly and efficiently, and accompany themselves without having to concern themselves with their skill level as an instrumentalist.

5. The chord shapes are so much easier than guitar

The way that the ukulele is tuned makes almost all of the chords so much easier to play than on the guitar. First of all, the ukulele only has 4 strings whereas the guitar has 6 strings. Below you can see an example of a chord that is much easier on the ukulele than the guitar...

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As you can see, the C major chord on the guitar requires the guitarist to press down 3 different fingers on 3 different frets. The example on the right illustrates the same chord on the ukulele. C major on the ukulele is played with one finger only! The frets on the ukulele are also smaller, so even if you were to play that same shape on the ukulele, it would be easier to reach (not to mention easier to play because of the soft nylon strings). This is not to say that you shouldn't learn to play the guitar. If you prefer the sound of the guitar, the ukulele is no substitute, but if you are looking for an instrument that is easy to learn, the ukulele is the answer. 

Ukuleles have nylon strings which are a lot less painful to push down on. Classical guitars use nylon strings as well, but electric guitars and most acoustic guitars have steel strings, so students have to build up finger calluses in order to get past the pain of learning the instrument. With a ukulele, you can learn without pain from day one. This is one of the many reasons that the ukulele is one of the best instruments for beginners. Many elementary school music teachers have a ukulele unit, which is proof that the ukulele is a great instrument for young children to learn.

Yes, ukuleles can be expensive. Apparently, the most expensive ukulele in the world is $10,000... so far. So if you want to spend 5 digits on a ukulele, you have that option. But if you're looking for something more reasonable, ukuleles are one of the most affordable musical instruments in relation to their sound quality. You can find a pretty good sounding beginner ukulele for between $50 and $150. If you are really on a tight budget, you can find one for even less, although you should be careful not to go too low or you'll be in danger of a terrible sounding instrument (and that will not inspire you to practice). The affordability and durability mean that you'll feel less guilty bringing to the beach, which is perfect because what better place to play the ukulele?

One of the most annoying aspects of being an instrumentalist is trying to travel with your instrument. Every musician has at least one horror story about trying to get their instrument onto a plane (or worse, having to "check" their instrument!) Ukuleles are small enough to be your "personal item" on a flight, and you can even fit a ukulele into a big purse or a backpack. They barely take up any space, so taking a ukulele on a road trip is a no-brainer. They are also light as a feather, so carrying your ukulele around town is no big deal. This might be one of the reasons that people who play the ukulele always have their instrument with them.

These days ukuleles come in lots of different colors. So why not match your instrument to your outfit? With such an affordable instrument, it's tempting to buy one in every color - especially since many ukuleles come with cute matching color cases. You can express your personality and sense of fashion while expressing yourself through music.

There are certainly many many more reasons to learn to play the ukulele, but in order to find out, you'll have to pick up the ukulele and discover them for yourself.

 9 Reasons to Learn to Play Ukulele

If you're a musician who's fortunate enough to get to go to music school, it's important that you make the most of out it. It's surprisingly easy to find yourself at graduation with tons of regrets, and not nearly enough to show for your 4 years at a school where you're supposed to be learning to become the best musician you can.  

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The following is a list of things that you should think about so that you don't let your precious time at music school slip away from you. 

I was lucky enough to get to go to Berklee College of Music. My biggest regret from my experience there is that I didn't make nearly as many connections as I could have. In fact, I was a bit of a hermit, which is seriously foolish at a school like Berklee. I regretted it a bit as I was leaving school, but every year that goes by, the realization gets bigger that I really missed a huge opportunity (partly because I'm seeing more and more old classmates on TV every year). 

Making connections with other awesome musicians is probably the most important aspect of music school. Not only because many of these people end up doing great things (I went to school with Adam Neely, Betty Who, 3 of the guys from Imagine Dragons, Charlie Puth and many others), but more importantly, you're surrounded by so much talent, inspiration, and just simply amazing people at music school - missing out on making those connections is missing out on great friendships, musical inspiration, personal growth, and maybe even the world's next favorite rock band. 

Most music schools have some pretty amazing ensembles. Getting experience playing with other musicians is actually the number one thing that you can't fake. This is something you can only get at music school. If you're at a school that offers a lot of ensembles, you should take as many as you can, and make sure they're as diverse as possible so you can get real experience in many different idioms. Why not take that Bossa Nova ensemble on Tuesdays and the Heavy Metal ensemble on Thursdays?

Learning to play well with fellow musicians is not something you can skip, so if you don't have a lot of experience yet, sign up for as many as you can your freshman year. 

You're at music school. There are so many people that want to join a band, there's no excuse for not making it happen. And who know, you might just be the next Queen (who formed at London's Imperial College). 

Even if the band doesn't make it for very long, this is not only a great way to improve as a musician and practice playing with others, but it's also a great way to meet the other musicians at your school. 

If your school is in a big city like New York or Boston, what an opportunity to get some experience playing in the big leagues! And if you're already starting your career (read #12), this is an opportunity to get some real exposure that you definitely shouldn't miss out on. 

If your school is in a smaller town, that's still great. You'll still get experience playing real shows for real audiences, and there's nothing wrong with creating a following in a small town - fans are fans. If anything, small town fans are more fun and more loyal, so don't be a snob about it!

If you're in a city with good live music, go see as many shows as you can. Take your new friends that you're *totally* making at music school, and create some musical bonds. If you are in a big city, that's even more reason to get out of your dorm and get some inspiration from musicians that are doing what you would like to do. 

Some music schools have some pretty crazy majors to choose from. At the school I went to, there was MP&E (Music Production and Engineering), CWP (Contemporary Writing and Production), Jazz Comp, and a whole bunch of other crazy options. When choosing, you have to balance out what you want to do with your career and what you really want to do. 

If your school offers music business, please, take as many classes as you can. One thing they don't tell you about a career in music is that no one will hold your hand. Even if you don't want to be a music manager, you'll likely have to be your own music manager, at least for a while, so in a way, this is the most important thing you can learn, assuming you're already pretty amazing at actually playing, writing, or singing. 

The most special thing about music colleges is the teachers that they hire. Chances are, there are some pretty legendary people teaching at your school. Ask around, figure out who the best teachers are, and take the classes they teach. Obviously you should take things that are on the right path for your major, but you can totally piece together an epic schedule of classes that you'll remember for the rest of your life with the teachers that every one's talking about. 

9. Practice constantly, but don't let it stop you from socializing

You should be practicing all the time EXCEPT when there's a party. Don't miss out on opportunities to connect with the other musicians at your school... That is unless you're getting invited to like 7 parties a week, in which case you gotta find your balance. But don't be a hermit!

This isn't a popular opinion among musicians, but the best thing you can do is carve out a consistent time in the mornings for practice. I guarantee you won't be getting invited to anything fun between 8am and 11am each day, so why not commit to that time to be for practice only. 

Everybody thinks it's romantic to practice late at night, but that's how you end up missing out on meeting those amazing people.

10. Make a good impression on your teachers

I know it's hard to wrap your mind around when you're only 18, but you have to look at your teachers as professional peers. Of course you shouldn't act like you are actually peers, but do realize that they aren't just oldies there to scold you, but fellow musicians that are going to help you get to their level and beyond. And if you do things right, they're the ones that will be calling you for gigs, or passing your name along to *their* peers, so make a good impression. You want your teachers to look at you like a professional musician, not a snotty kid. And if you can be amazing enough that they remember you after you leave, now you're really talking! 

Colleges normally have a plethora of professional resources, and Music Colleges are no exception. Spend some time in the Career Development Center. Are there jobs or internships that could give you a head start in your career? Are there other resources that could help with your career or education that you weren't aware of. I bet the answer is yes. And don't wait until your senior year. In music, there's no time to learn, you need to start your career now! Speaking of which...

Kids going to "normal" college are allowed to wait until their graduation to face their futures, but not you. If you are pursuing a career in music, you have to start thinking about your future career as early as you possibly can. You can learn music at the same time as pursuing it. It may sound crazy, but it lines up perfectly. A music career usually starts off pretty bumpy and grungy - wouldn't you rather be getting that out of the way while you're still in college? My classmate [Betty Who](https://open.spotify.com/artist/0t3QQl52F463sxGXb1ckhB?si=sVu_gRN-QxuJxjRuMHIwGQ&dl_branch=1) was talking to record companies while we were at Berklee (I was watching Netflix in my room).

Do not allow yourself to believe that you get to just chill until you've graduated. It's always hustle season for musicians - what perfect training for the kind of career that's ahead of you. 

Now hopefully if you're about to go to music school, you'll heed my advice and really make the most of it. If you're still trying to decide if music school is worth it, maybe this advice will give you some more things to think about.

For those of you that choose to go to college for music, make the most of it, and enjoy every minute!

How to Make the Most of Music School

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I’ve been teaching private piano lessons for over a decade and one of the most important questions I’m asked is, how many hours a day should you practice piano? In order to improve as an instrumentalist you have to practice and as George Benson says, *“Stay familiar with the instrument.”*

**The optimal amount of time to practice piano daily is between 30 minutes to 4 hours. Practice must be focused specifically on exactly what you are trying to improve on. There is a big difference between practicing piano and just playing the piano.**

## What Should You Be Practicing On Piano? ##

When it comes to practicing the piano, the most important thing is to just do it. Even if you're tired or don't feel motivated, it's crucial that you familiarize yourself with the instrument and make sure you practice everyday. When you miss a day of practice, the next day when you're practicing you're just making up for the missed day and you might not actually be making any improvement. The most important thing for you to practice on piano is what you are worst at!

Some common things to practice are scales, technique and whole pieces of music. When I'm teaching [private piano lessons in Bethany](https://www.morningsidemusicacademy.com/bethany/piano) I have my students practice piano like this.Scales are often a great way to warm up before a practice session. It is very important to learn all your scales, so you feel comfortable in any key on the piano. Technique is also very important to practice. If you have good technique you will be able to play fast and slow, loud and quiet. Practicing scales and technique are what helps you when it's time to play a piece of music.

When I'm practicing a piece of music, I like to play through the entire piece at least once or twice. This way I can identify what parts of the song are giving me the most trouble. Then it's important to isolate those parts and that is where you should be focusing your practice. It's not doing you any good to play parts of the piece that are easy for you. This might give you a temporary confidence boost, but in the long run you're not actually learning new skills. So once you've identified the difficult parts of the piece you should focus on those and run them slower until they feel natural in the start to speed up that section.

*Check Out This Video of Tiffany Poon Practicing*

https://www.youtube.com/embed/LDJvC6oPSP0


## How Long Should You Practice Piano For? ##

Okay, so I've explained a little bit of what you should be practicing on the piano but now the question is, how long should you be practicing? Younger students should practice piano for 30 minutes a day. Young kids typically don't have enough focus to effectively practice for longer than 30 minutes. Plus, you can get plenty done in 30 minutes. It's important to remember to warm up, but also remember that the time you spend warming up doesn't count towards your practice time. Warming up is essential to have a proper practice session.

If you're hoping to make a career out of music or you're currently in music school, you can be practicing up to 4 hours a day. If you're trying to consistently have these *Marathon Practice Sessions*, make sure to take plenty of breaks. You should plan out your breaks before you start your practice session so you hold yourself accountable. I like to take a 10-minute break once an hour to let my mind regain some focus. 

But if you're doing a marathon for your practice session, make sure you're still being efficient with your practicing. That means you word only spending time on things you are struggling with *oh*, and not just playing things that are fun to play. Always remember you're practicing to improve not just to play the instrument. Also make sure your are practicing on a properly tuned and serviced piano. Playing on an out of tune piano can be detrimental to your musicianship. To learn more about servicing your piano check out:

[Is It Worth Repairing Your Piano?]( https://www.morningsidemusicacademy.com/features/is-it-worth-repairing-your-piano )

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Many of the most successful musicians I know set aside a specific time of day to practice. This could be first thing in the morning or it could be in the evening. Typically though, people who practice in the morning are more successful at sticking to their practice routine. Granted this might not work with everyone's schedule, but if you get up early and set aside that time to practice that can be a very effective way to ensure consistent practice.

But the most important thing to remember is practice *is practice* and it's always better to make sure you practice. If you find yourself not practicing because you can't stick to the schedule you set up then abandon the schedule and prioritize just practicing. The schedule is just a tool to help ensure that you do practice. It shouldn't get in your way.

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It's easy to tell if you're practicing too much, because you are no longer focusing on what you're practicing. It's easy to fall into the trap of wanting to spend hours and hours sitting at the piano playing and counting it as practice. But that is not practice! That is just sitting by the piano making yourself feel like you're practicing.

Another sign you're practicing too much as if you start to develop discomfort in your fingers, wrists or forearms. If you're feeling any pain you should stop playing immediately. It can be tempting to try and push the pain but trust me that will not work in this case. I have many friends who have developed tendonitis and the only solution to that is changing your playing technique and giving yourself a break. It's a very slippery slope to try and play through the pain.

With some consistency you can certainly work up to efficiently practicing 4 hours a day but chances are you won't be able to start at that amount of practice. It is always best to start with 30 minutes especially if you are young and slowly work up if you desire. But remember more practice isn't always better, smart practice is always better. Smart practices when you're focusing just on what you need to improve on. Remember, you don't need to practice what you're already good at. Plus spending extra time slowly focusing on what's challenging will make you improve faster and that's the goal.

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## How Do You Know If You Are Practicing Piano Correctly? ##

Actually, it's easy to tell if you're practicing correctly, because you'll be improving! Another way to tell that you were practicing correctly is to first come up with a list of what you want to improve on and what you want to practice. Then actually practice what you want to practice. And then a week later look back at the list and see if you've made any improvements on each of those areas. People often overlook the simple fact that they need to set goals for themselves. This means actually write them down. Then look back at your written down goals and see if you are achieving them!

How Many Hours A Day Should You Practice Piano?

How Often Should You Practice Piano?

I was at a dinner party with some friends this past weekend and one of them mentioned he was in the market for buying a piano. He asked me if I would go with him to look at some pianos because he wanted to make sure he was buying one that is a good investment.

**As a financial investment, pianos are not a good investment. They require yearly maintenance and proper care, which can be expensive. It is near impossible to get an annual ROI of 7% or great by purchasing a piano.**

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Financially speaking pianos are not a good investment. I know this must sound strange coming from someone who teaches [private piano lessons in Hillsboro](https://www.morningsidemusicacademy.com/hillsboro/piano). There's a chance you've heard rumors about people investing in very expensive grand pianos. Rumors that say they have gained value as the years go on, like fine wine. These cases are very few and far between. Plus the pianos that this applies to are more expensive than most cars. If you have that kind of money lying around and it's burning a hole in your pocket, sure, maybe go for it and buy a $100,000 grand piano and hope that it will appreciate in value. 

The thing about pianos is, even if they are not financially good investments, they are very good investments for personal development. They are also great investments when it comes to educating a child. Playing piano can be extremely beneficial for a young child's brain. Plus it can develop self-discipline and show a child that hard work is worth it. Plus they're just fun to have around if you're having a holiday party or you want to spend some time by yourself. This of course relies on someone knowing how to play it.

So, in a roundabout way you could say the pianos are a good investment if you're investing in yourself. But this also means you can buy a second-hand piano that holds a decent tune and has been taken care of for a few hundred dollars. You will still get all the benefits of self improvement from a free or used piano. The first piano I owned cost me $100. I later took the piano apart to see how it worked and practiced and learned how to tune pianos. But that's a story for another time...

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If you find the right piano for the right price, buying a piano is absolutely worth it! The right piano is a piano that's been taken care of and is in tune. Piano should be tuned regularly so they can maintain their tuning. If you're looking at a piano that's horribly out of tune, chances are it will take months to get it back in tune. 

By that, I mean you will have a professional tuner come to your house and tune the piano. Sometimes, if pianos are really out of tune, a piano technician will have to tune the piano halfway. Then you have to wait awhile for the instrument to relax into that tuning, and then return to your home and continue tuning it back to where it should actually be. 

That's why it's important when you're shopping for a used piano that it should be relatively in tune. If you're not able to tell if a piano is in tune or not, make sure to bring a professional with you or at least a friend with a musical ear. A good trick to tell if a piano is in tune is to play the same note an octave apart all over the piano and see if you hear any waves of bad intonation. By this I mean play two C’s an octave apart all over the piano.

If the piano is relatively in tune, doesn't have too much cosmetic damage and is in your budget it's absolutely worth buying. As long as you have the space in your house. Luckily there are different styles of pianos. They can fit in all sorts of different homes or apartments. There are grand pianos which are very large and then upright or spinet pianos which are quite compact.

So really there's the perfect piano out there for anyone especially considering so many people are giving pianos away for free nowadays on websites like Craigslist. So, basically any place you live and whatever your budget is you can own a piano. As long as their neighbors don't mind. Keep in mind that you might have to pay for moving the piano and you'll probably have to pay for tuning once you move the piano because pianos can lose their tune a little bit while being moved. Personally, I moved my first piano myself with a small U-Haul trailer, it was an upright piano. It only took two people and wasn't that hard to do.

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People buy pianos for all sorts of different reasons. Some people think they look nice in their home and other people love to play piano. Also there's some people who don't even buy pianos, they just move into a house that already has a piano in it, which is a great bonus! My friend is currently in the market for a piano because he wants his son to start taking lessons. Another way people get pianos is sometimes grandparents pass them down to them. These instruments typically have sentimental value and have a nice story with them and end up being a family heirloom.

The main reasons people buy pianos are they like to play piano, they want to learn piano or have their child learn piano or they look at it as a piece of art to make their home look nicer. All of these reasons are great reasons to buy a piano.

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There are a couple things you should think about before buying a piano:

1) Do You Have The Budget to Buy a Piano?

You very well might have the budget for a piano because many people give away pianos for free. But just keep in mind that you will have to pay for moving the piano. In most cases you can do it yourself or you can pay movers which can be more expensive. You'll probably also have to pay for a piano tuner which can be anywhere from $100 to $300. This is a must if you're buying a new piano, it can be detrimental to your musicality if you practice on an out-of-tune piano. The last thing you need is to have out of tune music be normal to you. *If you want to learn more about practicing piano check out this article:*

[How Many Hours A Day Should You Practice Piano]( https://www.morningsidemusicacademy.com/features/how-many-hours-a-day-should-you-practice-piano )

2) Do You Live in a Place Where You Can Play Piano Without Disturbing Your Neighbors?

The last thing you want to do is buy a new piano and get it home, start playing and realize your neighbors hate the sound of piano. So think twice if you live in an apartment before buying a piano. pianos might seem quieter than an electric guitar but in reality they're quite loud. They were designed to match the volume of a full Symphony Orchestra so keep that in mind because that's pretty loud.


The thing about buying a piano or acquiring a piano is once you have the piano, you have it. By this I mean you now have to move it if you move. This can be another expense. Sometimes you can leave your piano where you live but you have to check with your landlord or the people you're selling your property to. So, if you're in the mood to buy a piano right now just think how long will I be living in the place where I'm currently living. 

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Are Pianos A Good Investment?

I remember when I was growing up going to different friends' houses, they almost all had pianos. This was years before I started teaching [private piano lessons in Tigard]( https://www.morningsidemusicacademy.com/tigard/piano ). Have you ever wondered, why are pianos so popular?

**Pianos are so popular for three reasons, they are the perfect first instrument to learn, they are an instrument you can play and sing at the same time, composers/musicians love them because they cover almost the whole spectrum of frequencies, from low to high.**

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**Pianos were invented by Bartolomeo Cristofori in Italy. Bartolomeo invented the piano because up until then most people were playing harpsichords, and you cannot control the dynamics of a harpsichord.** This is because a harpsichord is plugged. So he invented the piano. When you play the piano the string is struck by a small felted hammer and this way you can control the dynamics of the instrument. 

If you want to play loud you press the key down hard and the hammer strikes the three strings strongly, creating a loud note. If you want to play quietly you press the key down softly in this strikes the three strings gently creating a softer note. And if you want to be really quiet when you're playing the piano you can press down the damper pedal with your foot, then press the key down softly this only strikes one of the strings creating the softest know you can on the piano.

Italy has such a rich musical tradition that of course the piano was beloved when it was invented there. It was also very useful for classical composers because they cover the full range of notes an entire orchestra can play. Beethoven even used a piano when he was deaf. He cut the legs off of the piano  and rested on the floor so he could feel the vibrations through the ground.

We should all be really grateful for Bartolomeo’s invention because the harpsichord is kind of a painful instrument to listen to. The piano, on the other hand it's a very beautiful sounding instrument with many different tones and colors.

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Pianos are so popular because they're awesome! But seriously, pianos are popular because they are so useful for professional musicians and beginners alike. Pianos are great instruments to learn on because you can see all the notes laid out in front of you.

This is unlike an instrument like the flute where there's nothing to look at or even the trombone where there's very little to look at. Even with the violin it's hard to look and see the notes laid out in front of you. The first instrument I Learned was the trombone, and it was very confusing for me to learn about whole steps and half steps in music. This is because on trombone sometimes when you want to play a half step you actually have to move the slide really really far. So I didn't understand how two notes can be a half step away if you have to extend your arm to full-length to go between the two notes. But on the piano this is obvious.

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## Why Are Pianos the Perfect Instrument to Learn Music On? ##

Pianos are the perfect instrument to learn about music on because everything's laid out in front of you. You can even if you need to put little stickers on the keys with the names of the notes.  You can see the patterns of music laid out in front of you and this makes it easier to grasp. Music is an abstract thing after all and it's helpful to have a visible representation, especially when you're learning. Even though pianos are incredible for learning about music, they are not necessarily a good *financial investment*. If you want to learn more about that check out this article:

[Are Pianos A Good Investment?]( https://www.morningsidemusicacademy.com/features/are-pianos-a-good-investment )

Another great thing about pianos is the relatively easy to play…  or at least make it sound on. Some instruments take time and practice just to make a simple sound, but not the piano though. I guarantee you can make a beautiful sound of a piano with one second of practice. This is why they're also great for children. Any child can walk up to the piano and press down a key and hear the sound. Not every child can walk up to a violin and make a beautiful sound on their first day.

Pianos are also very beneficial for learning how chords work. Yet again because you can see the notes laid out in front of you you can see the structures of common chords. You can see the difference between a major chord and a minor chord, that's the difference between a happy sounding chord and a sad sounding chord. 

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Musicians love pianos because the piano covers the full spectrum of notes, well almost the full spectrum of notes. If you want to write a complex piece of music such as an orchestral piece it's very helpful to have a piano. This way you can play the notes that the bases will be playing and you can play the notes with the cellos will be playing and you can play the notes that the flute will be playing. it's all laid out in front of you.

Pianos are also very popular with contemporary musicians as well. They're beneficial for singer-songwriters because they can play a chord and sing at the same time. You could also just play the melody that you are going to sing out on the piano. It's very difficult to write a pop song if you only play trombone. You would have to play a note then sing a little and then play another note. But Elton John can just play chords and hum and slowly write a song.

Keyboards are even more popular nowadays with contemporary artists because you can make them play any sound. Lots of popular artists play their drums out on a keyboard. You just program the keyboard to play different drum sounds for each different note and then you can play a whole drum set. You can also program music into a computer using a keyboard; this is very helpful as well. You can create many different sounds on the computer using digital synthesizers and the way you make those sounds is by pressing the keys on a keyboard hooked up to your computer. 

https://www.youtube.com/embed/oAb2QnRHcOE


An even crazier way to use a keyboard as you can use it for sampling. This is when you take a pre-recorded piece of music and play it by pressing a key on a keyboard. But maybe that's a topic for another time.

## Why Do Most People Use Pianos to Compose Music? ##

Most people use a piano to compose music because you can play chords and Melodies at the same time. That's something that's very difficult to do on a guitar, which is another instrument that you can play chords on.

When I'm composing a new song I like to play chords in the left hand and play the melody in the right hand, this way I can hear how they sound together. Or another way I like to compose is playing chords with both hands and humming the melody. Then another convenient part of the piano is if you want to do harmonies with the melody you can easily play those with two fingers. At this point it should be very obvious why people like to compose music with pianos. This is why pianos are so popular.

Another benefit of composing music on a piano is you can easily show the song to a fellow composer. It's quite common when you write a new piece of music to show it to someone else by playing on the piano. It's a little more Awkward to show someone a new song on a horn or string instrument because they can't always hear the context in the chords below the melody. Another added benefit of showing someone a new song on a piano is they can see as well as hear the harmonic structure below the melody and follow along with the different chord changes.

In conclusion, I hope this article has shown you why piano is such a popular instrument. I recommend that anyone who is interested at least buy a keyboard and start playing around. And if that is fun for you maybe you should go out and buy a piano, or at least pick up a free piano that people are giving away. I certainly know that my musicality improved greatly once I started playing piano. It really is a beautiful and very useful instrument and we should all be thankful that it was invented in Italy way back when. I don't know what we would do if it had never been invented. We would probably miss out on a lot of great music!

Why Are Pianos So Popular?

I’ve been lately thinking about upgrading from my upright piano to a grand piano. I’m really excited and have been doing a bunch of research, but I’ve been wondering, why are pianos so expensive?

**Pianos are so expensive because they are one of the largest instruments and they are made of costly materials and assembled by hand. That much quality lumber simply costs a lot of money and that is before all the labor and craftsmanship.**

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If you're like me and you've been looking for a new piano you're probably wondering why are new pianos so expensive? There are actually many reasons why pianos are so expensive. The real question is, are pianos always expensive? Luckily for you the answer is no!

If you go into piano galleries, you might think that all pianos are expensive. But that's actually not true. It's kind of like if you go to a car dealer you think every single car is expensive. But of course we all know this isn't true. Very similar to cars, piano galleries or piano dealers are the most expensive places to buy a piano. It's really great because you're getting a brand-new super high quality piano the same way going to a car lot can be really exciting, but it's definitely not the best place to buy a piano. Or at least not the best place to buy your first piano.

Same way as when you were a teen and you wanted to buy a car you most likely didn't go to a car dealership to pick up your very first car. So if you're in the market for your first piano probably shouldn't go to a piano gallery either. I've been teaching [private piano lessons in Beaverton]( https://www.morningsidemusicacademy.com/beaverton/piano ) for years. I've taught some truly great students on second hand pianos.

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So at this point you're probably wondering, how am I supposed to find a piano if I'm not going to a piano dealer? Don't worry there are plenty of ways to get an affordable piano.

The way I bought my first piano was on Craigslist. I paid $200 for a great spinet piano. Of course I had to move the piano to my house, so I used a U-Haul trailer behind my Volkswagen Jetta. It actually only took me and one other person to move the piano and it wasn't too difficult. This piano is great, it was in tune and it held its tune. All the keys worked and there wasn't any cosmetic damage to the piano. I love this piano!
 Another way to find an affordable piano is you can always adopt someone's piano. I know it sounds hard to believe but there are websites like [www.pianoadoption.com](https://www.pianoadoption.com) More people are giving away credible pianos for free! I have a few friends that have used this website and have had great results. Lucky for us, pianos take up a lot of space and when people stop playing them they often want to make more room in their home or apartment. *If you have ever wondered why so many people have pianos you can check out this article:*

[Why Are Pianos So Popular?]( https://www.morningsidemusicacademy.com/features/why-are-pianos-so-popular )

Seriously, check out this website and you will find incredible grand pianos for free! There are descriptions of what condition the pianos are in and how old the piano is and maybe even a little bit about the history of the piano. This is a great way to get a very cool vintage piano for free. The nice thing about pianos is they do not move that much so a piano can sit around and not get damaged. So it can be hard to believe, but you can find a hundred year old piano that looks beautiful and is in great condition, if it's been tuned semi-regularly of course. Plus you will even find pianos on this website that are very ornate and can make a very beautiful addition to your home, if you like that type of thing.

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## What is the Average Cost of a New Piano? ##

Maybe buying a used piano was in your style, and you really are in the market for a new piano. The first thing to know is there are three main types of pianos, spinet, upright and grand pianos.

A spinet piano is the smallest and cheapest of the pianos, then comes the upright piano which is the mid-range in midsize piano. Last but of course not least is the grand piano which is the largest and most expensive piano. They also make Baby Grand pianos.

You could find a new spinet piano for less than a new upright piano. Spinet pianos are just a little bit different from upright or grand pianos and they can be a little bit tougher to tune.  **The average cost of a new upright piano is $3,000 to $6,000. Of course they can be much more expensive than that and a high-end new upright piano can be $7000 to $10,000.**

A new grand piano can cost anywhere between $7000 to $30,000. Now you can see why I was making all those car comparisons! Grand pianos can be much more expensive than $30,000 oh, but those are definitely not for the average person's home.

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## Are Expensive Pianos Always Better? ##

At this point you're probably thinking, wow I didn't realize a new piano was so expensive are they really worth it? Are expensive pianos always better than free pianos?

The answer is, it depends. I'm going to continue with the car analogies because they're so apropos. Is an expensive car always better than a cheap car oh, not necessarily. It depends what you want in a car and it's the same thing with pianos. It depends what you want in a piano.

A free piano that's been taken care of can be just as good as a new piano. Actually in some cases an older piano can even be better. Some of the best violins are hundreds of years old. It all comes down to craftsmanship and care. Just like with cars, some years the manufacturer puts out a model that's just not that great, it's the same thing with pianos. So don't always think you're getting the best piano if you're going to the piano gallery and buying a brand new piano.

Just like many things, you can stumble upon real treasures for free if you look. This is why people go to garage sales, cuz you can stumble upon a lost masterpiece. The same thing is true with Craigslist in pianos. Someone might have inherited the beautiful grand piano from their grandmother and it's been sitting in their house. The most important thing is that the piano is taken care of, which means it is tuned on a semi-regular basis. depending on temperature fluctuations in humidity fluctuations the piano might need to be tuned more often or less often.

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So I've already talked about the fact that there are plenty of free pianos out there, but you still have to figure out a way to move them to your place. This can cost hundreds of dollars. If that's still too much money for you, you can always buy an electric keyboard. They make many different levels of electric keyboards and there are plenty of options for under $100. Ideally you would buy a keyboard with weighted keys but those can be a little more expensive.

But if you're a total beginner, something is better than nothing. The next thing you should think about when buying a keyboard is if the keys are the correct size and how many keys the keyboard has. This is probably the most important thing to consider when buying a keyboard. Ideally it has 88 keys and the keys are standard size. It definitely feels completely different to play it if the keys are not weighted but you can still learn a lot of music without weighted keys!

Thank you so much for reading this article. I really love teaching and writing about piano. I have a few other articles on this site if you are interested in checking them out. I truly find a lot of meaning in writing these articles.

Why Are Pianos So Expensive?

Has someone ever offered you a free piano? When I was a child, my parents were offered a free grand piano, but they were not sure what was entailed with owning a piano, so they refused the offer. I was left to my undersized toy casio keyboard… I don’t want this to happen to any of you out there! So are pianos expensive to maintain?

**With proper climate control it can cost less than $200 a year to maintain a piano. Especially if you are not playing it constantly. If you are living in a house that has a steady temperature and humidity you only need to tune your piano once a year.**

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If you're new to musical instruments you're probably wondering, why would a piano need maintenance?  All musical instruments need maintenance, just like any tool.  you can't use a chainsaw for years on end without ever tuning it up. Same thing goes with musical instruments, there's General wear and tear and they need to be taken care of too.

This is especially true for instruments made out of wood because they expand and contract. Temperature and humidity levels can cause wouldn't instruments to expand and contract even more than metal instruments. This can cause them to go out of tune.

It's very important to keep your piano in tune because as it goes out of tune the wood then settles and adjusts into the out-of-tune state. The last thing you want is your piano to feel “comfortable” when it is out of tune. So it is very important to tune your piano at least once a year so it's always in great shape. You want your piano to be in tune and feel relaxed and comfortable in tune. As well go into a greater link later in the article, if you don't clean your piano regularly it can cause a lot of problems!

The other thing about pianos is, they have a lot of moving parts. Just like with anything else, when something has moving parts the chances are that things get out of whack. Then they need maintenance to continue to work properly. This is especially true for pianos because they have so many moving parts. There are eighty-eight keys on the standard piano and that means they're 88 mechanisms that all need to be working perfectly.

This might sound really intimidating but don't worry, it's actually not that bad. So in the piano there are 88 keys which means they're 88 little hammers that hit three strings each. Then on top of that there are three pedals underneath the piano that also move different mechanisms to change the way the piano sounds. All of this can put some strain on the piano. But they were built to do this so you don't have to worry too much. just don't play the piano in an inappropriate way. There was a famous pianist in my hometown that was from Cuba and he would play the piano so hard that he would regularly break some of the strings on the piano. He was an incredible pianist but sometimes people were a little weary having him come play at their club because they knew they would have to service their piano after the show!

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## What is Involved in Maintaining A Piano? ##

So this might sound like a lot you have to keep track of, but it actually isn't. If you want to be a responsible piano owner it's important for you to find a high-quality piano service technician to come and service your piano. They can be your translator and let you know what your piano needs or does not need to stay in good shape.

I think the most important thing in piano maintenance is a yearly tune up for the piano. If your house has a stable humidity and temperature range, this shouldn't be too difficult for your piano technician to perform. But as I said before it's important to keep your piano in tune so it feels comfortable in-tune and wants to be in tune.

Just like you want a trustworthy mechanic who is knowledgeable to take a look at your car, you want a trustworthy piano technician to service your piano once a year and make sure everything is working okay. This is how you become an All-Star piano owner!

Some other things that are involved in piano maintenance is making sure all the keys work correctly. This is easy for you to tell because if you play all the keys and some of them don't make any sound, then you know you need to get your piano serviced. The good thing is, if you're playing your piano in an appropriate way you probably won't need this type of service. Professional musicians will sometimes have their pianos tune up and have the weight of each key set so it's smooth to play. But most beginner or amateur musicians don't need the service. This is for very high-end classical musicians.

Here's a little bit of good news, there's also some kind of maintenance you can take care of yourself. Another great thing to do is to keep your piano dusted and make sure the debris isn't going into the piano. I know this sounds crazy, but you wouldn't believe the things that I found in pianos. Especially if you have little kids it's really tempting to stick stuff into the piano. Okay and I have to admit something, maybe one time a DVD of The Wedding Singer fell in my spinet piano. This is because I have the top open because I wanted to play extra loud. So make sure to take good care of your piano, dusted and make sure nothing falls into the piano.

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## How Much Does Piano Maintenance Cost? ##

If you stay on top of piano maintenance it shouldn't be that expensive to maintain a piano. If your piano is in good shape and is reasonably in tune it can be less than $100 to tune up your piano. This is why it's so important to stay on top taking care of your piano. It's just like an oil change, if you change your oil regularly it's really not that expensive. But if you decide you're never going to change your oil, you're going to be hit with a really bad bill when you go to the mechanic when your car stops working.

All the piano technicians that I've ever used charge by the hour, so if your piano is in pretty good shape as just a little checkup and not a major operation. This is the way you want to keep your piano. It's really great if you have a nice technician and they come around once a year you're really never paying that much money to keep your piano in Tip-Top shape. Plus this is so much better than having to buy a new piano! *If you want to learn about why pianos are so expensive check out this article:*

[Why Are Pianos So Expensive?]( https://www.morningsidemusicacademy.com/features/why-are-pianos-so-expensive )

At this point in the article you might be thinking, I keep my house at the same temperature and I don't play too hard, maybe I can get away with not having a piano technician come around once a year. Trust me, this isn't a good way to think. You can get yourself into some real sticky situations really quickly if you don't take piano maintenance at least a little seriously.

https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1508935620299-047e0e35fbe3?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=MnwxNzY0MzN8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxfHxicm9rZW58ZW58MHx8fHwxNjQ2OTM1MzEz&ixlib=rb-1.2.1&q=80&w=1080

## What Happens if I Don't Maintain My Piano? ##

I've taught a lot of piano lessons in my life, and I've seen a whole lot of pianos. Some of the pianos that haven't been maintained end up being a lost cause! It's really sad I've seen some beautiful ornate pianos that are family heirlooms end up being completely unusable. This is all because they weren't properly maintained.

When I was teaching [private piano lessons in Bethany]( https://www.morningsidemusicacademy.com/bethany/piano ),I had one family with a piano that was so badly out of tune that it was impossible to get it back in tune. A typical technique technicians use when tuning an extremely out of tune piano, is they tune it halfway and then they have to wait months for the piano to ease into that tuning. It's really crazy, a piano can get so used to being out of tune that when you put it back in tune it puts a lot of strain on the instrument. So this one family had their piano tuned half way and it wouldn't even hold that tuning for more than a couple weeks at a time. So the piano technician was never able to get it back fully into tune. He also ended up breaking some of the strings when he was trying to tune it because the piano was being so stubborn.

This ended up costing the family in two ways, they had to pay for the piano technician to spend a lot of time working on the piano and then they ended up having to buy a new piano. So it's really important to stay on top of piano maintenance. Like I said before, you would never go years at a time without changing the oil in your car because you know that will cost you big in the long run. It's the exact same thing with a piano, just paying $50 to $100 a year to make sure your piano is nice and healthy will save you thousands in the long run!

Thank you so much for reading my article! It really means so much to me, I'm very passionate about pianos.

Are Pianos Expensive to Maintain?

If you are in the market for a piano you might be looking at pianos online. Often you will see pianos listed online for free, this seems like a great deal. When I was looking to buy my first piano I was on a tight budget and I wondered, is a free piano worth it?

**Yes! A free piano is definitely worth getting if you keep in mind four things. Is it in decent/working condition, can you afford to move it, do you have space for it and can you afford to maintain it. If you answered yes to those four questions, you should definitely pick up that free piano!**

https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1559051695-99b53c1cc8ad?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=MnwxNzY0MzN8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxfHxmcmVlJTIwc2lnbnxlbnwwfHx8fDE2NDY5MzU1MzU&ixlib=rb-1.2.1&q=80&w=1080

## Why Do People Give Away Free Pianos? ##

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