Help on buying a keyboard!

[Cheez]

If you are still intending to play the piano (as you first intended), then becareful about unweighted keys. As it is, not playing a piano will already affect your techniques. Going unweighted will seriously affect your technique causing problems with learning the piano. You won't have much "fun" anyway with the range of keys being limited, if you are going the "piano" way. DGX's touch is not as good as the P series, but it is cheaper.

 

[pf]

Erm.. why wont it allow me?

Hmmm...how to explain touch to you?

Its like using different joysticks to play computer games. Some joysticks are with knobs and buttons more sensitive than others. You get used to a certain joystick and can't play a game as well as you would have if you use another.

Its like using different poles to play pool. Pool players often have their favourite sticks. They are comfortable with the weight and the smoothness of theirs favs to play a better game.

So, taking piano exam...you will want to practice on the closest match to the one you're taking exam on. In this case, classical piano exams use the accoustic piano. The sensitivity of the keys are different from the digital piano. Your hands need to get used to the sensitivity level of your tool to pass the exam.

And playing the piano....is a highly mechanical activity which relies on muscle memory. That means, when you practice, your hands automatically memorise how to play the song. That includes where to reach for the notes without looking, how far the space between the keys are and how hard and how soft to whack.

Therefore, practicing on a P85 to pass an exam tested on an accoustic piano will be very challenging. Coz your hands will play as they will on a digital and due to the different reponse the accoustic piano gives (and the accidental slips of fingers because the feel of the key surface also different), the piece which you play beautifully on P85 might sound crap on the accoustic.

Imagine, a digital piano and an accoustic piano both have weighted keys already have different response to your playing, what more to say about non-weighted keys? Non-weighted keys are smaller than weighted keys. All the distance between the keys which is memorised while you practice on a non weighted keyboard will cause a disaster if you go to an exam on an accoustic.

In order to REALLY save money in the long run, I suggest you decide if you want to take piano exams later on. If you do, go for an accoustic right away. If you don't, then your choices will be more.

 

[Cheez]

Good explanation pf. I want to add that there's also the sound and the feel. I'm not talking about realism in sound. It's the the way the sound reverberates in the body of the piano the tone. Your fingers don't just play to produce a note - it plays to produce the tone you want. It's difficult to get the same expressiveness in playing a piece on a digital keyboard than on playing on a piano.

Practicing on a good digital piano will still help you somewhat in piano playing. But you'll find out that your fingers, your playing experience, your feel, won't be the same on a real piano - which will affect your exams.

But I've got a feeling that exams is not high on your prioirity right now - just a possibility. So yes, go for a digital piano. When you are really serious about taking exams, you will definitely have to get a piano.

 

[pf]

Thanks, Cheez.

Btw, only the 76keys DGX model is cheaper than the P85 currently.

 

[DimoChan]

Oh I see, thanks a lot of the explanations

Yeah well the problem is, Im not aiming for the grades CURRENTLY. However, there is a possibiliy that I will in the future. Therefore, I dont even know if I should really get the P85.

My mum told the teacher that Im not currently interested in the exams and therefore only wants to know how to play the piano

My dad also said to me "you just want to practice your fingers right?" And I cant really talk back to him since I myself said "It would only be for this holiday and Im doing it for fun only".

SIGH. Major headache for me. And pf, does that mean you would recommend the DGX models if I dont get the P85?

 

[rollie pollie]

Sorry, may I know how old you are? If you are way above 15 - 16 yrs old, you may as well get the cheapest option, have fun with the PSR or DGX... If you are younger, then you should just make up your mind abt the instrument you want to play.

Is it gonna be guitars, drums, piano, saxophone? Or everything?

What genre of music are you into - pop, classical, jazz, metal, rock? Or everything?
What do you intend to do when you have acquired those skills?
- eg. you want to do music producing? (good to be versed in more instruments - ne need to excel in any)
- eg. you want to be a hot shot guitarist - guitar god...
- eg. you want to play Carnegie Hall - jazz/ classical is your only hope

If it's only becos you want to play in a rock band, forget keyboards/ piano. Steep learning curve. I'll sell you my guitars instead.

 

[pf]

The 76 keys DGX model which is cheaper than the P85 is quite limiting due to lesser keys. And I think its merely semi-weighted, heavier keys with even distribution in weight across the keys. Not with hammer action keys - heavier in the keys to the left and lighter in the keys to the right.

But DGX series is more fun in the sense that there are many more sounds to play with and drum beats in it to play along with than P85. So, if you want to get the DGX series, its more worth it to get the 88-key one with hammer-action keys because it will last you longer should your interest continue.

As Jazzfish says, please go to the showrooms to try them out to find out your own preference.

 

[DimoChan]

@rollie pollie
Im 14 this year. Erm currently, Im only into piano and it should also be the same when school reopens since I doubt I can take all the stress. I think Im into all the genres I dont really intend to do anything after acquiring those skills, I just want to learn how to play the piano properly.

Im not into rock bands and stuff but thanks for the offer

@pf
Hmm ok but the sound quality is still decent right? After listening to you I think my choice would be the P85 first and then the DGX series. My dad said "a few hundred bucks would be ok" BUT the P85 is like at least 800 LOL, close to almost a thousand.

Yeah, I WILL be going to the showroom soon when my dad is free And I thought I better had something in mind in case when I got there, after an hour(at least) of trying/searching, I still cant make up my mind which pisses the salesman off LOL.

EDIT:
Umm.. the 88 keys one looks like its much more expensive than the P85? O__O ZOMG. Then what cheaper model would you suggest after the P85?

 

[rollie pollie]

Honestly, doing grades is NOT the way to go.

I was "FORCED" to do piano, did all my grades but only starting playing REAL MUSIC after I did my jazz studies on guitar and playing pop-rock-blues for the last 18 years.

I still can play a 'mean' piano and do some classical pieces but to do it well, really need an intense interest in classical music IMO. I have a niece who has a diploma in performance and listening to her play puts all my doubts to rest. I'm glad I didn't do CLASSICAL PIANO big time.

Being 14 years old means you have other interests and school work etc... If you dun forsee being committed to doing PIANO, then do KEYBOARD. Pop piano is quite fun and you dun need an expensive piano or weighted 88 key keyboard.

My budget for you is $800. Get a KORG, YAMAHA, whatever. And get it 2nd hand from the classifieds here in SOFT. Dun waste the money. Your dad is probably right to say " just practising moving your fingers what..."!

 

[pf]

Why not you just go to down to the showroom to try them out.

After that, you can go to the buy/sell section to see if there's a 2nd hand one of your choice for sale.

 

[DimoChan]

Hmm well, Im very certain that I have an interest in piano that is fairly strong.

Erm maybe but I think I would find it really strange if the sound is like totally off/not like what its supposed to be when playing.

Ok, will go to the showroom asap.

 

[Cheez]

Rollie Pollie, I would say that if one doesn't want to do it (ie forced), then no point going grades. If one is interested, then doing grades (classical) is has advantages. Many advantages. Speaking from a classically trained background playing jazz/pop/comtemporary.

 

[Cheez]

DimoChan, with your interest in piano, do try to get a weighted keyboard. What pf mention about lower keys heavier than higher keys doesn't matter for you at this stage. There are 2 types of weighted keys - graded (what pf is saying) and non-graded (ie weighted but keys are same weight throughout the keys).

It's easier to move into unweighted after learning from weighted. The other way (going from unweighted to weighted) is not usually easy.

 

[pf]

Its funny how we don't appreciate what we have to get to where we're going to or where we're at sometimes.

Its really quite tough to play the blues and sustain a mean bass line with untrained fingers that slip all over the place and cannot sustain the amount of strength required to keep time.

 

[DimoChan]

Oh man all these starts to confuse me again O__O
I've been looking at the buy/sell section for a while though.

I want to get a P85 too but that would have to depend on my dad. If he thinks it's too expensive, he'll ask me to get a cheaper one and go on harping about learning for fun and just to practice my fingering ._.

 

[Cheez]

If P85 too expensive, and DGX620 (which is the only weighted version of the DGX series) is too expensive, try the higher-end YPG series. I believe the YPG-600+ series are weighted, but I've not tried them myself. They may be cheaper. Don't know the price. So....go and try them out!

 

[DimoChan]

Well, are they viewable on the Internet? So far.. I've been referring to www.yamaha.com.sg and http://www.play-by-ear.net/index.html which is given by pf.

 

[pf]

DimoChan, you've got to go to the showrooms to check them out. Some models are not available in Sg.

Go go go!

 

[DimoChan]

Ok ok I will !
When my dad is free. LOL which he would be soon.

EDIT : when you guys say weighted/unweighted keys, it means whether or not a keyboard has the graded hammer thingy right?

EDIT 2 :
Omg omg. I just told my mum that the P85 at the authorised dealer would be about 700 - 850 instead of the 900 one at the official yamaha website and she said it would be ok ! Should be going down to the showroom this Saturday. Shall let you guys know if Im successful or not

 

[pf]

DimoChan.

You go to the showrooms this Sat and whack all the keys you can see.

Immediately, you will know what we're talking about, ok?