They sound better than
used acoustics in the same price range.
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Spinet pianos are generally in the same price
range as a new digital piano.
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Spinet pianos average 30-65 years old. The average lifespan on a piano is 40-50
years in regards to tuning stability. This means most spinet pianos have a
hard time holding pitch properly. Pianos
that don’t hold tune properly lead to poor ear training and frustration for the
player.
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All pianos get brighter over time so spinets
naturally have the brightest and thinnest sound when compared to other acoustic
and digital pianos.
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Digital pianos are recorded off of concert grand
pianos. (Roland samples a Steinway D and two other leading acoustic piano
manufacturers for their piano samples.)
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Digital pianos always hold perfect pitch and
never need tuning. Over the past 10
years, digital pianos have improved a lot in terms of dynamic range and
expressiveness. If you haven’t played a
digital piano lately, I strongly recommend it.
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Comparing a digital piano to a used spinet piano
will lead you to one overwhelming conclusion: digitals sound better!
They feel better than a
used piano in the same price range.
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Spinet pianos have what’s called an “indirect
blow action” which means about half of the moving parts are below the
keys. This makes the action feel much
lighter and less consistent when compared to other acoustic and digital
pianos.
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Most digital pianos keys are weighted to the
same specifications as a grand piano action.
And, on some digital pianos, such as a Roland, you can alter the
responsiveness of the action. For
example, if you want a lighter or heavier feel you can adjust it with the touch
of a button. Note: Some stores sell less-expensive variations of a digital piano that claim to be weighted, but they are
semi-weighted, not fully-weighted. I
recommend asking to make sure the keys are fully-weighted.
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Digital pianos also utilize a true sostenuto
pedal, whereas most spinets do not offer you this option.
Digital pianos are less expensive
to own than acoustic pianos.
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Since digital pianos do not need to be tuned,
they have a lower maintenance cost than a used acoustic piano. It is recommended that you tune your piano
twice a year and standard tuning rates are between $80 and $120. If the piano
hasn’t been tuned in a few years, it will most likely need an additional
procedure called a pitch raise and the price is likely to increase by $50 to
$75.
- Digital
pianos cost less to move than acoustic pianos and don’t always require a piano
mover. They also don’t require to be tuned after moving like an acoustic piano.
Students will learn faster using
a digital piano.
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Kids are drawn to electronics. If you put a kid
on a digital piano they will usually play their favorite song using the piano
sound, and then add strings, and then the electric piano, and then the organ,
and then the harpsichord. Get the point? They will play their piece over and
over again. These extra sounds also help
encourage your students to be more creative and experimental.
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Digital pianos can be connected to an iPad,
which has dozens of great applications that help make learning fun and
engaging. You can use flashcard apps where
the students are forced to find the right note on the piano, which helps speed
up the note reading process.
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Digital pianos have sources for playing audio
files so you can use midi accompaniments. This is very valuable in reinforcing
rhythms and melody lines.
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Digital pianos have metronomes built in.
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Some Roland models have Hanon exercises built in
which will actually grade the student on hitting the right notes, and playing
consistently. These exercises can be
sped up, slowed down, and you can have left and right hands isolated for single
hand practice.
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Headphones and volume control allow your
students to practice any time of day without disturbing the rest of the family,
so there are no restrictions on when they can sit down and practice.
If you haven’t tried a digital piano built in the last 5
years, I highly recommend it.
For more information on digital pianos, please contact Josh
Stevens at 901-302-3350 or joshstevens@amromusic.com