Where to Look for a Piano
You will save a lot of time – and potentially a lot of money – by visiting a dedicated piano store staffed by people who know and love pianos. Family businesses like ours have loyal, committed employees. You can count on them to go “the extra mile” to insure that you are happy with their service and your piano long after you make your purchase.
While some visit us more than once, it takes most of our clients only an hour or two to become educated about pianos, review their options, and make a selection they feel really good about.
What to Expect
A good piano expert will want to spend five to ten minutes asking questions about how and where you plan to use your piano before they start making recommendations. The more honestly you answer their questions – even if your answer is “I’m not sure” – the easier it will be to find the perfect piano for you. If there are fifty pianos in a store, probably only one or two of them are just right for you.
If a salesperson takes you quickly to the “deal of the day” or spends more time playing the piano than asking you questions, leave.
Pianos for Beginners or Advanced Players
Maybe the piano player in your family is a beginner or maybe you are interested in a piano that plays itself. Whatever the case, working with a piano expert who you feel you can trust will make all the difference. They will be able to play the piano for you so that you can focus on how the piano sounds. They will also be able to clearly explain and show you the differences between pianos.
Anyone who has a lot of experience helping people find pianos will play short selections of well-known pieces.
Start by focusing on how the different pianos sound. If you’re shopping for a young beginner, sound will have a huge influence on whether or not they want to practice. Having a selection of good pianos all in the same, quiet room makes it easy to compare new and used, different sizes, and different brands of pianos.
My grandfather always said that people get comfortable with the feel of a piano in about two days, but the never get used to a sound they don’t like. He was right!
You will also want to learn a little about how pianos work. A well-built piano will sound great for generations with modest, regular maintenance. A low-quality piano that sounds good in the showroom will not have the strength and stability to keep sounding good without excessive maintenance or expensive humidity control systems.
Humidity control systems can help to stabilize upright pianos in extreme institutional environments, but they are more often sold by tuners to make extra profit and stores selling low-quality pianos. If a salesperson tries to sell you on humidity control, it is best to visit a different piano store.
What most more advanced players really like in a piano – quick repetition when playing keys, full tone, long sustain – are the same things that help beginners become passionate about playing. Investing in a good piano for any level of player is always money well spent. A better piano makes for a better piano player, regardless of age or ability.
If you are planning on playing pianos in the showroom – taking some test drives – be sure to bring your music with you! You will notice more differences and be able to make comparisons easier if you play pieces that you are really familiar with.
When you start your search at a reputable piano store, you will find it easier to make comparisons and learn the differences between pianos.