So, Which is better.. A Piano or a Keyboard?

Real pianos are great but the one big drawback is that there is no volume control. So, with a piano you tend to end up playing for the neighbours, if you know what I mean. With a keyboard you can stick on some headphones and play whatever turns you on – you can experiment, make mistakes and sound silly while playing something a thousand times without driving other people completely nuts. :)

So...Which is the better one to purchase; A Piano or a Keyboard?.. Ideally - BOTH.

If you are buying a piano it is preferable to purchase an overstrung piano and not a straight strung! How to tell: Lift the top lid of the piano up and you should see the tuning pins around the top of the piano. If the tuning pins are evenly spaced along the pin block and the strings are all parallel and vertical - this is a straight strung piano. If there is a group of tuning pins on the left side and a separate group on the right side, and the strings cross over in an X shape - this is an overstrung piano.

Also, definitely get a tuner to check it out. I bought a piano once that needed to have some of the wood treated due to all the pins (that tighten the strings) coming loose very quickly after being tuned – A Disaster!



Ok, Let's Stick with a Keyboard...Which One Should you Choose?

Really, a lot depends on what you want. Do you want a keyboard that sounds and feels like a Piano? If so, then you should be looking for a keyboard or Digital Piano which has WEIGHTED keys. Listen carefully to the pianos sound, and don’t be bamboozled by all the other buttons. If you want something portable then you are looking for a keyboard. Personally though, I would still look for one with weighted keys (I can't stand the feel of light plastic keys).


Get a keyboard with at least 61 keys because anything less and you will be craving more keys after a few days. Also, make sure you get a sustain pedal because a keyboard is absolutely a dead object without one. Without a sustain pedal as soon as you lift your finger off a key the sound stops dead! With a piano at least the strings vibrate for a second or two, the difference is very noticeable.

YES, Practicing the Piano can be fun too!..

Most people don’t really want to ‘learn’ to play the piano or ‘practice’ the piano, they just want to ‘play’ piano. ‘Play’ sounds like fun, ‘practice’ sounds like a chore. We get this image from childhood – some kid stuck indoors ‘practicing’ scales while all the other kids are outside the window ‘playing’.

So, first thing we need to do is to see our piano practice in a new light. See it as a way of accelerating the learning process so that SOON you’ll be able to ‘play’ piano and play it well. If you don’t practice and you just play old familiar tunes you move rather slowly. Yes, you’ll get better at playing those old familiar tunes but technically you won’t be pushing yourself to greater heights.

Proper, structured piano practice helps you stride forwards. I say ‘proper’ because a lot of people have an idea that practice IS just playing songs over and over. Practice needs to involve unchartered territory. The golden rule is – ‘practice what you CAN’T play, not what you CAN play’.

First of all, work out what you want to achieve. Do you just want to know all your chords without thinking about how they are formed – then work out a practice routine that leads to that goal. Maybe you want to learn about inversions or chord substitution – again, make the practice fit the goal.

Split your practice session into two halves. In the first half play the difficult stuff – your mind is sharper to begin with – then reward yourself with some enjoyable but reasonably difficult tunes. Make sure you are comfortable. Many a bad back has happened because of a bad piano stool at the wrong height. Make sure your piano is in tune. If you don’t have a good piano and are serious about learning GO BUY A GOOD ONE.

Every fifteen minutes stretch your arms and shoulders and roll your neck to combat stiffness. Check out some Yoga exercises for shoulders and back.

Follow the 3 times daily rule. Repetition in practice is ESSENTIAL. If you find something particularly difficult make sure you practice it at least 3 times every day. Don’t worry if it takes months to master – you’ll get there.

Don’t play for the neighbours. Practice piano at a time when you don’t care who is listening so that you can make lot’s of mistakes and play things over and over. Organise your piano music carefully – don’t keep it in a heap where you keep playing the ones on top. If you download sheet music put it in a folder. Have plenty of shelves near the piano. Be realistic – I truly believe that anyone can learn piano and learn it to an enjoyable level but no two people are alike – some are more ‘naturally’ gifted than others. If you have an average ability then it’s all down to practice. The more you practice the more you learn.

Now and then, practice with your eyes closed – or don’t look at the keys – this really sharpens you up. Organise your life so that practice is possible (this where Mindfulness comes in). Too many people think they don’t have time to practice when really they just haven’t found the time. How long should you practice – that’s up to what you want to achieve. You don’t have to be a concert pianist. Even if you just play for yourself just enjoy that. The archer who’s mind is on the prize cannot stay focussed on the target. Accept the bad days when it seems like you can’t play a note. Sometimes it’s better to walk away. So remember that ‘playing’ piano and ‘practicing’ piano are different. Which do you do? Aim for a bit of both.