Electronic Instruments

One of the greatest concerns regarding starting a young child (ages 3-6) on piano lessons is the child having enough muscle development to depress the keys on the instrument. The keys on an acoustic piano are weighted, so it does require a certain degree of muscle development. That is why I am a proponent of starting on an inexpensive electronic instrument. Since the keys are not weighted, they are more easily depressed. There are two bonuses for purchasing this type of instrument. First, is the multitude of sounds that a child can explore. These keyboards have string sounds (violin, guitar, viola, cello, bass, etc.), brass instrument sounds (trumpet, trombone, french horn, tuba, etc.), woodwind instrument sounds (clarinet, flute, saxophone, etc.), keyboard instrument sounds (electronic piano, acoustic piano, honky tonk piano, church organ, rock organ, etc.)and percussion instruments sounds (drums, cymbals, and all sorts of effects). There could be anywhere from 100-200 different sounds! The different sounds (also called patches or timbres) are wonderful stimuli to a young child’s ears and will encourage them to play the instrument more. It’s a great value.

The second reason I like electronic instruments for young beginning piano students is the very low cost for a starter instrument. You should be able to find one for under $200! There are many different brands, Yamaha, Kawai, Casio, Techniques are among the most popular. At this price point, they will all do basically the same things. So shop for price. Watch for sales at your local electronic giants and even in your wholesale clubs (Costco and BJ’s) Yeah for technology! 

Acoustic Instruments

Eventually, you will need to purchase a traditional acoustic instrument to support the proper muscular development of your budding pianist’s fingers. At what point should this occur? It’s really up to the teacher and the student. My experience has been that usually between 10 - 14 months into a young child’s studies is appropriate. It is also very motivating to the child to “graduate” to a professional instrument. 

Price points for acoustic instruments vary as much as they do for automobiles. You could find a used piano for $500 (US) or buy a professional model new instrument for as much as $40,000 (US)! One caution, if you do buy a used instrument, please have a certified piano technician look the instrument over before purchasing it. Like a car, there are many things that could be wrong with an acoustic instrument that will require you to buy another one in a short time. Make sure you are not purchasing an instrument that is “all show and no go”. That’s why I prefer my clients purchase from a reputable dealer that stands by its product.