Can't afford a piano

[eliza99]

Hi,

I can't afford a piano at least for the time being, but i really wana learn piano.

I have a keyboard at home.

can i use that to learn piano straight to grade 8?

thanks

[tac-tics]

A keyboard is better than nothing, right?

Of course, there are alternatives to buying your own piano. Do any nearby schools or churches have one?

[henrah]

Or any piano shops nearby? You can go in and ask to look at the pianos, and practice on them for a while. But you won't be able to do it continuously as the shopkeepers will get suspicious

[pekko]

Maybe you can rent a piano? Pay with something else than money?

[sissco]

Of course you can learn the basic things on a keyboard and play some beautifull pieces but you won't get to grade 8 I think 

[rc]

Of course you can learn the basic things on a keyboard and play some beautifull pieces but you won't get to grade 8 I think

Sure you can, in fact the difficult things like speed are much easier on a keyboard where the keys will fall if you sneeze too hard. But most keyboards I've seen are short a few octaves, which will put a good chunk of repertoire out-of-bounds. All of Bach's keyboard music will fit into a keybaords range...

The problem is that after learning on a keyboard, everthing will have to be adapted to weighted keys once you get on a real piano, which is quite the adjustment.

I would recommend a good digital piano, with weighted keys. It's cheaper than a real piano, can be played through headphones (incredibly useful when you don't want to disturb the household!), no maintainance and portable. Because of being able to practice through headphones, you will want to keep the digital piano even after you get ahold of a real piano.

The keyboard is good if it's all you got, but you should try and get onto something with weighted keys and better sound quality ASAP. I'm sure if you try hard enough you'll find a way to afford it.

[tac-tics]

Of course you can learn the basic things on a keyboard and play some beautifull pieces but you won't get to grade 8 I think 

Nothing sounds better than (choose one: Beethoven's, Chopin's, Bach's) (insert composition title here) played on a Squarewave Lead patch X-D

Personally, I have a Yamaha P60 digital piano. For under a grand, you can't beat it's sound quality and touch. It even fits in my dorm room.

[jas]

I got my first piano from an auction for £35. It was prehistoric and falling to bits, hammers were dropping off everywhere and the bottom panel once came loose and hit me in the shin so hard I almost passed out from the pain.
But don't let that persuade you, there's more! Auctions can be great places for cheap things. (Just don't go if you've got an itchy nose or anything. I'll all end in disaster.)

Jas

PS. I wouldn't worry too much about grievous injury. I think my piano was just a bit crap.

[sissco]

Of course you can learn the basic things on a keyboard and play some beautifull pieces but you won't get to grade 8 I think Wink

Sure you can, in fact the difficult things like speed are much easier on a keyboard where the keys will fall if you sneeze too hard. But most keyboards I've seen are short a few octaves, which will put a good chunk of repertoire out-of-bounds. All of Bach's keyboard music will fit into a keybaords range...

The problem is that after learning on a keyboard, everthing will have to be adapted to weighted keys once you get on a real piano, which is quite the adjustment.

I would recommend a good digital piano, with weighted keys. It's cheaper than a real piano, can be played through headphones (incredibly useful when you don't want to disturb the household!), no maintainance and portable. Because of being able to practice through headphones, you will want to keep the digital piano even after you get ahold of a real piano.

The keyboard is good if it's all you got, but you should try and get onto something with weighted keys and better sound quality ASAP. I'm sure if you try hard enough you'll find a way to afford it.

Hmmm...i want a keyboard to, beside my piano, so you know that  But if you really want learn playing piano it is better to that on a real piano. But that is my opnion...I think if you learn a rather difficult piece on a keyboard, that you can't play it that beautifull on a real piano. It would be a real challenge 

[casparma]

Maybe you can ask to go to your teacher's house and practice on his/her piano?   

Or, you know, I feel assured that around you, maybe one of your classmates, would have a piano at home, and it is also a good opportunity to share pianistic experience if both of you are keen with piano.........

In my music school, there are 2 practice rooms, each with a piano. Instead of hiring a piano teacher, try to attend a music school......

[oguzcan]

I have a 88 nearly-full-sized-keyed semi-weighted (very light) midi controller. I practiced a piece (I think grade 8 but I'm not sure) for about a month on that, without touching a real piano. I was a holiday time. When the school opened back, I tried to adjust myself to a real piano; and to my surprise, it didn't even took 3 days. IMO, by all means, practice if that's the best you have. But you'll have to do long maintenances with a real piano for finishing and polishing the piece.