reasons to get a new piano

[Tash]

ok i am finally fed up with my piano and want to get a new one. howver my parents don't seem to understand this so i'm trying to think of as many reasons as to why i need a new one. so far i have:
*it's missing the top 2 keys so i can't play my khachaturian toccata properly
*it's permanently out of tune
*the tone is crappy and nothing sounds good
*due to it's bad sound it's very uninspiring and unmotivating to play
*the dynamic range isn't big enough
*it's too muffly

any other points you can add to that?! thanks!

[Saturn]

Those reasons are good.

Besides giving them reasons, here are some things you can do to help convince them:

1) Demonstration.  Since you are not a salesman (or saleswoman), your parents are unlikely to be persuaded by clever rhetoric about why your piano sucks and why you need a new one.  Instead, demonstrate to them its shortcomings.

2) Be specific with your request.  Rather than saying "I need a new piano!!", say something like (just an example), "I got to look at one of the new Kawai uprights and they seem really good, and our piano is getting rather old... those Kawai pianos are also very affordable and durable, and retain a lot of their original value in case we need to sell it later."  This is much more convincing.  It also shows that you did your own research, which saves them time (and money).  Parents like that.

3) Show them (in some clever way) that you've earned it.  Prove that you deserve a new one, and that it will be put to good use.  Make sure you don't go overboard on this one.

And most importantly, 4) Make it very obvious that until you get a new piano, you're going to bug them constantly for one.  Sooner or later they'll have to give in!

- Saturn

[in_love_with_liszt]

ok i am finally fed up with my piano and want to get a new one. howver my parents don't seem to understand this so i'm trying to think of as many reasons as to why i need a new one. so far i have:
*it's missing the top 2 keys so i can't play my khachaturian toccata properly
*it's permanently out of tune
*the tone is crappy and nothing sounds good
*due to it's bad sound it's very uninspiring and unmotivating to play
*the dynamic range isn't big enough
*it's too muffly

any other points you can add to that?! thanks!

Arrrgh I know exactly what you mean, it is near impossible to convince my parrents to buy a nice upright or even a grand....and it's not even so much a matter of money as a matter of them failing to understand to benefits of an accoustic in their ignorance for music (I have to practice on an f-ing Clavinova if I want to practice at home!) My mother has told me that she has bought her last piano for me and she thinks that it's the best piano in the world....and there's little room for argument about it now...which really sucks now that I'm playing Liszt, Rach, Alkan, and music that really requires an accoustic to be done properly. Yeah so I've found two solutions- One is when I do practice at home I turn the volume wayyy down (the first or if I'm feeling generous towards myself the second notch) and that way I have to play harder to sound the note, thus keeping my fingers in shape. The second alternative I've found is praticing at the local university who have several practice rooms with steinway grands in them. Unfortunately that means a 20 minute bike ride there, which isn't a problem except for the fact that I have siblings to watch over durring the summer, and after school durring the semester. Something I'm going to try very hard to do this year is get a study hall at school and receive permission to practice on the pianos (also steinways) in the music wing.  Sorry I realize I diddn't offer much help, but your post reminded me of my bitter attitude toward my own parrents on this subject....hopefully your parents are more understanding than my own, because a bad piano certainly does not make practice as fun anymore.

[donjuan]

Tash and In_Love_With_Liszt, you guys are in the exact situation I was in 2 years ago.  I had this old yamaha upright, and I went to my first music festival, sucked big time- because I wasnt used to playing on Grands (or any decent piano for that matter), complained about it to my parents, they blame me for it, I threaten to quit piano if I dont get a decent piano to prepare for music competitions, and....

the next day, my dad tells me we will start looking for a new piano for me, just so long as I promise not to quit.
donjuan

[xvimbi]

All good reasons, but how about throwing a huge tantrum? Donjuan's advice is along those lines, but be careful that your parents won't say "Oh good, she's quiting the noise making!". Just tell them, that, if you don't get a new piano, there is nothig else you could think of doing than hanging out with these "new" friends at the mall and smoke those "funny smelling" cigarettes. Not taking a shower for a couple of weeks and painting red dots on your underarms would then be the next step in the scheme... Endless possibilities... After all, parents are parents - you can't argue rationally with them!  

[donjuan]

I hardly threw a tantrum.  I made a good argument and supported my reasons.  If they understand my situation better, they will be more inclined to help me out.
donjuan

[in_love_with_liszt]

lol....my mother is a bully....there's no way I could argue with her....and if I said I was going to quit piano my teacher would have her heart broken, but I'm sure my mother would just say "fine then I guess you're quitting" and tell me that I'm acting like a brat. Eh my parents already don't like me so I don't think I'll push it...

[xvimbi]

More things to consider:

Take Saturn's advice as a basis, add the following two ingredients:

1. Make clear that getting a new piano is extremely important to you. Get the opinion of other people. E.g. ask your teacher to tell your parents that you really can't make any progress with the current equipment.

2. Rather than outright asking for the piano, it may help if you could make your parents an offer they just can't refuse. Tell them you would like to buy a piano for yourself, but you will obviosuly need help. Tell your parents you are (of course) willing to chip in by getting a small job. Nothing big that would absorb all your time, just somethig that would allow you to slowly pay your share. Ask them what they are willing to do to get the piano. You may find that they are happy to take over 80%, or maybe all of it.
That will demonstrate that you are willing to do your part. Parents love that! Also, pianos are not cheap, and not all parents have the money to just go out and buy one. It will also show that you are willing to take on financial responsibility. Finally, it may allow you to get an even better piano than you intended, because you have more time to pay it off.

Since you can buy a piano like a car by putting some small percentage down and then pay it off over ten years, this might be a chance to get that Bösendorfer (or whatever) you always wanted.

[donjuan]

Since you can buy a piano like a car by putting some small percentage down and then pay it off over ten years, this might be a chance to get that Bösendorfer (or whatever) you always wanted.

credit? CREDIT!? are you nuts?  You should never use credit unless it is an emergency!  You will end up paying for 2 pianos worth of interest.  xvimbi, I know you are capable of giving better advice than this!
donjuan

[xvimbi]

credit? CREDIT!? are you nuts?  You should never use credit unless it is an emergency!  You will end up paying for 2 pianos worth of interest.  xvimbi, I know you are capable of giving better advice than this!
donjuan

It's actually not that bad with current interest rates, at least in the US. Some stores even have "Zero down, zero interest!". Alternatively, have the parents buy it and pay them back. That usually is a very good deal, because one often doesn't pay the full amount in the end (personal experience )

Besides, how else would a normal person buy a high-end piano? It has the value of a car or even a house, and those are also rarely paid for in full. I wouldn't want to way until I had accumulated the money. I'd be 80

[dinosaurtales]

LOL.  Boy, you guys are really bringing back memories!  I learned to play on an ancient permanently-out-o-tune player piano, then my parents *upgraded* to a spinet that looked nicer in the living room.  When I was a kid, I didn't know the difference. It was just my piano.  But as I  got older I started wanting a decent piano.  But my parents were totally clueless, and gullible, to boot!  The piano tuner (notice I said Tuner, NOT technician) would always remark about what wonderful piano we had.  So my mom was convinced (he wouldn't LIE to her would he?) we had a concert quality piano.  So now, 35 years later, I replaced it with a Fazioli 7 foot.  She just doesn't understand why I would spend all that money to buy another piano, when I already had such a wonderful instrument!  The tuner always said so!  AAAAAAUUUUUUUGGGGHHHHHHH!

[donjuan]

omg! spinets are the biggest waste of time and money available to mankind.

[Tash]

oh wow bril stuff everyone! i like the idea of looking into looking at new pianos myself- and yes i was thinking of getting myself a job and paying for it (yay and then it's officially MY piano and i can take it with me when i move out when that never happens hahaha).
i'd be interested to see what they'd think if i told them i was quitting, not sure how they'd react. however there is a slight hitch with the fact that last yr i got the choice of either getting a car or a piano (it was a VERY hard choice and has either been bought yet? no. so i'm annoyed. but it's nice to know i'm not the only person out there with stingy parents. seriously, if they're gonna start us up with doing something like the piano that could end up having the possibility of being taken seriously, you'd think that they'd be aware of the fact that they're gonna have to get decent quality stuff for it.
i even have my piano teacher telling me to get a new piano once she found out it didn't have all the notes (my parent's reaction to that was 'well would she like to buy if then?') aghh

anyway i'll continue my plotting and tell you of my (un)success when it happens. thanks!!

[Saturn]

i'd be interested to see what they'd think if i told them i was quitting, not sure how they'd react.

I wouldn't really recommend this.

The success of that plan, I suppose, depends a lot on what your parents are like.  But in general, you shouldn't threaten parents with things like that.  After all, you love the piano and don't really intend to quit.  And who's to say your parents really care whether or not you continue?

So if your parents decide to call your bluff, then you either have to make a decision whether to quit or not quit.  If you quit, you look like complainer and a quitter, someone who doesn't finish what they start.  But if you don't quit, then you look like someone who makes idle threats to get their way.

So the plan backfires, and either way, you lose.

- Saturn

[donjuan]

I wouldn't really recommend this.

The success of that plan, I suppose, depends a lot on what your parents are like.  But in general, you shouldn't threaten parents with things like that.  After all, you love the piano and don't really intend to quit.  And who's to say your parents really care whether or not you continue?

So if your parents decide to call your bluff, then you either have to make a decision whether to quit or not quit.  If you quit, you look like complainer and a quitter, someone who doesn't finish what they start.  But if you don't quit, then you look like someone who makes idle threats to get their way.

So the plan backfires, and either way, you lose.

- Saturn

well, when I told my parents I felt like quitting, I really did feel that way!  I really wanted to do well in those music festivals, and didnt want to fail because I didnt have the proper equipment at home.
donjuan