piano vs keyboard
If you are thinking of getting your child started up on piano lessons, you might have this question:
“Should I buy a keyboard or a piano?”
I used to answer this question by saying that the best option is to buy an acoustic piano to have the opportunity to develop good piano techniques from the very beginning. But, over the years, my thinking has changed and now I recommend buying a keyboard.
Here are the three main reasons why I recommend starting with a keyboard for your child’s 1st year of piano lessons.
When the child first starts piano lessons, parents are not sure yet if he or she is going to learn long-term or not. So it might be too early to invest a few thousand dollars in the instrument when they are just starting. After one or two years of piano lessons, if your child is going to continue learning the piano, that’s the time that you should start thinking about investing in a piano.
The keyboard has MIDI connectivity that allows you to connect to a computer or a tablet, like an iPad, and students can use programs like GarageBand to write a song or make scores with notation programs like Sibelius or Finale. And, there are many music education apps that students can use to learn music in a more fun way. So even if you purchase the piano later on, your child would still need a keyboard for making and learning music by using technology.
Especially, if your family lives in an apartment you might be concerned about sound coming out from the piano that could interfere with your neighborhood. With the keyboard your child can use headphones so that they can practice anytime, whether it’s in the morning or at night, as much as they like.
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At Pianoberries Music School, we inspire children to grow into young musicians through engaging music lessons, expressive art integration, and confidence building performance opportunities. Join Pianoberries Community! – We are located in 32 Harvard Street Brookline, MA -Next to Pierce School & St. Mary of the Assumption School
