Question - 'I currently have my children using a digital piano. It has 88 notes and has what they call weighted keys. How long can I use this? My teacher is saying I should get an acoustic piano.'
Answer - Your question is a very common question from parents with children learning to play piano. Since every child’s practice amount and habits are different, every child’s piano playing progress moves at different rates. On average most piano teachers recommend after about one year the need for a real acoustic piano. The best piano teachers say you really need an acoustic piano from the very first lesson to offer the maximum potential for creating music to the student.
Playing piano is the combination of touch and tone in creating the music. The player will adjust how they play the keys by what they hear. When you play exactly the same piece on a real acoustic piano then on a digital piano, the real piano always sounds better. Digital computer technology is getting better but still cannot provide all the musical expression of say a hand made Bechstein piano or even an entry level Young Chang piano.