How to Play Piano: Lesson #24 The battle of the boards

[Musiccritic1211]

i am going to purchase a grand piano would you recomend any good pianos

PS i NEED A PIANO WITH A VERY GOOD BASS

[falcord]

I don't really get why I should be called a battle.

I am lucky enough to own a piano, a synth, and a DP (two of them were already family "trasure"), and I have a lot of fun with all of them.

I think the definitive pianist should really make use of all the weapons at his disposal =)

[mrbrandon71]

You forgot to mention that the Yamaha Disklavier can be played with headphones and silenced as a result.....

[xytor500]

Excellent video! However, you didn't talk too much about upright pianos, and the difference between them and grands. I also think you need to tell people that they can buy used real pianos, too.

[roeldeman]

Just wanted to say that i really like your vids and they are really helpful. So thanks allot :D

[joeliole]

Why can't people be serious and play synthesizers? Most synths I've played recreate the piano sound quite nicely, and even add more to the piano experience with additional sounds like the saxophone or an orchastral brass section. In my eyes, a keyboard can measure up to a piano, and it is not just a toy.

[rjplaysmusic]

I agree,  when keys is used in metal music most bands use the synth boards for all the different sounds they can use

[ScaryDoLL3587]

Well I definately would LOVE to have a piano but since I can't afford one I will have to buy a keyboard.

[tashrap]

i really want to learn piano ON a piano, but i dont have the money or the space so im learning on a keyboard

if i get quite quite advanced at the keyboard could i still tell people i can play piano? lol it just sounds better

[Wrathorn]

Another thing you forgot to exploit is Midi Interface Control Keyboards that are like synths.

They make really nice Steinway recorded VST plugins that have 256 levels of sensitivity per each 88 Key. The programs itself weighs in at 3 dvds or so and is like a $1000.00 but it sounds like digital pianos but better to a degree. The other advantage is being able to try out several pianos, it can help you decide on a future acoustic piano purchase.

[ZbassDJ]

Actually, MIDI controllers are especified to people who know how to play piano. First of all, they cost more than a simple Keybord, because of the fact that a keybord has normally no MIDI out to control and many of the producing advantages a controller has and stuff.

Excelent producers have played piano since they were little. Timbaland for example. But yeah, it's his job... :)

[ellgit21]

hey i just got myself the new galileo vp120 digital piano, and i would reccomend it to anyone as the specs are amazing for the price. I compared it to the yamaha 320 and 330 in store and the galileo's sound was far superior/realistic. also the weighted keys felt better. any1 considering getting a digital should check it out.

[DylanLee1994]

How much is it?(in Us dollar, im not the locals)

[schlubbelybub]

how much do digital pianos (with good quality) cost mainly?

at this moment, I am messing around on a keyboard with 32 keys, and the keys are half the size of normal keys, and I want to learn to play piano so badly, so I want to buy a GOOD piano as fast as possible...

[dreammmo]

Damn, we should chat on msn or something. But one thing that would be great is if you make a video about micking pianos, the types of walls, sizes, harmonic and wave manipulation, etc. to make your piano or instrument sound great. At least for the player. So if you are not a player, know what a pianist actually expects from a piano. When it sounds right and the use within different types of music. How bout that? and thanks for answering.

[dreammmo]

I love the sound of a real piano, upright, grand, toy, yummy! but when i got into synthesis. WOW! I mainly think it's about taste and knowledge. After all when you listen to a CD, tape, mp3, it all reduces to electrical impulses to your speakers, so to say it sounds like a real piano is like saying ur speakers r pianos. The only way i can think of listening to a good piano is to sit besides a pianist or to be 1. Have a great piano and a great room adapted to enhance it's virtues..and play good.

[dreammmo]

hmm, i was sleepy and over-reacted. Now having slept i don't think it's much of a deal =). I like your videos. I just think there is so much more to this. The reason you feel synths to be artificial is that most people using them don't really know how to use them, they do use them as knobbed "toys" or aim for them to sound artificial. It all depends on what you are using them for, if the synth is analog or digital, your monitoring system, the room, what type of synthesis theory you apply, etc.

[Lypur]

exactly, there's always more to a topic than meets the eye. Sadly, normally you can't cover a topic that much in depth.

[dreammmo]

I wanted this to take 19 min. to read, (i dunno why this affected me) but i have to many interruptions and i just wanted ur viewers to get a real answer. So if u are learning, focus on "learning", never undermine an instrument or people devoted to a particular 1.Just imagine what would Bach or Mozart do with a synth, e-piano, keyboard, etc. The quality is in ur head, so learn how to make it taste like butter then worry if it is. Knowing all of this will not make u better at playing, only wiser.

[dreammmo]

I recommend anyone that wants to learn how to play "the piano", to get any kind of real size "thing" with a keyboard (cheap or expensive) What you are really aiming for is to learn the distribution, interaction, layout and relations beetween the "keys" or "the keyboard". Once you get that, it doesn't matter what "thing" is in front of you, you will be able to play it as long as it shares the same layout. Just like a typewriter and a computer, and so are the differences.

[dreammmo]

Now, about what u called volume. Electronical (synths, pianos, keyboards) don't use a pressure sensor, but a very interesting trick, "velocity". The faster you push a key down, the louder it sounds. Real pianos don't do that, the lighter u press it the softer the sound u get, no matter how fast you do it. About the feeling of pushing the key down, in a piano u have to move a mechanism, in a e-keyboard u don't. So that can be also simulated by springs, weights or actual parts of a mechanism.

[dreammmo]

Now, if you understand a synth, u will probably understand what the piano does with the air it's strings push and how it interacts with the wood, the shape, the metal parts, etc. On behalf of the electronic keyboard, it's a synth with determined presets that sound close to real instruments, u can't really change them. A digital piano can be that or combine another instrument, "a sampler", which has recordings of real instruments that are triggered when the keys are pressed.

[dreammmo]

oh, to settle that synth vs piano thing. THEY ARE DIFFERENT INSTRUMENTS!!! Saying a synth is a toy is like saying an accordion is a toy! ..Yes, they most have keyboards as an input method. But to really know what a synth does you really have to get into physics and KNOW about what is sound. With a synth your intention is to design sounds in an intituive mathematical level, with a piano you are looking for "what sounds and feels closer" to what an ideal piano sounds to you.

[dreammmo]

Pure real sound? authentic experience? digital is toy? I'm so amazed with all you say. I started really young with a wooden board with the keyboard drawn to them and a pair of marbles glued to the back to simulate pushing down. Then i got a scolarship and a real piano. I'm not saying you are wrong.. a real piano is a real piano!!! (indeed) But putting pianos vs synths? To be answering this question over and over... it's amazing you don't really know what the differences are! Sorry =).

[Lypur]

well, to be honest I didn't want to do this video, since I don't really know a heck of a lot about the digital side of things. I just kept getting question after question about it so I decided to post something to point people towards. Honestly I'm biased to a grand piano, I just don't feel like I can connect to the music from synths it feels to "artificial" I also agree with you that they are different instruments. Maybe I should pull this video?

[sourcerror]

Obviously, he was talking about $150-$350 dollar syntheisers. Expensive analog syntheisers are a totally different breed.

[dreammmo]

It doesn't matter if it's digital or analog, the whole idea is that keyboard=input, synth or piano= output. So to learn you must now how to input, the sound it produces is mainly the clay to make music. You wanna learn, learn anywhere. Want to appreciate...make good music for any output source. Even the "best" instrument sounds bad in the "worst" player hands. But the "worst" instrument sound "great" in the best player hands.

[maximw1234]

wow:O 19.00 min

[Disastr92]

i should be getting a baby grand piano soon well hopefully

[sapipa177]

I just got a Casio AP200, sounds awesome...definitely not the same as my trustly Yamaha stand up, but at lease I won't have to pay for the tuning on this.

[bradwald1]

well spoken~!

[SEAL07]

Hey I've checked out your first lesson and second lesson in there both pretty good. my main goal is to basically learn how to play the piano good enough so that I could be able to play any melody thats in my head. Basically my main goal is to be able to produce my own music. How many of your lessons should I focus more on to reach my goals?

[EinSofVirtuoso]

Due to finances, I can only afford a 61 key synth. Kinda sux since I'm learning Chopin's Etude No. 1.

[Recruitlulz]

a midi keyboard and a software like cubase, flstudio, reason, etc is pretty bad ass and basic music composing equipment. mines only 49 keys but i'm still learning. supposedly it has lead in it which causes cancer. :/

[chisler26]

Hi Andrew,first off , great videos thanks a lot. i'vr got a roland rp101 digital piano which I really like. The weighted keys feel good and the sound is lovely, but i,ve been thinking about getting a baby grand recently,(if I can persusde the wife) and have been looking at samick pianos. Any info or thoughts would be great.

[Missing187]

wut are the pedals on a piano for is it a must if i get a keyboard piano? Srry i don't noe much about pianos.

[Lypur]

check out lesson #7 and #29

[Shavchenko7]

Hi Lypur, I'm really interested on learning but I just think that I'm only going to afford a normal keyboard for a Beginner due to the price of a piano. Do you think it's ok for me to at least understand the basics of your lessons first and then only get a piano when I've understand all the basic knowledge of a piano like the chords and the combination of both hands. What do you suggest as I'm really eager to be able to play and enjoy it for a beginner. A concern learner from Singapore. Thanks.

[Lypur]

Yes I think it's totally ok to get a keyboard to start with! ^_^ It really depends on your fiances, if you have money to burn, you'll probably enjoy something alittle higher up the food chain to start with. But you can always start small :) Just try to at least get a weighted keyboard to start with

[feiyinglye]

wow you really hit a nerve with the midi community LOL

[Lypur]

lol i guess so hey? well, i'm bias towards acoustic piano's because i was trained classically.

[feiyinglye]

yeah I'm not too keen on synths although we have to use a lot of electronic music in the course I'm on (music tech) lol yeah I have a touch sensitive keyboard but I'd love a digital piano so I wouldn't have to tune it lazy hu hehe

[genuinepizza]

whats the difference between a synth, digital piano, and an acoustic piano?

[chrisphp]

I have a digital piano, 76 keys and its weighted :). I want 88 keys and then even better I wouldn't mind a grand piano. I was checking out the baby grands they still cost a bit. Plus, living in a small house really doesnt help.

[jalautadominguez]

im from argentina and i dont know What you say :S

[DylanLee1994]

Then how would you speak english?

[zedius]

Not that I don't appreciate the effort. I'm going to check out some of your other videos later and see what I can glean from them.

[zedius]

You are wrong.

A keyboard is a form of input. A synth often has a keyboard, but not always.

The synth shapes simple sounds into more complex ones. Sometimes the simple sounds are wave forms or noise, other times they are sampled instruments. Various filters and effects help to shape the final sound.

The "keyboards" you are equating them with use poor quality rom sounds and offer little control over the preset sounds. They have little more in common with real synths than they do with pianos.

[Lypur]

well, there you have it, i'm not an expert on synth technology. I based what my video was on from digging I did on the internet. I wasn't trying to diss snyths at all.

The more expensive ones are very cool! but the cheap pieces of crap aren't really good for anything but basic discovery and playing around

[xxxUALLSUKxxx]

Can you teach us the WHOLE song of

Sara Barielles called Love song? :D

i don't know if that's how you spell

her name. lol.

but yeah :D

thanksssss.

[GanschPwn]

Very nice. I have a little junkie Casio in my room next to my computer and a Yamaha upright big piano thing in my Family Room. I learn little songs on my Casio and then play on my Upright where sensitivity and things apply, its a difficult change sometimes but its very fun. I didn't really look at it the way you explained it at first.

[Lypur]

that's a pretty good system of learning! You didn't look at it the way I was explaining it hey? I hope that means you felt like you learned something useful:) Thanks for the comment ^_^

[Creolelady281]

Andrew I have a Yamaha Piano based keyboard. I could not buy an auctual piano because of the money and the space. I got the next best thing because with this keyboard you can touch a button and the keys become slightly weighted. Colleges do have sales on their old pianos if someone wants a used one. You can cut a deal

[cellestialX]

thanks. I was needing to know the difference between synth and digital keyboards, and here it is,

easy to understand.

One question: when you plug the headset into the synth or digital keyboard, is the sound better (than without the headphones)?

THANK YOU ANDREW.

[Lypur]

I think that would depend on 1: the quality of the speakers in the digital piano. and 2 the quality of the head phones you are using, whichever are higher quality will probably sound better ^_^

[cellestialX]

Thanks Andrew

[yuna6129]

so should I buy a cheap upright piano or an expensive digital piano

[Lypur]

expensive digital piano ^_^

[victoryseieren]

If you want a digital piano you should look at M-Audio ProKeys 88, only 750usd...

[Lypur]

^_^ thanks

[DylanLee1994]

750 usd..... Wow Rm 2000+++ in my country:o So expensive

[BlackMasterJoe89]

what if you can't afford a synth? jk, have you heard of Clavinova's? There cool.

[Lypur]

heh:) wow you've gotten far on my lessons now! you're almost caught up to where i'm currently at now! ^_^

[cheeseischocolate4]

When you say "make sure it has at least 88 keys" does that mean some keyboards, digital pianos or acoustic pianos have more than 88 keys

Cheers

Rory,

[Lypur]

well, basiclly that's my way of saying it NEEDS to be a full size piano. although if you wanted to get technical there was a german style concert grand that had 97 keys these were base notes that extended all the way past the low A down to the C, and had a flip over cover, these extra keys were different colors to, the black keys on top were actually white, and the white keys were black

[dexarouskies]

Some synths like the Korg M3 have built in samplers. So you could sample the sounds of your piano. Anyway, it's a cool synth in addition to an acoustic piano.

[WhatsupVic]

Hey Lypur. Thanks for the online lessons. I've been going through your lessons right after I got a Casio PX-110. I wanted to play piano, but price is definitely an issue. Although I still think the Casio was high on my price range, I think it's a good compromise. Keep up the good work.

[Lypur]

thank you ^_^ i'll be sure to keep the lessons coming ^_^ any idea's on what you might like to see in the future?

[hrrysoni]

I would actually like to say a word about synths. Some synths like mine, has a feature called touch. so you can play with "feeling". the softer you hit a key, the softer the tone is. Not all synths have that feature which is why you said that unknowingly. but if you get a synth that is good quality and $150-$250 yamaha, it has that feature.

[Lypur]

hey ^_^ i think you misunderstood me, I'm fully aware of touch sensitivity actually, but it can't compare even closely to an acoustic piano, not unless the MIDI driver supports different play back on all 120+ levels, and inject each sound into a digital environment that takes into account sympathetic vibrations inside the piano. don't get me wrong, touch is helpful, but it doesn't come close to offering what an acoustic can ^_^

[MisfitFromReno]

I go into Steinway showrooms and the like, sit down and play these $110,000 concert grands, and find some old 1922 Mason & Hamlin for $19,000 across town that I like infinitely better, and it's because they've had years of being broken in.

[Lypur]

i agree with you, piano's are sort of like shoes, in the sense that the most comfortable shoes are the ones that are broken in. :) the main thing is you have to make sure the piano's action, and sound board is in good condition, which i'm sure you know, but other people reading this may not. anyway thanks for your comment ^_^ very insightful

[MisfitFromReno]

Another option is to buy a traditional, acoustic piano used. They get better with age and use, anyway. I grew up playing a 1911 Steinway grand, which had been rebuilt probably more than once... it was reasonably priced at about $12,000 (new ones are about $40,000 on up) and a magnificent instrument. (continued in next post)

[smilejh]

Anyone can type out what he say?

[jasont123]

I also like to play piano. Check out the beats I made for my rap songs.

[RakanF92]

These are the best piano's you can ever buy from Grands to Synths:

Grand piano: Yamaha CFIIIS

Grand piano disklavier: Yamaha DCFIIISM4PRO

Upright piano: Yamaha YUS5 PE

Upright piano disklavier: Yamaha DU1A

Digital grand piano: Roland KR-117M

Digital upright teaching piano: Roland HPi-7LE

Digital upright piano: Roland KR-107

Synth: Yamaha YPG-625

[Nukemoose1]

I don't like how he's denouncing synthesizers as mere toys.

The "synths" you are thinking of and actual synthesizers are completely different. For one thing, real synthesizers can cost thousands of dollars and the people who buy such synthesizers certainly don't use them for just playing around.

Go listen to some Progressive rock and get your facts straight

[RakanF92]

for pianists, its considered as a toy and fake.

If you're speaking for keyboardists, then your right

[neol07707]

I agree with you Nukemoose1. If you're trying to do classical music or jazz then it would probably be beneficial play on a real piano. However if you're doing modern popular music such as techno, r&b, progressive rock, etc that make use of electronics sounds you'll most certainly need to know how to play synths. You can still be a "serious" musician either way. Also with some of the more expensive synths they actually do record the sound of every piano key with a mic to create the sound.

[cheeseischocolate4]

Someone please answer me. Is mine a keyboard(synth) or a digital piano. A Yamaha PSR-280? The piano sound is realistic to me and my Grandma has a Grand piano. She bough it for £15,550.00. (I'm English).

[Lypur]

the Yamaha PSR-280 is definetly a synth

[cheeseischocolate4]

Thankyou o wise knowledgable.........person. I really cant tell

[zedius]

PSR-280 is not a synth. It's an electronic keyboard. It is definately closer to a digital piano.

[care2000]

wow this vid reli made me think twice about getting a piano... i have 2 questions: what is the best brand for pianos, and about how much is the avg upright piano? plz n thx

[Lypur]

well, there are MANY brands of piano's, the best brands cost alot of money. Piano's and cars are similar, as in if you want a nice car such as a BMW, you're going to have to shell out extra for it. So my advice to you is do alittle research on different brands, myself i like Yamaha, and Kawai. you can expect to pay about $4,000 CAN dollars for a regular upright in good condition. hope that helps

[phobik2000]

249€ + a pc to run it (but if your watching this/considering it you prolly already have one) +/- 500€ + decent audio interface 100-300€ (or use ASIO4ll ow latency drivers FREE ;) + decent midi controller with 88keys (i got a CME UF8 - 88 hammer keys 600€).

Just use your calculator hehe. But it's quite nice and compact.

[phobik2000]

oops link didn't work, just search for "pianoteq hugh sung"

[Lypur]

interesting! but what's the price tag? that's the biggest issue with piano's! but thank you!

[phobik2000]

Hey lypur, check this out, your 10 year timeline has just warped ;) (it's a two part, look for the other one)

[lumigecko]

In my opinion, you just can't play classical music on an electric instrument; that's just not how it was made to be played.

ANd speaking of Youtube lessons: Lypur is the bestest classical piano teacher around, and MusicGuru12 is the best rhytmic piano teacher. =D

[Lypur]

aww i'm the bestest classical piano teacher? that's so nice of you ^_^ thank you muchly!

[candleboard]

What I like about Lypur is his talent, caring personality, that he freely shares his knowledge to beginners like myself. I have seen SO many people sharing bits and pieces of teaching, sadly most are out for the buck. I have two teachers I see one every Thurs and I have Lypur who is on youtube, who btw I wouldn't trade for the lot of pay for more lessons teachers on tube.

[pianoencyclopedia]

Hi Candleboard!I play piano too since 12 years ago and I totally agree with you, sadly most of the piano lessons on youtube are cut in half and asking for money. And that is what makes Lypur's job much more admirable, even more, considering the quality of his lessons. That's why we'll be offering free chord, scale, and harmony dictionaries, that I hope will help you practice Lypur's and your teacher's Lessons in a much more efficient way.We're on beta stage, so feel free to request new features!

[Lypur]

I would love some free material! Especially if it's simple yet comprehensive. You said you're in the beta stage so you're just giving stuff away? I'm always looking for new material to learn from, i try to learn every method i know of so that I might learn an easier way to explain something to someone!

[pianoencyclopedia]

Hi Lypur! Happy Christmas!!!!

Sorry for the delay, we're working very hard on this and I missed your answer :)

Yes we'll be giving stuff away! :)

The idea is provide a fully interactive software that will teach even beginners how to compose and improvise on the piano, by showing how to combine chords and scales to make different harmonies, as well as how to learn how to play with a more professional sound. Send me an email if you want, we'll be releasing limited invitations.

[pianoencyclopedia]

Andrew, by the way, your lessons are awesome!

I would love if you could take a look at the Revolutionary Piano-Learning Method we are developing at Forgotten Dreams Corp.

(attached as video response)

Enjoy!

Cheers! :o)

Keep up the good work!

Rod

[pianoencyclopedia]

Hi Andrew! Excellent video! You described so well the "difficulties" of having a real piano (tuning, temperature, etc). However, in my opinion nothing beats a real piano, the feel, the touch, and the emotions you're able to transmit...

Although digital ones are awesome for composing and adding *special* effects, so as you said, is best having all of them! :D

[Jenny2pa]

Thanks for this video Andrew! Your lesson are super amazing! OMG! I wish I can get a piano like yours, but I can't afford it. Hopefully, I'll get one in the future when I have $200,000. LOL!

[Lypur]

lol mine wasn't $200,000...it was $20,000 I hope i didn't mislead you! but yea! did you learn anything you didn't know already from this video?

[Jenny2pa]

Of course! Your videos always help. ^_-!

[Jenny2pa]

I really want to get a grand piano and most are exorbitant now. I remember once I was on the internet and I came across a grand piano that costs $1.2 million. Oh god! Who could afford that, expect for rich people. Hehe! When did you get yours? It was cheaper back then I guess.

[november999]

I started on a synth and then my G-Mom passed away and left me a Janssen upright. It was well maintained and I had it tuned. I really love the feel and feedback the piano gives me much more than the synth. Now with lessons I see I will need to upgrade, the action is too slow for me as I grow as a pianist. Your video gave me a lot to consider when I'm really to buy a new piano, thanks! BTW bunny fun is adorable. Good luck with your operation, chin up you'll be feeling better before you know it!

[Lypur]

I'm glad this one was helpful! thanks! i appreciate the support with the surgery!

[death8796]

man so close to being first!

[Spazactaz]

I want a digital piano sooooooo badly! :p lol. I just.. can't let myself spend so much money.. or something. haha.

thanks for this lesson! :p

[Lypur]

i would LOVE a digital piano as well, i wouldn't mind having one of each, a $200,000 '9 concert grand....a $5,000 super high end rolland digital piano. and a $2,000 88 key synth! although...sadly i don't have that kind of cash kickin' around, and i doubt many other people do either! we'll just have to dream!