Unlock Your Piano Playing Potential
Best Pianos
For Beginners & Advanced Pianists
Piano is a delicate instrument that requires extensive technical knowledge to understand which type of piano suits you best.
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Whether you're just starting out, or wondering if your current piano is up to scratch, here's an easy listicle for you to cross-check if your piano matches your skills and learning goals.
Let's understand more below!
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Type of Pianos
With a plethora of piano types to choose from, which type of piano suits your learning purpose and budget best?​​
Learning purpose
Will entry-level pianos like digital keyboards, digital pianos or hybrid pianos suffice for beginners? It depends. Generally, most students find it a cost-effective option for developing basic piano playing skills. However, if you plan to advance your skills further, investing in a higher-quality piano would be a better investment in the long run. Higher quality pianos like upright pianos, baby grand pianos, or grand pianos are more structurally sound to enhance your piano learning and playing experience, supporting you significantly as you develop more nuanced dynamic expression and advanced playing techniques that requires higher reactivity to touch and sound quality.
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Budget
Is budget a dealbreaker for you? If it is, and your budget lies on the lower end of the spectrum, a digital keyboard, digital piano, or hybrid piano could effectively meet your short-term needs for basic learning and practice. However, if you're open to spending a little more for a better quality piano, an upright piano, baby grand piano, or grand piano would be a better choice in terms of learning longevity, as you would be equipped with the best instrument from the get-go and learn the most accurate techniques from the start, giving you an edge above the rest.
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Best Piano Brands
​Besides your learning purpose & budget, piano specifications are important considerations too:
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Manufacturing origin
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Country of origin
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Piano action design
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Piano soundboards
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Tone quality of piano
Manufacturing Origin
To ensure optimal performance, choose a piano from a region with a climate similar to yours, as pianos are highly sensitive to climate humidity and temperature. For example, Asian pianos tend to perform better in Asia’s humidity, while Western pianos tend to suit drier Western climates more. However, if you prefer to opt for a piano from a different climate, be prepared for a longer adaptation period with potential issues like “sticky” keys (e.g., piano keys that are stuck when depressed) which will require additional piano tuning services and higher maintenance effort.
Country of Origin
Japanese pianos are often regarded as superior to Chinese pianos due to their rigorous quality control, exceptional craftsmanship, and use of high-quality materials. Although Chinese pianos have improved in terms of quality and affordability over the years, renowned Japanese brands like Yamaha and Kawai benefit from Japan's long tradition of piano making and advanced technology embedded in their innovative piano designs.
Piano Action Design
Traditionally, wood is used in piano action design, but over the last few decades, some piano brands have chosen to integrate modern composite materials / ABS carbon to reduce cost and provide greater consistency and durability, especially for pianos used in varying climate conditions.
Each of these materials represents a range of options used to balance performance, durability, and cost in piano action design, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages, depending on the specific requirements of the piano.
Hard Maple: Provides strength and stability, crucial for components that experience frequent movement and stress. Typically considered the best hardwood for piano action design. Its density, strength, and stability make it ideal for the precise and durable components required in a piano's action mechanism, such as the keys, hammers, and other moving parts. Hard maple's fine grain also allows for smooth machining and finishing, which is crucial for the intricate parts of a piano.
Hornbeam: Extremely hard and durable, making it exceptionally wear-resistant and ensures that critical action parts remain precise and functional over time. It also has a degree of flexibility, allowing it to handle the dynamic stresses involved in piano action movement. Not as commonly used as maple or beech, but still a preferred choice in certain high-end and historically traditional European pianos, where durability and precise action performance are prioritized.
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Delignit beech: Engineered wood that is a more durable and stable option than natural white beech, offering excellent resistance to wear and climate changes, which helps prevent deformation and ensures consistent performance. This makes it the preferred choice for critical piano components that require long-term stability and wear resistance.
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Mahogany: Used for its strength, workability, and aesthetic qualities, but less stable compared to engineered woods or composite materials, which means harder to maintain precise performance over time.
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ABS/ composite materials: Engineered materials that are mostly used when durability, consistency, and resistance to environmental changes are important. They also reduce cost and provide greater consistency in varying climates.
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Soundboard
The soundboard is essential in a piano, as it amplifies the vibrations from the strings and projects the sound. It greatly influences the piano's tone quality, including its richness and clarity.
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Spruce: Commonly used due to its excellent acoustic properties. It is lightweight, flexible, and has a high strength-to-weight ratio, which helps produce a broad, resonant tone and enhances the piano’s dynamic range.
Sitka Spruce: A premium type of spruce from the Pacific Northwest, known for its superior acoustic qualities, including strength, light weight, and excellent resonance, ensuring optimal tonal quality and durability.
Tone Quality
The "best" piano tone quality is subjective and depends on personal preferences, musical style, and context. Generally, high-quality tone involves:
Richness and Depth: High-end grand pianos, especially concert grands, offer a fuller, more resonant sound due to their larger soundboards and longer strings. High-quality upright pianos also provide a warm tone, though they may not match the depth of grands.
Sustain and Resonance: High-quality soundboards, often made of spruce, allow notes to linger and blend more beautifully, enhancing sustain and resonance. Larger soundboards (mostly found in grand pianos) and well-designed actions also produce a more resonant tone.
Clarity and Balance: A well-balanced piano tone features clear, distinct notes across the entire range with seamless blending of treble, midrange, and bass. A precise action mechanism also allows for a more nuanced control, improving the clarity and articulation of each note.
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Personal Preference and Musical Style: Different types of pianist likely have different preferences for piano tones. Classical pianists might prefer a more nuanced, rich tone with complex overtones, while jazz musicians might prefer a brighter, more percussive sound.
Room Acoustics: The room's acoustic properties significantly influence how a piano's tone is perceived. A well-tuned piano in an acoustically suitable environment delivers the best sound quality.
Which piano brand suits your budget?
Asian pianos are typically more affordable than Western pianos, with brands like Yamaha and Kawai offering good performance for their price, making them popular in the middle-range segment. Among Western pianos which are recognized for their high-quality craftsmanship and innovative design, Baldwin is noted for its durability and historical significance, W. Hoffman for its German engineering and value, and Bechstein for its artisanal craftsmanship and exceptional tonal quality. In the highest tier, Bösendorfer and Steinway are both esteemed for their top-tier pianos, with Steinway offering a range of high-quality instruments at a slightly lower price point than Bösendorfer, which is known for its extensive customization options and premium pricing.
Which piano brand suits your learning needs?
For beginners, Asian brands like Cristofori or Pearl River will typically meet your basic learning requirements until Grade 5. Some high-quality Yamaha and Kawai pianos will also be able to meet your learning requirements until Grade 8. However, if you wish to pursue beyond Grade 8, Western brands will be a better choice in terms of overall performance, touch sensitivity, and tonal quality.
