Is It Okay To Practice On a Digital Piano? Josh Wright Piano TV

You can connect the nord to a Dolby theatre surround sound system and the sound is amazing you can adjust the ambience in settings and do so much with it. I also have a bechstein grand and a Yamaha U3

I would love to have a real grand piano, but there's no plug headphones 🤷‍♂

Mason & Hamlin are lovely pianos.

It's not going to destroy the technique. The point is how and how deeply is going ro affect it. For example id a digital key action is too light weighted you're not going to use fully your hand muscles and your tactile exercising

Piano snob.

take it offline the new digital piano's a much better, real acoustic action and behaviour... no difference for pupils anymore and people cannot take a real piano in their tiny appartement . a good teacher is a pre

We should be using our talents that GOD gave us to praise Him because he always helps us and we should always remain faithful to him

I can't even play the A Teams theme tune without a mistake, maybe if I crack that I'll get me that there Steinway

I think your charm has just won me over!

If you develop your own sound on a good acoustic instrument then practicing on a digital keyboard is fine. It’s hard to work on sonority with a digital keyboard though. Eg it’s pretty impossible to get fine gradations of tone or at least call them up reliably. Try out pianos in music shops or wherever you can find one to develop your sound and then have that in mind when playing whatever is affordable. Some of the best players practice on the worst instruments but only because they’re using their imagination and good acoustic pianos are beyond the budgets of most of us. With imagination you can make progress on a table top. But yes to get started digital keyboards are great and if you’re playing something like Bach where sonority is not critical to the musical idea then it doesn’t really matter what instrument you have as long as it functions tolerably isn’t horribly out of tune and so on. Good luck to everyone in their piano progress!

I am an adult beginner doing grade 5 this year. Yes I know that sounds strange. Anyway i have a Technics digital (more electric!) piano from 1982 which i bought second hand for 100 euro and was very lucky to get it. My teacher sees no obstacle in using a digital piano and while i would love an acoustic, i agree with him, not having an accoustic should not stop someone certainly not because of technique etc. I am light years from Josh of course but for beginner's i believe this is true. The Technics by the way is amazing even still and i will never part with it.

Every instrument has its advantages and disadvantages, as does every player.

My input is from experience. I only have an 88 key digital Casio Privia. The keys are weighted, but there is no escapement. So no matter how soft I press a key there will always be a sound. I've been taking lessons since September 8th and playing 'pp' is super easy on my digital. However, when I play on my teachers acoustic, the escapement changes the entire ball park. Everything I worked on goes out the window the first key I press. Playing pp on acoustic is light years more difficult than on my weighted key digital. This of course is causing issues where I play perfectly at home, then in front of my teacher my dynamics are horrible with inequal volumes with each finger. So, can you play digital, yes, and I am getting quite comfortable and good with playing at quick speeds for scales and triads . It doesnt translate well to acoustic however. 10 out of 10, get an acoustic with escapement you can feel. Digital just cant emulate it well enough.

Edit: Unless, of course, there are now digital pianos with proper escapement feel that allow to press the key as soft as possible without sound and has the friction for the escapement. Then that would possibly be good for the money to learn on.

I am a 28 year old today, I started when I was 4 (and was pretty good!) On a console/spinet/P.O.S. I played fast and hard, and was doing pretty well. It wasn't until only a few years ago that I realized what I was missing... you cannot replace a grand piano with anything but a grand piano... even a model O is a compromise for the preferable D. I have played on 'high quality' digital pianos for the last few years, and stepped into a showroom a few times... there's dynamics I didn't know existed. The way the sound changes with the different ways you hit the key... the weight and action of an ACTUAL action (that contacts strings) is something that you must have access to if you are to master it. Maybe I'd be like, not a machinist if I had a decent piano to explore...

You compared keyboards to grands. How about a keyboard versus an acoustic upright? E.g. a Yamaha P515 vs a Yamaha U1 for subtlety of touch, speed, re-strikes?

My Yamaha P-125 is fine for my beginner's need, but I can't say it feels and sounds as good as my teacher's Steinway grand. With that said, I would not be learning the piano without an affordable digital keyboard option either, even if deep down I kind of hope digitals never quite catch up to acoustics. For now, the latter still have the edge, for sure.

This really is an issue with piano for independent students. To play a good instrument you really do need substantial funds, and space as well. And of course it's not portable, so many performance venues won't be covered. But if you resort to a more affordable and portable digital piano, you can never enjoy the full potential of the instrument...

No it won't, it won't destroy good technique, it will hinder progression though. I no this as I have always played on weighted keys, I now play the harpsichord which has extremely light keys, also played the clavichord, both have actually help my technique

digital piano pros for me:

-no worrying about tuning and maintenance
-superior portability
-easier to pull good sound out of by using midi if that's something you want
-the price range for nice digitals is the starting range for cheap used uprights

nothing beats the tone, action and "soul" of a real piano but honestly for convenience's sake i prefer digital.

I need to play mostly on the digital. My neighboors force me to it. So its a practical nessecity.

The answer is no, it shouldn't ruin your technique, In fact most people learn on digital pianos. Yes, technically speaking dugital is not as good but, a good pianist should be able to adapt to most keyboards. And to be blunt by no means should playing on a different keyboard for a little while "ruin your technique".

im taking diploma level lessons rn and i have a really bad 30-year old Kawai upright and a Yamaha MX-88 synthesizer
the technician told us that the Kawai would be better off as a casual practice piano, as it cant hold a tune to save its life, and the previous owner did not take care if it at all
the Yamaha MX-88 is actually what motivates me to continue playing in my own free time right now
so my opinion is: a good acoustic piano is better than a good digital piano, but a good digital piano is better than a bad acoustic piano

What a great comment discussion. Thank you everybody, everywhere. Probably more chiming in than on any other subject in piano playing, pedagogy....i.e. Acoustic or digital? because it is the seminal issue-choosing an/the instrument. Academy trained classical baritone here, good backgrounds in harmony, theory and some piano as a very distant second. I had about 5 years of formal piano study with expensive teachers that I would now describe in hindsight as not as good as they thought they were. Maybe good players but teaching is an entirely different and underappreciated dimension. Yeah, musicians want to make money, so some players teach without being a very good teacher, which requires more than musicianship, the only god of the classical academy.

Musical "Prophetic Fun:" St. Peter met 3 folks at the Pearly Gates and was required to briefly interview them for entrance permission. Pete says, state your earthly occupation and how much was your yearly salary. 1st Person, "attorney $200,000 a year." 2nd lady, "real estate agent, $90,000 per year." 3rd person started with yearly earnings, $16,400 a year." Pete interrupts, "Oh, yes, what instrument did you play?"

At 75 I have now studied on my own with a Yamaha P-45 which is adequate for earlier tech development. I tired an entry Casio for a year and did not like it at all coming from acoustics. The P-45 for the past 4 years. Have been looking to upgrade for the past 3 but would like to take the bigger leap than move up a few hundred bucks. I do the best I can but will upgrade ASAP. I am quite familiar with the markets for instruments, know a bunch of piano store owners and all.

The general market for acoustic pianos has been diminishing steadily in the years since higher end digitals have improved. A lot of piano stores of long standing have recently gone out of business here in Western Oregon. Digitals sell depending on price point.

For all the very many valid reasons listed here by the contributors, digital modality is winning out generally, headsets, price points, portability, flexibility and many more from you folks. Good acoustics are beyond the reach of most who are not trust fund babies or mortgaged their kids, a genital or their future. Digitals allow a variety of levels to enjoy at various price points. Digitals are now ramping up in price because of supply chain problems and computer chip shortages. I was asking a dealer about getting a Clavinova-if available at all, an extended delivery period for big bucks.

I try to find something from private parties but they are pretty proud of their merchandise and then you get no warranty on something abused or neglected.

I think I have settled on the Kawai CA99 as wish list apex and maybe can finance at some point. The Nord Stage would be another option but to add amplifiers and speakers, maybe a good bet. I do like a cabinet, even small one, maybe plus sound gear. Will struggle along until upgrading with the help of Josh and other good online teachers, actually better than most available in person on a budget. Cash for knowledge.


I saw on a forum on the subject a guy who was wanting to start off with a high end digital. An advanced player answered, "First learn to play the piano, then look a the bigger investment instruments." BTW, my passion is arranged jazz styling. Play 3-4 hours/day, 7/7. I am passionate about improving my technique for artistic reasons but how much super advanced technique is required to play for home audiences or sleazy clubs?

If you did so, thanks for your consideration. We really can help each other. When I was in the academy we learned a lot just by associating and jamming with other players and singers, sharing ideas, listening to other's trials and errors.

Thank you Josh and gang. I love musician talk, based on 65 years of experience.


David Miller

Amazing how quickly you can move your fingers! 🙂
I bought a Kawai CA 59 and can definitely recommend it! However it cost around 2500 Euros.
How's your little daughter?
Interesting video!

I have a Yamaha N1. I know I m never going to be a concert pianist, so this is pretty much all I ever will need. Someday, I'd like an acoustic baby grand, but if I don't get it, I will live.

you think its worth to upgrade from a 8k piano to a 30k grand piano?

Ur fingers will get tired faster when u play regular piano after practicing in digital alll the time…..but u will learn music faster because u can practice anytime..

What about an upright? I don't have room or money for a grand piano. Should I just play the flute? XD

I have two awesome keyboards. One from target that was $179 and one thats worth $500. I have a upright Wurlitzer as well. I hate to play on anything else but the upright.

I know with a electronic key bord you miss the hammer action and pedal action of a real piano your ears miss it the most .
And your pitsacot playing how the hell you do that on a electronic piano with out the sonatta pedal . it's just not possible ! YA HAVE TO HAVE BOTH IN YOUR PIANO DIET OR YOU WILL STARVE !

I bought Roland. The touch doesn't feel the same as acoustic but the fact that I can play with headphones on is a major advantage

I don't have access to acoustic piano for atleast two years, I was thinking of buying a digital piano, can someone give me suggestions for under 1000 dollars, 2000 dollars and 3000 dollars digital pianos and what should I look for in a digital piano in a budget cut. And can someone share their experience of adjusting to acoustic piano playing after exclusively playing on digital piano for a long time. How much time did it take to adjust to acoustic piano?

I have lived through the garbage acoustic piano being worse than my Yamaha weighted digital keyboard...oof

I play on a cheap, gears of music digital piano, it’s absolutely not the best but still better than nothing, it has many problems. It’s only semi weighted. When ever I go play on a real piano ( or a quality digital ) I get completely thrown off by how heavy the keys are, this includes when I take my lessons as well. I’m also sure that having semi weighted keys won’t build up the right strength to play. When I play I a real piano, I enjoy it 1000x more than when I play my digital, it makes me want to actually play and practise. I remember when I visited my family in England for a week, they had a piano that was free, despite it costing them nothing it was still a pretty good piano, it was out of tune but that added a bit of colour and character to it. I remember when we arrived back home I immediately went back to my digital and was stunned when I pressed the first key, it was like pushing nothing, I hardly wanted to practise after that. Maybe one day I’ll get an upgrade from my digital piano

Great video that reinforces my own thoughts

I think the biggest problem is developing touch sensitivity.
Because you can change the volume with a button, it's hard to judge how hard or soft you're hitting the keys if you never play an acoustic.

What do u think of
Roland 90x?

Very good, Josh!

Since I don't aspire to reach your level (Josh) and what I want to play are pop songs, not classical, I don't think it's important for me to have an acoustic piano. Furthermore, I move fairly often so it's much more difficult and risky to be moving a piano. I bought a very nice Yamaha P-125 digital keyboard which claims to have fully weighted action that is heavier in the low keys and lighter in the high keys. I picked it after talking to a piano teacher who was using the same model. He recommended the model below it, but at the music store they had them side-by-side and I liked the feel of the P-125 better.

My question is, how close is the feel of those keys to an acoustic piano? I'll try to find an acoustic piano someday so I can compare for myself, but I don't know when that will be.

The kids and I have been practising daily on our Roland RD-800 and it's been fantastic. I often play community pianos and the kids play at concerts around the place - nursing homes etc.. Our son has played in a number of concerts at the Sydney Opera House and the RD seems to have had no diminishing effects on any of us. I will say however, that many pianos have a slightly heaver touch and so perhaps we are missing out on a little muscular development, but so far nothing noticeable. Fingers crossed we'll have a grand next year... look out neighbours!! Cheers and great vid again Josh - Dave

I’ve had my Yamaha YDP113 quite some time and it really has got some brilliant tones especially if you set it to concert2 and some reverb. The action on it is also mimics an acoustic IMO very well. I recently went to our local piano shop and came to the conclusion none of the latest pianos acoustic or digital impressed me that much. I’ve played on and off throughout my life, but recently have played and practice a hell of a lot more. At my age 62, I do not have a teacher but learn pieces by myself and have looked at Josh’s video’s for tips which has helped. I’d say you get a digital, make sure that it simulates the good key action of a acoustic piano. A keyboard that has an even easy action throughout is not what I’d pick.
Yes,absolutely a digital is okay to learn on, but it has to meet these certain requirements for me. Don’t get me wrong,I’d love a Steinway but I’m afraid my conservatory isn’t big enough. I also practice with good quality headphones. One last thing😂 my digital only has 1 pedal so I do miss the soft pedal.

I'm with you Josh heheheh .... about the Bosendorfer sound. I'm not a huge fan of the rounded/damped sound of it. I'm a fan of the Yamaha CFX grand sounds though.

What do you think about the yamaha clavinova CLP 735?? is good enough?
thanks!

Bad sound !

Personally, I think digital pianos are better than acoustic ones. Why? Because the digital pianos we have today can offer extremely similar realistic feel and sound to acoustic pianos. Also you don’t have to break your bank to own one and if you really want an amazing piano you can get a hybrid piano for the price of a used upright. With digital pianos you don’t get complaints from your neighbors and unlike an acoustic that only offers one sound, digital pianos have millions of different sounds. So for me It’s not even a question, I think that digital pianos have now come to the point where they surpassed acoustic pianos.

why is this even a question "oh no my piano doesn't have strings" it shouldn't fucking matter I am a pianist not a keyboardist whatever dumb fuck gives a shit doesn't deserve to cause there is really not much of a difference when it comes down to making music, and yes I personally do prefer an acoustic but ill play on my keyboard all the same cause there is almost no difference anyway.

I am a classically trained piano player, and my husband bought me a digital piano cos my house is an old English Terrace house and there is and there is no way I can fit a baby grand in my house . I had had upright pianos before but they were old and didn't sound a good quality piano. Most 2nd hand upright pianos are poorly maintained and I don't like the sound quality. With a digital I can set it to a grand piano sound .

Pssht Steinway is an over-priced collection of outsourced parts assembled in the USA.. oh yeah! And a "bell quality casting" that steinway actually does in house👌

I have done countless hours of work on my Roland electric piano. It is great to be able to reduce the volume when working on loud passages to build up endurance. And one can practice in the middle of the night, using headphones, if one is so inclined. It saves a fortune in tuning, voicing, and regulating my acoustic instrument. Better still, if I am working on Bach I can switch it to harpsichord, and try playing using different tuning temperaments. And, surprisingly, I can make a greater variety of tonal colour on the electric instrument - and my acoustic piano is only ten years old, in perfect condition, and from a great manufacturer.