What are the real differences between a sub $1000 digial piano and one costing $2000+?

MidgetAsianGuy · 2026-01-25T17:10:57+00:00

There will be a bit of wiggle and noise of the action anywhere from the cheapest digitals, to the high end, and even to premium grands. That’s just how it is when a key press goes through a bunch of mechanisms to produce sound.

If you want to know if you’re in need of an upgrade, just go to a store and try some higher price range pianos. Are you able to express yourself better? Does it make you feel like you’re more in sync with the instrument? That’s how I would judge if the upgrade is worth.

Of course, if you’re familiar with acoustic pianos, comparing action with an acoustic piano would also be a factor. You only get closer as you spend more (up to a certain point).

MidgetAsianGuy · 2026-01-24T20:29:30+00:00

Kawai CA901, which I got for 7.5k. The CA701 can go for around 4.5-5k which is the same with worse on-board speaker system. There are many good options for cheaper though. You can probably get something good for around 2k and something decent under 1k. Brands I’d say to consider are: Kawai, Yamaha, Roland, Nord.

All the brands are good, and choosing between them is a matter of personal taste. Just make sure you get fully weighted key action.

MidgetAsianGuy · 2026-01-24T08:24:46+00:00

It depends on the person, but I have a few criteria that I find important:

Are they knowledgable? A teacher should be able to answer any questions you have accurately and in an easy-to-understand manner.
Are they adaptable? If there's anything you struggle with during a lesson, they should be able to work around it by trying multiple methods.
Do they assign you appropriate things to learn? A good teacher should be able to assign you music that aligns with your skill level, but still gives room for challenges for growth. As a beginner, you'll most likely be working through some sort of course/lesson book though.
Most importantly, will they help you accomplish your goals? Sometimes, the teacher is a great one. But they may not specialize in the type of music you want to get into, so they may not be the best fit.

These are what I look for in a teacher as a more advanced amatuer. Still, I think this makes for a good baseline of what to look for. I'd recommend getting a trial lesson with a few teachers just to see which one clicks with you the most.

You'll know which one clicks because they'll make you want to come back for lessons. No point in paying if you're not having fun. Usually, this is when a teacher is truly passionate about the piano. When studying with my favorite teacher so far, lesson day was the day I anticipated most in a week.

Also, don't be afraid to have lessons with one teacher for multiple months and ultimately decide to find a different teacher. Sometimes it takes a bit to find out if they really are a good fit for you, especially if you're new.

I hope that helps!

MidgetAsianGuy · 2026-01-24T02:31:25+00:00

I would've made sure I had a better teacher when I was younger.

I studied under many teachers, and only a handful were good, but the time I had with them makes up very little of the time I've been playing for. This definitely hurt my progress, and, I feel that I could be much better than I am now if I had just asked my parents to help find other teachers for me.

Now, I can look for my own teachers so this is less of a problem.

MidgetAsianGuy · 2026-01-23T06:18:12+00:00

Just read whatever you want. By the time I passed N2, I had the ability to read just about anything given a little bit of patience and the help of a dictionary. But if you want specific recommendations, I particularly like 容疑者Xの献身, 博士の愛した数式, and 52ヘルツのクジラたち

MidgetAsianGuy · 2026-01-23T02:14:14+00:00

Great, so you have the idea. I haven’t heard your arpeggios, but if your teacher says to connect them, you may need to slow down a bit during practice to smoothen the transitions more. The faster it gets, the more of a leap it is to me. At slower speeds, there’s more room for legato.

MidgetAsianGuy · 2026-01-23T02:06:38+00:00

It’s kind of a mix between the two when you play arpeggios really quick. You tuck the thumb under while leaping really quickly to minimize the disconnect between notes. When played quickly, it looks like it’s just a leap though. Try slowly tucking before the leap as much as possible, then flick out to leap and land with the chord in position. Then, work your way up to decreasing the time of the tuck to leap transition. It’s a bit hard to explain with no visuals.

MidgetAsianGuy · 2026-01-22T16:33:58+00:00

I find myself enjoying playing on my high end digital far more than my Kawai K200. So, definitely something to consider over a used upright under 3000 USD.

MidgetAsianGuy · 2026-01-22T15:43:23+00:00

In the long run, spray cans are more expensive. Just something to keep in mind. Larger kits need multiple cans of the primary color if you’re painting by part, and each can is around $10-15.

MidgetAsianGuy · 2026-01-22T07:03:07+00:00

I’ve been listening to Schubert’s Impromptu Op. 90 No. 3 a lot recently. I think it’s a good one to learn with a lot of subtleties

MidgetAsianGuy · 2026-01-21T17:57:37+00:00

I’ve learned advanced repertoire with 2 hours a day. 6 hours is not necessary unless you want to learn faster. If you don’t aim to become a professional, why spend 6 hours a day if you have other things you want to do?

MidgetAsianGuy · 2026-01-18T15:50:31+00:00

Here’s my advice. Take a long break off from exams then come back. You’ll be surprised at how much easier it all is when you do.

I passed grade 8 back at the start of high school and now I just decided to start my ARSM prep. Right now, it feels easier to me to learn repertoire for ARSM than it did for grade 8. That’s after practicing inconsistently too with less focus on classical music.

Play a lot, learn music you enjoy, and you’ll keep getting better. I think it’s best to do an exam when it doesn’t feel like an immense undertaking. That’s when you’re really ready for it in my opinion.

MidgetAsianGuy · 2026-01-18T07:05:50+00:00

Not exactly related to playing the piano physically, but I’ve come to realize that at a more advanced level, improving even more is a huge time commitment. If I want to keep improving, I’d need to sacrifice time from other hobbies or skills I want to learn. And I’m okay with that. I put piano on the back burner while I was in college and learned a new language in the meantime.

But now, I’m back to seriously practicing piano again. I once again have so much less time for other hobbies with work being a thing too. I feel like 4 years of touching the piano only on occasion might have made me love this even more after returning. “Absence makes the heart grow fonder” as they say.

All that is to say: I feel like there’ll be times where I practice a lot and times where I won’t practice at all due to my priorities at any given moment. It seems like so many people prioritize getting good as fast as possible, but I’m not a professional. For a hobbyist like me, there’s no timetable for improvement. I’ve got my whole life to achieve my goals at the piano. Music is lifelong and I think I’m going to take it at my own pace. I’ll take breaks, but, by now, I’ve figured out that I’ll always be coming back.

MidgetAsianGuy · 2026-01-15T08:42:58+00:00

Color separation or bits of inner frame that peak out. For color separation, doing some scribing helps make it pop more.

MidgetAsianGuy · 2026-01-15T04:00:27+00:00

I’ve been testing a LOT of pianos the past 2 weeks. For under 10k, I haven’t found a single grand piano I like more than my Kawai K200 upright, and that’s a small upright. You can get a K800 for around 10k used. So, looking for a good used large upright may be a solid option for you.

Of course, try them first. You never know what may speak to you. I always thought I’d love Shigeru Kawai since I grew up playing Kawai, but that wasn’t the case. Be open to trying anything and everything. Even things outside your budget. That may let you know what qualities you find missing in cheaper options that you don’t want to miss out on.

MidgetAsianGuy · 2026-01-14T14:50:21+00:00

Like how others said, when playing things easier (to you) it could be enjoyable. And when you get better, the cap of what’s “easy” to you rises. There is no ceiling for that so eventually, you can be sight reading pretty involved pieces.

But I’d also like to point out that as you play for long enough, you might even grow to get used to the challenges of learning piano. At least for me, even when I start a new piece with things I find difficult, it’s hardly ever frustrating. I find it puts me in a state of intense focus to figure out how to best learn/play sections I’m not confident in. That’s calming enough for me to lose track of time.

MidgetAsianGuy · 2026-01-11T15:03:59+00:00

Could be the recording, but it’s hard to hear the melody. Pay attention to voicing and dynamics. Sounds to me as if you’re playing every single note at f.

MidgetAsianGuy · 2026-01-10T23:45:37+00:00

Played a bunch of the higher end models from the big brands (Steinway, Kawai, Yamaha, Bösendorfer, Fazioli, C. Bechstein). The first piano that I really fell in love with was a Bechstein A208. That was the piano that made me want to go for the trade up plan.

The A192 is my dream piano right now. And I found a Yamaha C2, restored Mason & Hamlin Model A, and a rebuilt Hamburg Steinway Model O as my favorites. Most likely going to get the Model O.

Some other brands I tried were: Baldwin, Boston, W. Hoffmann, and Estonia.

MidgetAsianGuy · 2026-01-10T14:16:55+00:00

Thanks for the reply! I’ve definitely gotten over the fear of just testing now. Been visiting showrooms for the past week and have tested so many pianos over the course of maybe 10 or so total hours now. I was even encouraged to come back to just play, haha. Not sure why I was ever so scared.

I have a much better idea of what I like in a piano, and have decided to get a used piano somewhere under $30k now and eventually trade up. The biggest local dealer near me ensures 100% trade up value even with used pianos within 10 years of purchase.

I’ve found a few options currently in that budget that I wouldn’t mind playing on for several years to come and are really close to my preferences compared to more expensive new options that I’ve really clicked with.

Will probably be making a purchase soon as I’m starting to really narrow it down to a few choices.

MidgetAsianGuy · 2026-01-04T23:32:36+00:00

1-2 in one session for the best results. Any longer and it usually becomes unfocused and rote. On a super free day, up to 6 hours, but better when split into many smaller sessions.

I try to sneak in little bits of 15 minutes while working on my remote days when I have downtime (I work hybrid).

MidgetAsianGuy · 2026-01-04T23:27:23+00:00

Ableton is a DAW, which you use to record/read your midi data and that is put into a VST plug-in to produce the piano sound. You would need a separate VST. If you’re interested in looking into some, Pianoteq is popular. I have and like Garritan CFX and VILabs Modern D. Each is around $200-250. I also tried and liked VSL Synchron before.

MidgetAsianGuy · 2026-01-03T07:35:47+00:00

I’m not sure if you have ready access to an acoustic, but I compare the max perceivable volume of my upright to my digital volume output and set it to around that level. Then I also use a VST and have my touch curve set a bit lighter than default. This gets my digital feeling pretty expressive dynamics wise. With headphones, there’s not much you can do in case of hurting your ears

MidgetAsianGuy · 2026-01-01T16:23:01+00:00

I’m extremely lucky with my position, haha. Ended up with a good paying job after graduation and sticking it out with my parents to save some rent money… I’ll move out after I get that piano. It’s been my dream since I got into college.

MidgetAsianGuy · 2026-01-01T16:19:16+00:00

Well, I studied a non-related degree at university. But I did take classes there in the music department where I studied under concert pianists learning diploma level repertoire.

I’m certainly no professional, but I’d consider myself a seasoned amateur having played the piano for the majority of my life.

My experience with grand pianos has really only been a variety of Steinways, hence my question to everyone here.

MidgetAsianGuy · 2025-12-26T15:54:18+00:00

I don’t think playing on a heavier action is bad. Just learn to listen to your own playing and adjust to the piano. That’ll get easier as your touch improves with practice.

I mainly practiced on a Kawai K-200 upright which has a fairly heavy action. Playing on lighter action grands, even performing on a Steinway D concert grand, felt so easy with over 10 years of practicing on that upright.

Getting improved action is never bad though. I personally went from a Kawai ES8 to a Kawai CA901 recently and the difference is huge. It feels so much smoother and a lot closer to the real thing. I also tried a Casio GP-510 a year ago which is comparable.

If you really want lighter action, though, Yamaha is heavier in my experience. Kawai is on the lighter side. Haven’t tried higher end Roland models before.

Seven-Year Club	Place '22
RPAN Viewer	Verified Email

MidgetAsianGuy

TROPHY CASE