Is it worth buying a Piano for my 7 year old
- Thread starter [TFU] Thegoon84
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Does it have to be a plain old piano?
What about something like a Korg MicroKorg synthesizer? This has small keys, unlimited sounds and a vocoder and does so much more to get someone young interested in keyboards and sound etc etc.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/KORG-MICROKORG-37-Mini-Synthesizer-Vocoder/dp/B0000WS0SC
What about something like a Korg MicroKorg synthesizer? This has small keys, unlimited sounds and a vocoder and does so much more to get someone young interested in keyboards and sound etc etc.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/KORG-MICROKORG-37-Mini-Synthesizer-Vocoder/dp/B0000WS0SC
Deleted member 651465
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Deleted member 651465
Why waste £500 on a piano that he/she might get bored of? Let’s be honest.. 7 is the sort of age where kids are going to chop and change their mind.
That £400 could pay for a years worth of lessons or could be kept in the bank if they lose interest.
Any cheap keyboard will offer enough to get someone going. Its their ability to read music that needs nurturing, not how many octaves you have at your disposal or if the keyboard can play a string accompaniment as you play.
Soldato
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Age 7 - they probably dont need a tutor for maths. Great age to start piano lessons though. It is an excellent instrument to learn as it has a lot of different use scenarios (unlike say the bassoon which I learned!) it is also a great basis for learning musical theory.
Caporegime
I paid £130 and petrol for a 40 mile round trip for a low end digital piano with weighted keys. It's been fine for me to play on for a few years and for the kids to learn on. I'll buy a second hand clavinova for half a grand or so at some point, but that would have been way overkill when we were all starting out.
I'm a guitar lecturer and my wife is a piano lecturer so I'll come at it from that angle.
Learning on anything with unweighted keys will make playing properly impossible. A great deal of playing effectively is controlling dynamics ie the volume changes. You can't learn to do this on unweighted keys.
Age 7 is a great age to start but it's also a great age to get disinterested quick too. All the successful children I've taught have had motivated parents willing to support and put the time in etc.
A child of that age needs a good teacher to get the basics unless you're a good musician yourself self taught isn't going to happen at that age. Too many bad habits to fix later.
My advice would be the following. Approach other people who may have a piano ie school and see if you can use theirs for a few months. 15 mins per day and the books Me and My Piano. See if clicks if the discipline to practice well is there from child and family then look into getting a piano.
Alternatively start on classical guitar it's cheaper. If they prove themselves then the piano can come down the line. I am presuming here school lessons aren't an option.
Learning on anything with unweighted keys will make playing properly impossible. A great deal of playing effectively is controlling dynamics ie the volume changes. You can't learn to do this on unweighted keys.
Age 7 is a great age to start but it's also a great age to get disinterested quick too. All the successful children I've taught have had motivated parents willing to support and put the time in etc.
A child of that age needs a good teacher to get the basics unless you're a good musician yourself self taught isn't going to happen at that age. Too many bad habits to fix later.
My advice would be the following. Approach other people who may have a piano ie school and see if you can use theirs for a few months. 15 mins per day and the books Me and My Piano. See if clicks if the discipline to practice well is there from child and family then look into getting a piano.
Alternatively start on classical guitar it's cheaper. If they prove themselves then the piano can come down the line. I am presuming here school lessons aren't an option.
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Man of Honour
My Manager has put her 7 and 4 year old kids on the Suzuki method and after 6 months I am stunned.
I've been playing with musicians for 49 years and these two have shocked me.
Man of Honour
Can we also get out of this 'You must have weighted keys' etc to learn.
Yes, if you want to be a classical pianist but if you want to go and earn money at the weekends or have a bit of fun any keyboard will do.
I do OK every weekend with my Roland VR09b and Roland Juno Gi and usually I'm just playing 1 bass note with my left hand.
www.dmpoole.co.uk/mp3/IWillSurvive.mp4
Yes, if you want to be a classical pianist but if you want to go and earn money at the weekends or have a bit of fun any keyboard will do.
I do OK every weekend with my Roland VR09b and Roland Juno Gi and usually I'm just playing 1 bass note with my left hand.
www.dmpoole.co.uk/mp3/IWillSurvive.mp4
With the greatest respect that's really the wrong way to look at it. Why limit yourself from the off to missing out on how to control how you sound?
Weighted keys are important. Kids like to get a sense of achievement they like doing grades at that age. Grades are likely the only performance opportunity they'll get to focus for. Setting them up to fail on that when a third of the marks are geared towards dynamic expression on what would likely be a grand piano which they would likely not be able to press the keys down on with their usual motion is wrong imo.
And I say that as someone who marks for Trinity and Abrsm.
Now maybe the OP had a multitude of opportunities for the kids to perform so the work has a goal but as they are asking this question here I think that's unlikely.
Setting a kid up to fail is likely to stop them in their tracks.
And dynamic expression being limited to classical pianists is just plain wrong.
Weighted keys are important. Kids like to get a sense of achievement they like doing grades at that age. Grades are likely the only performance opportunity they'll get to focus for. Setting them up to fail on that when a third of the marks are geared towards dynamic expression on what would likely be a grand piano which they would likely not be able to press the keys down on with their usual motion is wrong imo.
And I say that as someone who marks for Trinity and Abrsm.
Now maybe the OP had a multitude of opportunities for the kids to perform so the work has a goal but as they are asking this question here I think that's unlikely.
Setting a kid up to fail is likely to stop them in their tracks.
And dynamic expression being limited to classical pianists is just plain wrong.
OP I should add and this is really important is that when you've decided approach your child's school about the purchase.
There is this scheme called the Assisted Musical Purchase Scheme. Basically the school buys the instrument and then you buy from the school ie you don't pay Vat. My understanding is that the child has to be at a state school and having lessons at the school etc. Look into it.
Edit link here https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/vat-government-and-public-bodies/vatgpb7825
My younger students have done this when buying guitars up to 2 to 3k. So that's quite the saving.
There is this scheme called the Assisted Musical Purchase Scheme. Basically the school buys the instrument and then you buy from the school ie you don't pay Vat. My understanding is that the child has to be at a state school and having lessons at the school etc. Look into it.
Edit link here https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/vat-government-and-public-bodies/vatgpb7825
My younger students have done this when buying guitars up to 2 to 3k. So that's quite the saving.
Soldato
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i think a cheapish keyboard would be good but i'd expect them to lose interest quickly unless they have a program to follow
but it's good to plant the seed and hope they come back to it later if that happens
i wouldn't spend a lot of money just yet maybe?
learning an instrument can take a lot of dedication and young minds easily wander
i tried to learn guitar when i was about 16, bought the whole setup and it lasted about a month before i gave up
just didn't have the patience , was expecting to be Van Halen in no time
i came back to it about 8 years later and dedicated myself and finally got somewhere. so glad i did
also reminds me of buying my niece a half decent acoustic guitar when she was quite young, maybe 15. it was a proper one for smaller hands and all
it got a few uses then gathered dust. every time i called round it had another bash or something dinged until finally it got busted open beyond repair.
it broke my heart watching that thing die
but it's good to plant the seed and hope they come back to it later if that happens
i wouldn't spend a lot of money just yet maybe?
learning an instrument can take a lot of dedication and young minds easily wander
i tried to learn guitar when i was about 16, bought the whole setup and it lasted about a month before i gave up
just didn't have the patience , was expecting to be Van Halen in no time
i came back to it about 8 years later and dedicated myself and finally got somewhere. so glad i did
also reminds me of buying my niece a half decent acoustic guitar when she was quite young, maybe 15. it was a proper one for smaller hands and all
it got a few uses then gathered dust. every time i called round it had another bash or something dinged until finally it got busted open beyond repair.
it broke my heart watching that thing die
Soldato
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Interesting point about key weight for learning wouldn't have thought of that.
We picked up a piano on a whim for £30 at auction, it's perfectly serviceable but people can't give them away these days. The £60 to get it delivered was the greater part of the cost. We're lucky we have the room for it. Started our daughter off with lessons at 6, she seems to be enjoying it. Only do about an hour or two a week practice at this age don't want to bore her.
We picked up a piano on a whim for £30 at auction, it's perfectly serviceable but people can't give them away these days. The £60 to get it delivered was the greater part of the cost. We're lucky we have the room for it. Started our daughter off with lessons at 6, she seems to be enjoying it. Only do about an hour or two a week practice at this age don't want to bore her.
I think the first thing the OP needs to do is decide what commitment they are willing to make. If they are willing to put the time and money into lessons. As indicated earlier by the bloke who posted his keyboard playing the expectation will be that the parent learns with the child. Ie Suzuki. You'd be looking at 15 to 20 quid for a 30 min lesson with a starter type piano teacher. In this case the teacher will likely want input on the choice of instrument. It will cost you more they are going to want certain things.
If the decision is not to pay for tuition then realistically the chance for progression at that age without assistance is that small you my aswell go cheap and cheerful and review it down the line.
There is no point spending money for no reason but likewise if you are going to do it then do it properly.
If the decision is not to pay for tuition then realistically the chance for progression at that age without assistance is that small you my aswell go cheap and cheerful and review it down the line.
There is no point spending money for no reason but likewise if you are going to do it then do it properly.
Man of Honour
In the synth world we have touch sensitive which does a good impression of weighted keys for most people ears, I'll guarantee tomorrow night I'll be playing piano parts that will sound like I'm on weighted keys.
Saying somebody has got to have weighted piano keys to learn on is like saying a new guitarist should be learning on a Gibson Les Paul through a Marshall stack and it isn't so.
Get the kids on a £50 Casio, see how much fun they have and where it leads and then get something serious if you need to.
Don't get me wrong, the jealousy I feel for my Managers 7 and 4 year old playing amazing music on weighted keys is something I can't do and if that is the road you want to choose then go up it but it isn't the only road.
Which was kind of my point. One way locks you out of a big part of what the OP wanted: piano.
The best bet I am sure we can all agree on is the best course is for the OP to decide whether they can commit the money for lessons and the time to support practice. If thats a yes then the likely approach is to see what the school can help with. That way the kid gets a CRB checked teacher, access to local ensembles etc. If the kid takes to loving playing which is what we really want here then the school is the make or break component. This is where the child will get their performing chances, access to the aforementioned scheme etc. That relationship is best sought earlier. However, they likely will put the child in for piano grades and as someone who has marked both Trinity and Abrsm if you don't play with dynamics then you will lose upto a third of your marks on your pieces and the scales also have a dynamic component to them. It's wrong to not make the OP aware of that.
The school or local music service may have keyboard for rent some do some don't. Again see the school.
The best bet I am sure we can all agree on is the best course is for the OP to decide whether they can commit the money for lessons and the time to support practice. If thats a yes then the likely approach is to see what the school can help with. That way the kid gets a CRB checked teacher, access to local ensembles etc. If the kid takes to loving playing which is what we really want here then the school is the make or break component. This is where the child will get their performing chances, access to the aforementioned scheme etc. That relationship is best sought earlier. However, they likely will put the child in for piano grades and as someone who has marked both Trinity and Abrsm if you don't play with dynamics then you will lose upto a third of your marks on your pieces and the scales also have a dynamic component to them. It's wrong to not make the OP aware of that.
The school or local music service may have keyboard for rent some do some don't. Again see the school.
Man of Honour
Of course, people need to hear all sides.
True but that doesnt mean all points of view are valid. For example all the best musicians are self taught is simply not true. When you investigate you find friends and family helping these rare exceptions and they all seem to by and large have massive physical advantages like perfect pitch. Not everyone has that luxury so unfortunately paid tuition is the only option. Were you self taught or did you play guitar and then jam and then get feedback from fellow band members. We all need feedback from someone who can spot when we go wrong.
Acoustic pianos being available on ebay is true they are given away and that's because they cost a fortune to keep retuning even if you get a good one. So that is not a cheaper option.
All you need to do is learn EGBDF and Face is not true this is a piano you have a bass clef too. Let alone needing it pointing out when we go wrong.
This stuff is simply unfactual.
If the OP is willing to spend 30 mins every evening then he sounds like the perfect person imo to really facilitate something that you so admired does he not?
Acoustic pianos being available on ebay is true they are given away and that's because they cost a fortune to keep retuning even if you get a good one. So that is not a cheaper option.
All you need to do is learn EGBDF and Face is not true this is a piano you have a bass clef too. Let alone needing it pointing out when we go wrong.
This stuff is simply unfactual.
If the OP is willing to spend 30 mins every evening then he sounds like the perfect person imo to really facilitate something that you so admired does he not?
Man of Honour
At 12 my Dad taught me E, A and B on the guitar and two months later I was on stage with him.
I'd ask him for more chords over the weeks but barre chords were the easiest.
So basically I was self taught on keyboards, guitar, bass & drums with band mates chipping in.
Over the last 5 years a lifetime subscription to Ultimate Guitar has been amazing and I can transpose in my head straight to keys.
Don't get me wrong, I'm never going to be as good as you or even my Managers kids but every weekend I provide a sound on stage that 99% of an audience are convinced by.
