DIGITAL PIANO REVIEWS – Yamaha, Roland, Casio

UPDATED REVIEW – June 1, 2013 – THE LATEST DIGITAL PIANO REVIEWS FOR CONSUMERS ARE HERE on this BLOG – I am a musician, piano – keyboard – organ – & guitar teacher, composer, arranger, and have also managed large music & piano companies during my long 40 years in the music industry. I have worked with all types of acoustic & digital pianos, home & pro keyboards, guitars of all types, acoustic & digital drums, and other related music equipment. Music is not just a hobby for me, it has been my career and my passion. I teach people of all ages incl 1 yr old babies (my Granddaughter above left:) and all 4 of my children play musical instruments and 2 of those “kids” (they are in their 20’s now) are piano teachers and have been playing since they were 5 years old. You’ll notice my younger daughter Arianna teaching one of her students (left pic). Arianna is a concert pianist and accompanies large school and church choirs as well as doing weddings and other events. She loves music as do all my children and I believe it’s important to instill a love of playing music in kids whenever possible.

I have played (and still do play) various instruments in bands and in solo gigs for weddings, church, clubs, and other venues. In fact, years ago a musician friend and I who were playing music together in the LA area (where I lived at the time) performed at a famous nightclub in LA called the Troubadour (left). This is the place where many famous artists got their start nationally or performed for the 1st time in LA including Elton John, Carly Simon, Don McLean, James Taylor, Billy Joel, Pointer Sisters, Joni Mitchell, Hall & Oates, and many others. So I was in good company but I’m glad those days are over, at least for me. I never went on in live performance music in a big way because I was more interested in doing other things (like getting a good job), although I still have many good (famous) pro musician friends I hang out with from time to time who play all over the world.

At this point I have played and sold, and recorded on just about every keyboard and digital piano there is including pro keyboards from Sequential, Oberheim, Ensoniq, Alesis, Emu, Kurzweil, Roland (Juno’s D50’s, Fantoms, etc), Korg (M1’s, Tritons, etc), Yamaha (DX7’s, Motif’s, etc), Moog synths, and even obscure brands like General Music & Ketron. And when it comes to acoustic pianos, I have played most of them from Fazioli, to Bosendorfer, Petrof to Steinway, and of course all the mainstream brands such as Yamaha, Kawai, Baldwin, Mason & Hamlin, Young Chang, Samick, and many others.

And when it comes to organs, I have played (and still play) and teach those instruments too. From Hammond B3’s to Farfisa’s, as well as the full theatre organs from Lowrey, Gulbransen, and Wurlitzer, I have played them all. As far as digital pianos go, there are a few different classifications: portable pro pianos, portable home pianos, & home cabinet digital pianos. In the old days, pro digital pianos used to consist of things like Fender Rhodes & Wurlitzers. But now we have so much more from Yamaha, Casio, Roland, Kawai, and others. On top of that, you can connect an iPad to many of the new digital pianos so you can experience a fantastic interactive world of learning and understanding music & piano in a way you may have never thought possible. I personally used and teach with iPad piano & music apps in my studio and they really help with my students understanding of music along with motivating them to want to practice at home. If you want to know more about iPads apps and how to interact with them on a digital piano, please contact me.

When you’re looking for a digital piano, especially for your home, church, recording studio, or other venue, it’s not so much what the “specs” say on the factory web site as how the piano actually looks, performs, and sounds. Although performance, looks, sound, and functions are somewhat subjective, there are certain pianos that simply do a better job and certain pianos that are inferior and I have written articles about them extensively in my blog. In fact, there are a few “bad pianos” around that shouldn’t even be made as far as I’m concerned and I have written about some of those too. After all my years of experience with these instruments including what’s out today, I know what I like simply by playing it and using the functions. I don’t have to read a big spec sheet, a book, or manual, I just play it and use it. And when I do that, I know for sure whether that instrument is worth owning and playing and makes me say “WOW, I love this piano!”

If you would like some helpful advice in making the right piano buying decision as well as being sure you’re getting the most for your money at a low discount price, then read the various piano reviews on my blog so you will become more informed. Please take a look at them when you have time and contact me (no charge) with specific questions. You can use the search bar on the upper right side of this page or just click on various articles that interest you. I have reviewed many different brands & models of current pianos and I believe you’ll find them informative. Deciding on which piano is right for you is not a perfect science. Eventually you will just have to get one and start playing. After all, playing music and enjoying the experience is the name of the game. So the sooner you get started, the quicker you’ll start to have that enjoyment. That’s why I do it, because it gives me something that few other things can…a way to move your soul and express your feelings. It’s all about the music and you being able to make it happen. But be sure you do it on a good piano and please contact me direct if you have questions as I will be happy to help.