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How to Choose, Tune, & Play Your First Piano: Beginner Tips

We're here to help as you begin your piano journey!

Musicnotes

Apr 17, 2023 • 9 min read

Your first piano purchase is exciting, but also requires consideration of some important factors. How much space do you have? Does someone in your family already know how to play piano? What is your budget? All of these issues play into the decisions that you will need to make. If you have the space, the money, and the need for a serious instrument, a baby grand may be the perfect option. If your child wants to take lessons and the only space is a few square feet in your family room, a used upright might be a good option as a piano for beginners.

Grand Piano Options

Grand pianos vary from baby grand models with a length as small as five feet to concert grands that can be nine feet or longer. All grand piano models feature 88 keys made of ivory or wood covered with ivory. The large soundboard of a grand piano creates a wide range of tones and a deep, resonant sound quality. The dynamic range is wider on a grand piano and the touch is usually more responsive than on an upright, which will be more evident to someone who already knows how to play piano. Some brands to consider include the following:

Steinway & Sons Model M: known as the American standard for grand pianos, this model is five-foot-seven with excellent craftsmanship and a gratifying playing experience.
Essex EGP-173C: with a lower price tag than the Model M, this mid-size Steinway-built grand piano boasts an elegant design that belies its relatively reasonable price
Fazioli F156: this Italian line produces only 140 pianos each year. The colorful palette of sound is worth the investment for an experienced pianist.
Kawai GL-10 Baby Grand Piano: only five feet long and described as a reliable, well-built piano with a rich sound quality.

Upright Piano Options

Upright pianos are prized for the compact design that enables them to fit in corners or against walls. They are ideal for someone learning how to play piano and vary in size from the old three-foot "Spinet" models popular in the mid-twentieth century, to the "Studio" and "Console" pianos that average five feet in width. Like the grand piano, a standard upright includes 88 keys. Popular brands of uprights include the following:

Boston UP-118E: designed by Steinway, these pianos are a budget-conscious alternative to their main line. While they are technically considered a step down from an actual Steinway, they are still quality instruments.
Kawai K-200 Professional: this 45-inch Japanese-made piano is a reliable starter model at an affordable price.
Yamaha U1: this piano is widely considered to be the optimal starter upright. At 48 inches, it fits easily in small spaces and has a beautiful tone.
Yamaha B1: this entry-level upright is available for less than $5,000. It is one of the smallest uprights available and a good option for beginners.

Amount to Budget

Pianos are available at a wide range of prices, so it's important to have a firm grasp of your goals, needs, and limitations. If you are just learning how to play piano, you may want to purchase an instrument at a more modest price. A starter upright piano like the Yamaha B1 can be purchased for $4,799, whereas an elegant new C. Bechstein A160 will run over $85,000. For more experienced pianists who want the rich sound that comes from grand pianos, the most budget-friendly option will cost around $16,000, while a splurge for a high-quality European piano may cost over $200,000. Another option is to shop for a used piano. Many people part with their pianos due to lack of use or a change in location, and quality instruments are often available secondhand for a very reasonable price.

Specifics to Look For

When buying new, be sure to try the instrument in person. Every piano is different, from the pressure of the keys to the feel of the pedals. Even if it is out of budget, you should try playing a high-quality piano, such as a Steinway, so you have a standard to measure the others by. Be sure to ask if the instrument lends itself to the genre of music you are interested in playing. You should also ask whether the bench is included, and find out if the store has a trade-in policy.

When buying a used piano, ask if it has been tuned regularly (once a year) and stored in a humid environment. Any piano over 20 years old should have hammers, keys, and strings replaced, as they tend to wear down over time. To test the piano's quality, download a tuning app and play the A4 key. If the app shows more than 30 cents from concert pitch, it will likely fail to tune properly so you should walk away.

How to Tune a Piano

A standard piano has 220 strings, each with a unique frequency and pitch that determine the quality of the piano's sound. These strings tend to stretch over time, which causes the instrument to go out of tune.

Tuning Frequency

Tuning is recommended twice a year. Pianos stay in better shape and hold their value better with regular tuning. In addition, tuning the instrument regularly helps to prevent damage that can occur from playing when the strings are overstretched. The longer a piano sits without tuning, the more expensive and difficult it will be to get it back into tune.

DIY vs. Professional Tuning

Tuning a piano is a precision job that requires skill and a great deal of patience. The process of tuning each pin is relatively straightforward, but it is a painstaking process that professionals have learned to complete faster and with more quality and accuracy.

Tools Needed

The following tools are required for tuning a piano:

Dust cloth: most pianos gather dust in areas the typical owner does not address, so a dust cloth is helpful for accessing the strings.
Light: a flashlight or spotlight will help to see the inside of the piano for easier work.
Screwdriver: some pianos have a door or cabinet protecting the soundboard and strings, which may require a screwdriver to enable access for tuning.
Electronic chromatic tuner: known as an ETD, this small device helps to identify the note a key is playing and how much it varies from the target note. Traditionally, tuning forks were used for this job, but ETDs are extremely accurate and are the modern choice for professionals.
Mutes: these inexpensive rubber wedges are placed on piano strings to isolate a specific string while dampening the sound of the others.
Tuning wrench: also known as a tuning hammer, lever, or key, this tapered wrench enables each individual pin to be tightened or loosened. This specialty tool is essential, as substituting a tool not designed for the job could damage the piano.

How to Tune

The following outlines the steps for tuning a piano:

Set up the space. The room needs to be as quiet as possible, so turn off noisy appliances and close doors. Remove any doors blocking the strings, dust them gently, and ensure the space is clearly lit for optimal visibility. Check the strings for damage before starting.
Prep middle C. Find the strings that play middle C (most pianos have three). Use the rubber mutes to dampen the outer strings to isolate a single string.
Tune one middle C string. Using the ETD, play the middle C (C4) key firmly and loudly and see what the tuner identifies as the note. Typically, a piano will go flat as the string tension weakens. Find the pin where the single string is wound and place the tuning lever head over that pin. Loosen the pin by turning the lever counterclockwise, then tighten it by turning the lever clockwise. Play the note continually while tuning to the true middle C.
Set the pin. A technique called "setting" is used to complete the pin tightening and encourage the string to hold the tune for a longer period. Different professional tuners use a variety of approaches to setting, but a popular method is to give a final tightening twist to go slightly above pitch, then loosen gently to get to the exact pitch.
Tune the center strings. After tuning the middle C, repeat the process for the other center strings in the middle octave.
Tune the unison strings. After completing tuning the middle strings, the outer strings that play the same notes must be tuned. The ETD is not needed for this, as the unison strings can be tuned by ear to match the center string. Complete this step for middle C and the other notes in the octave, which is known as "setting the temperament."
Tune each octave. Use the temperament notes as a guide for tuning the next octave, comparing each note to the previously tuned notes. Continue string by string, using the mutes to dampen the other strings until it is their turn to be tuned. For a more harmonious sound, the piano should be tuned to itself instead of to an ETD at this point. This process is definitely much easier if you already know how to play piano.

How to Read Piano Sheet Music

Once you have your tuned piano ready to play, it is time to learn how to play piano, which starts with reading sheet music. Sheet music is the written communication of music that enables you to learn exact compositions. The following elements are important for learning piano sheet music.

Popular Piano Sheet Music:

Staff

The five-line musical staff is the foundation of written music. The lines and spaces represent unique notes, and perpendicular bar lines separate the musical measures.

Clefs

The following are the two musical clefs used in piano compositions that differentiate the use of the musical staff:

Treble clef: also known as the G clef, the treble clef is generally played by the right hand and mostly includes the keys to the right of middle C.
Bass clef: also known as the F clef, the bass clef is generally played by the left hand and mostly includes the keys to the left of middle C.

Notes

Musical notes indicate not only the tone to play but also the melody. The look of the note itself indicates the amount of time (in beats) that the note is held.

A whole note resembles an oval and is held for four beats (an entire measure).
A half note resembles a "d" and is held for two beats (half of a four-beat measure).
A quarter note resembles a "d" with the bottom part filled in. It is held for a single beat (a quarter of a four-beat measure).
An eighth note resembles a "d" with a tail added to the top of the stem. It is held for half a beat (one-eighth of a four-beat measure).
A sixteenth note adds a second tail to the stem of an eighth note. It is held for a quarter of a single beat (one-sixteenth of a four-beat measure).

Accidentals

Accidentals are used to enable all 12 possible music notes to appear on the five-line staff. The primary accidentals include "flats", which resemble a "b" and instruct the musician to play down a half step than the note on the staff, and "sharps", notated with a "#" that instructs playing a half step up. A "natural" symbol is used to tell the musician to disregard previous accidentals.

Time Signatures

Sheet music communicates rhythmic duration as well as notes and melody. The time signature included at the front of the staff shows how many beats are included per measure. The most frequently used time signature is 4/4, also known as "common time", which denotes four quarter-notes in each measure. 3/4 time and 6/8 time are also found often in piano sheet music.

Top Sheet Music for Beginners

Piano sheet music for beginners is written to engage novice musicians who are ready to play actual songs but are still mastering their ability to read music. Beginner sheet music offers simplified versions of familiar songs that will hold interest without frustrating those just learning to play piano. These pieces often include fingering numbers to help position the fingers and are frequently available with big notes for ease of reading. From classical pieces to contemporary tunes, beginner sheet music is available to suit a variety of musical tastes and engage musicians in the early stages to provide a feeling of accomplishment.

Musicnotes cultivates learning for all skill-levels by providing sheet music for beginners, intermediate players, and experts. Shop a variety of piano sheet music for any genre today to get started.

Popular Piano Sheet Music For Beginners