I noticed that too.

But I liked his performance.

Me too, it's a pity that Matthew felt obliged to delete the video...

But I liked his performance.

Unless your keyboard is a special left-handed type, the video is left-right reversed...

I was hoping that my somewhat unique situation—playing for three years on digitals before ever really touching a real piano—would provide some insight in terms of the real implications of learning to play using Pianoteq and midi controllers (or digital pianos in general).

I do feel that, as has been mentioned, the disadvantages are fewer for those who learn on an acoustic instrument and then go digital, than vise-versa. In that former case, it seems that touch, hand position, weight, etc, would already be well established, and consequently adaptable to various actions, including those of digital pianos, as Kridlatec has explained. Before this experience, I was a keen advocate of the controller/Pianoteq combo for beginners; now, however, I would be much more reluctant to recommend them as a starting point for new pianists.

Since moving, I have continued to play on the acoustic grands, making the 2-hour roundtrip commute after work to the university in order to play for a few hours. It's summer, all the practice rooms are empty, and I get to take my pick and the pianos and play my fill.

What I've realized is that it has become harder and harder for me to practice on the digital with Pianoteq. The other day I attempted to do my daily practice routine at home, but after this exposure to the real thing, I got frustrated at the thin, seemingly lifeless sounds coming from my headphones, and then even more frustrated by the weak inboard sounds coming from Kawai ES-7. So I hopped on the bus and headed back to the practice rooms.

Now, while using Pianoteq, I deliberately compensate, unconcerned with how I sound in my headphones (lacking bass, since I'm trying to subdue it), and solely concerned with how my playing will translate to the real grands. I will certainly try to adjust the EQ, as many users have mentioned. However, I already use a the default 'soft' EQ setting, which increases the bass somewhat and is easier on my ears (brighter settings aggravate my tinnitus).

Best regards to all, and happy playing!

Matthew

1. The Sony headphones you are using are excellent, BUT most other sound systems and headphones have more bass to them. So, I recommend you use the EQ tool in PianoTeq to boost the low frequencies.

2. Every piano is different. People forget this when they debate digital vs. acoustic. Seriously, there are no two pianos alike. So... my advice is to practice on the best setup you can, and supplement by taking every possible opportunity to play other pianos. Sounds like you are doing this, and you must continue to do it! Whenever you play, use your ear and work hard to try to get the sound you would like out of the instrument! Adjust ALL THE TIME.

3. Since you have noticed a particular thing that seems to be an issue on every piano, then yes, make the adjustment I mentioned to PianoTeq. Beef up the bass, and then you can practice lightening up on the left hand. It's an issue for every pianist that has to be conquered at some point.

Lanny

Thank you for the helpful responses!

Здравствуйте Kridlatec, и спасибо за ваш ответ!

Да, я очень хорошо понимаю по-русски. Я жил в Москве в течение двух лет, когда я был студентом. Но так как вы говорите по-английски, я буду писать на этом языке, чтобы избежать перевода Google!

Рад слышать, Вы действительно хорошо пишете по-русски. Да, действительно переводу от Google есть куда стремиться

But than - why do you have problems while transitioning from digital instrument to acoustic? Haven't seen your playing, but I believe, this is not the problem of key's hardness: for pianist, who has built his arms (don't know how to say it in english - "постановка руки") there is no matter what keys to play - hard, light, moderate, digital, synth (with button-like keys), grand or upright. No matter, if your arms are "well-educated". Problems begin, when you pay little attention to the touch, and the right motion of an arm, and the weighted footing of the fingers (especially when playing digital keyboards with light or bad mechanics). And unfortunately, it's hard to build all this without teacher.

The prices are really high... In the city, where I live and work (it is big enough - 1,5 mln of population), teachers take 10-30$ (in Moscow prices are higher). And I know some old teachers from music schools, who take 5$/hour, though it is very scanty May be, you can find some educational videos on youtube.

It would be good, if you record on video how you play Grand piano (hands - from shoulder to fingers). Cause it's hard to advise without watching.

Paul H

The fact is that touch varies from acoustic upright to acoustic upright and from grand to grand. The best most of us can hope for is have regular access to a good acoustic grand in order to complement our digital practice.

Not to mention the huge differences between uprights and grands, due to quite different actions. A grand action with double escapement (as is the standard today) feels and acts quite different from an upright action, especially when repetition behaviour is concerned (e.g. when playing very fast trills). To make a long story short: every piano is different, and differences between individual instruments can IMHO actually be greater than the mean differences between acoustic and high-quality electronic instruments nowadays.

It is quite interesting however, that you mention a Kemble upright actually having a significantly lighter touch than a Bösendorfer grand, albeit a baby grand. I would almost be tempted to suggest having that Bösendorfer's action calibrated.

Before despondency sets in for you, I have had a similar experience going from my upright Kemble acoustic piano to a 5 foot Bosendorfer mini grand. The Kemble has a feather like touch as Evil Dragon has observed, and the grand has a firmer, less sensitive touch and a wider dynamic range that is highly disconcerting. I've had to re-adjust my touch and the transformation is taking time. I've been researching the touch of a number of digital piano's and the only one I've found that resembles a full grand piano (a C3X Yamaha for comparison in my case) is the hybrid Yamaha Avant Grand N2. The trouble is its so expensive you might as well spend a bit extra on a silent acoustic. I've tried a range of Kawai's including the CA95, CS10 and MP11, the Roland LX15e and the Yamaha CLP 585. They all have a compromised feel one way of another as least in my opinion. The fact is that touch varies from acoustic upright to acoustic upright and from grand to grand. The best most of us can hope for is have regular access to a good acoustic grand in order to complement our digital practice.

Paul H

I would consider a well-developed left hand an asset rather than a liability. Much easier to balance it, than to have to bring it up. You just have to get used to playing grands, but the same would apply if you came from an upright.

Also, my advice would be to 'relish' the sound of the bass. After all, this is what makes a grand piano a grand piano. You would not build 500 kg, 3 meter long instruments just to have great treble. Mozart, had he had one, would have written considerably fewer Albertine basses, I bet. They are really much more suited to a fortepiano. On a decent grand all you can do is go Debussy on them.

I very much subscribe to your conclusion that digital pianos, PT included, are far more forgivinh, and less of a challenge to play, in fact a different instrument from acoustic grands. However, you will just have to adapt what you have learned so far to the world of real pianos. If you are playing Shostakovich after three years, that probably will not take you too long.

But before you go off the deep-end with expensive speakers, I'd give it a try w/ cheap 2.1 computer speakers first and see if the addition of a subwoofer makes a difference.

"The main difference between the mechanism of a real piano and a digital is that, in order to bring the real mechanism into effect, the proper distribution of weight in the hand is necessary, while on the digital piano just the act of pressing itself (no matter how accomplished - with or without weight) creates sound."

(My slightly improved translation )

My impression was that, even on a real piano, all sound production is solely dependent on only the force with which the key is struck, no matter how it's struck. I recall that well-known quote in Geoffrey Payzant's book about Glenn Gould—something along the lines of whether Rubinstein presses the key with the tip of his finger or the tip of his umbrella, if struck with the same velocity, the sound produced will always be the same (forgive the quote from memory).

You are completely right, of course. This discussion always starts anew every now and then, and I seem to remember reading a similar comment with regard to digital pianos not too long ago. The topic at that time was that a digital piano supposedly could not reproduce differences in sound caused by the player's 'touch', which is essentially the same argument. If you take a look at the mechanism that strikes the string, that's simply impossible, however. Not just improbable, but "anything else would break the laws of physics"-impossible, I'm sorry.

The escapement mechanism ensures that the hammer is swinging freely in the moment it strikes the string. The only parameter left that can change the sound that is produced is the hammer's velocity. And before it escapes, it is connected to the key, i.e., the hammer's velocity is determined solely by the velocity of the key. Until the damper comes down, that's all there is to it. Even an acoustic piano is a machine. A beautifully complicated one, but still.