Yamaha Digital Piano vs Yamaha Acoustic Piano

What are the advantages of digital and acoustic pianos?

Digital Pianos

A digital piano is a wonderful alternative to its acoustic counterpart - one of their initial attractions for many pianists is that they can be significantly more affordable. For many families, an acoustic piano would be difficult to afford and as a beginner, it is impossible to properly progress without being able to practice regularly; having access to a piano (acoustic or digital) in the home is virtually essential.

Digital pianos are generally more compact and can easily fit into the home. Some are also portable, making them a great option for gigging players or for homes where room doesn't allow the piano to be out permanently.

Digital pianos don't require maintenence as an acoustic piano does - there is no need to call out a professional piano tuner every 6 months. Not only does a digital piano not require tuning but, due to the nature of the product, it can go into any room of the house as moisture, humity and heat will not have the same negative impact as they would on an acoustic instrument.

As with our Silent and TransAcoustic pianos, digital pianos offer headphone connections and volume controls - a fantastic choice if your neighbours are particularly close or when you need to practice all through the day and night without disturbing anybody.

Digital pianos can also be a useful learning tool; many models have lesson guidance systems (using on-screen sheet music and key lights) as well as recording abilities which allow the player to review their sessions. They also have a range of built in sounds - even the most basic models usually include electric piano, organ and string orchestral sounds - so you are not restricted to just the piano timbre.

Acoustic Pianos

That's not to say acoustic pianos are without their own advantages. Acoustic pianos produce sound from the hammers striking the strings causing the solid wood soundboard to resonate and amplify the sound. The full, amazing sensation a pianist feels when playing an acoustic piano is impossible to replicate digitally (our hybrid AvantGrand and NU1 models get incredibly close to the full experience using a combination of acoustic and digital technologies).

And for those who want the touch and feel of an acoustic piano but don't want to miss out on multiple sounds and app-connected features of the digital domain, our Silent, TransAcoustic and Disklavier models build those technologies into our acoustic models opening up a world of possibility. 

A piano is very often a piece of furniture as well as an instrument, something our piano crafters are very aware of. As such, as well as offering different styles of cabinet, we make them in a choice of polished and wooden finishes - there's something to suit every home. 

For players looking for an instrument for the shorter term, acoustic pianos historically hold more of their value over time compated to digital pianos (occassionally values may even increase after purchase, especially with limited edition models).