Ask the Expert: What Type of Piano Should My Young Child Begin Lessons On?

For many of you raising children in New York City, you know that lack of space is more than a minor issue. When you don’t have room for a piano in your own home, what is your next best option? Founder and director of New York Piano School reveals which portable keyboards are your best bet when your young child starts his beginner piano lessons.

The founder and artistic director of New York Piano School, which provides students of all ages and levels with private piano lessons throughout New York City and on Long Island, suggests the best type of keyboard for your child should you not have space or are not ready to make an investment in an upright piano.

Girl on pianoThe type of piano you want to get depends on whether you want your child to take piano lessons as an after-school program or activity or if you think your child is going to be a professional.

If you child is young, it is okay to start on a portable keyboard, not full sized. Yamaha has many, many models good for children that are also of good quality. When considering your portable keyboard options, I recommend a weighted keyboard. There is a difference between weighted and non-weighted keys. Weighted keys make it feel like your child is playing on and touching real keys (of an upright or grand piano), which will make an impact later on. If interest in piano persists, invest in something substantial, like an upright piano.

Dina Paolucci is the founder and artistic director of New York Piano School that uses Russian Piano Pedagogy in private piano lessons in New York City and on Long Island for students of all ages and levels. This legendary method emphasizes technique, phrasing, touch and tone control by beginning with hearing, seeing, and playing, which differs from the American method of seeing, playing, then hearing.