piano myths

Myth #1 -"Bigger pianos always sound better than small pianos"
Why would a big piano that's poorly designed, uses mediocre raw materials and has no reputation for quality among artists and educators sound better than a smaller piano of high quality? Does a big family sedan go faster or handle better than a small sportscar? In a piano, size is primarily related to volume or power. It is true that a good big piano will produce more depth of tone and longer sustain than a good small piano, but that doesn't make it better, only different. A good small piano will always have more character - even richer tone and more power - than a low quality big piano.

Myth #2 - "You should always place your piano on an inside wall"
This may help a low quality piano stay in tune longer if you live in an igloo. But if you don't live in Alaska or Siberia you shouldn't pay much attention to this myth. Owning a high quality piano results in a better performing piano that requires less frequent tuning regardless of where you'd like to place it in your home. Harsh midday direct sun isn't good for your piano finish, just like any piece of furniture, and should be diffused if possible. Other than that, put your piano wherever you like!

Myth #3 - "You have to tune your piano every time you move it"
Again, this is true for low quality pianos. But saying this about all pianos is not true - it's just a great excuse for why that cheaply made piano you just bought sounds so bad by the time it gets delivered. Temperature and humidity changes are primarily responsible for causing pianos to go out of tune. If you own a high quality piano tuning and servicing it once a year is usually sufficient to keep it playing and sounding good.

Myth #4 - "Buy a cheap used piano for you or your child to learn on"
If you wanted to learn to type, would you go out and buy the cheapest old typewriter you could find? How discouraging would it be to learn typing on a machine where the keys were uneven, hard to press and constantly stuck? Learning to play the piano on a battered old upright is starting out with one strike against you. They don't stay in tune, the keys constantly stick and the action is uneven and either too loose or too tight. Does this sound like a good piano to learn on? Music teachers constantly hear: "I'm just a beginner. I don't need anything good." If you're going to play music you deserve the best chance to succeed and enjoy yourself. That's hard to do on a mediocre piano.

Myth #5 - "New pianos are too expensive"
Even if you pay the regular retail price for a good new piano it's a better buy than a bad used one. But at Allegrezza Piano Company, our low overhead, high volume buying power gets you a great price on a quality piano.