[Piano] How to choose to buy a piano? Matters needing attention in choosing piano

Notes on Choosing a Piano The piano is a valuable musical instrument with high technical content and sophisticated structure. A piano has more than 8000 parts, all of which need very precise machining. Any machining deviation may become a failure in long-term use. Therefore, when purchasing pianos, it is necessary to examine the production process of pianos from many aspects and carefully select the piano that suits you best. Moreover, the service life of the piano is often as long as ten years or even decades, so it is extremely important to carefully select a high-quality piano when buying. First, before buying a piano, please know several standards to measure the quality of the piano: 1. Sound quality: Sound quality refers to the color of piano sound, which probably includes: the purity of sound, the texture of sound, the sensitivity of sound, etc. Purity means that the timbre is clean, and the sound is clean, transparent and noiseless. The texture of sound refers to the characteristics of timbre itself, and each brand of piano is very different, which is related to the preferences of the people who buy it. Some people like the atmosphere and openness of the voice, while others like the softness and quietness of the voice. A good piano timbre should be pure, mellow and vigorous, not too thin and too thin, with a certain thickness, especially in the high-pitched area. The bass area should be clear and not turbid. The timbre of the whole sound area should be unified and the harmony should be strong, that is, the sounds should be held together. Generally speaking, you can choose a piano with a far-reaching and peaceful sound, but it should not be too open or too soft. The sensitivity of sound refers to the sensitivity of sound color change. A good piano can express the subtle emotional changes of the player through color, which is difficult for people who are not engaged in piano major to distinguish. 2. Touch: Touch refers to the player's feelings about the mechanical performance of the piano. Including mechanical reaction speed, bond dropping weight, bond dropping depth, etc. Touch should not only make beginners feel comfortable, but also make accomplished players feel comfortable. Another key problem to improve the tactile sensation is to adopt an accurate and trouble-free hitting mechanism. If the tolerance of piano parts can reach one hundredth of a millimeter, the result is that the volume can be uniform, the touch can be uniform, and the maintenance times can be reduced. This aspect can be selected according to the condition of the child's hand. Children, small hands and light arms can choose pianos with sensitive mechanical response and light touch. In addition, the mechanical properties can be changed by adjusting the piano tuner. An experienced Piano tuner can adjust the mechanical properties of the piano according to the characteristics of the player. 3. Workmanship: refers to the overall manufacturing level of the piano, including the appearance of the piano, the quality of paint, the accuracy of machinery and so on. 4. stability and durability: every piano should be tuned regularly, and one of the reasons why the piano is out of tune is that the strings are too tense? (about 20 tons). Therefore, the back frame structure of the piano should be carefully designed to improve the efficiency of strain resistance and prolong the adjustment interval. The method of adjusting the needle and string can also improve the stability and accuracy of tuning. The piano is a very durable musical instrument. Everyone hopes that the performance, sound and appearance of the piano will remain unchanged for a long time. Only by carefully selecting materials, using advanced production equipment and strict quality management in the whole manufacturing process can the piano have good durability. Second, other considerations other than the above factors 1. Placement environment: When purchasing a piano, you should not only consider your personal interest in timbre, but also consider the environment in which the piano is placed at home and its influence on others. The timbre and loudness of the piano are related to the surrounding environment, so environmental factors should also be considered when choosing a piano. The loudness of the piano can vary with the size of the room and the amount of sound-absorbing materials. Putting the piano in a big and empty room can increase its loudness and brighten the timbre together; Putting the piano in a room with a small area and many sound-absorbing materials can reduce the volume, and the timbre will be softer and darker to some extent. When you want to put a piano in a room with a large room and few furniture, but you don't like the excessive volume, you can choose a piano with a softer tone; When I want to put the piano in a small room with more furniture, but I want to get a piano with brighter tone. You should consider choosing a bright and loud piano. 2. Piano model: When choosing a piano, I often find myself picky about many models and styles, and I don't know which one to choose. What kind of piano should I choose? It's best to measure it comprehensively according to your own needs, economic situation, playing environment, hobbies and the quality of the piano. In view of the fact that you don't know which model to buy when choosing a piano, you can summarize the following situations: according to the different specifications of the piano, the volume of the piano should be different. Usually, a larger piano has relatively long strings and a relatively large soundboard, so in general, the sound of a grand piano should be louder than that of a small piano. Piano volume is designed according to its different uses and different requirements. Only with the piano quantity can we have specific piano specifications. What kind of piano specifications are needed, in addition to the use requirements, but also according to the placement environment to determine. Generally speaking, most domestic pianos are small and medium-sized upright piano or small grand piano. Because small and medium-sized upright piano not only has a suitable volume in the living room, but also has a mid-pedal mute function specially used for practicing piano at home. The pianos with various styles and paint colors are designed to meet different indoor environments and different aesthetic tastes. For the choice of piano appearance, it is best to combine your own aesthetic taste and consider the placement environment after buying it back. Piano is not only an elegant instrument to meet the needs of music, but also a work of art with furnishings. When considering the paint color of the piano appearance, it is best to consider whether it is in harmony with the furniture at home. 3. Brand: Looking at the pianos currently on the market, many of them are foreign brands, and only a few pianos with China brands are Xinghai and Zhujiang. Except imported pianos, such as Steinway and Boston in Germany, Yamaha and Kawai in Japan, most foreign brands of pianos are not imported from overseas, nor are they imported by Sino-foreign joint ventures and advanced equipment, not to mention imported parts introduced by so many merchants. In fact, most foreign pianos come from small and medium-sized piano factories, and their equipment conditions and technical strength are far behind those of large state-owned piano enterprises such as Beijing Piano Factory and Guangzhou Piano Factory. Choosing a well-known foreign piano brand can achieve the purpose of grandstanding and increasing sales, and also cater to some people's foreign worship psychology. Therefore, the quality of foreign brands of pianos is not necessarily high, so don't blindly trust foreign brands when choosing pianos. It is best to consult relevant brands in the industry in advance and decide which brand to buy after mastering the details. 4. Style and quality: Many manufacturers make a fuss about the appearance of the piano, and the appearance of the piano produced is varied, which caters to many people's pursuit of novelty and novelty. Especially for some small and medium-sized piano enterprises with weak technical force, in order to win more customers and higher profits. The most important thing for a piano is its performance. On the premise of good sound quality and mechanical performance of the piano, consider choosing a favorite appearance style. World-famous pianos, such as Steinway piano in Germany and Yamaha piano in Japan, are simple, steady and generous in appearance, but their internal quality is incomparable with other pianos. Therefore, when buying a piano, you should pay special attention. 5. Playing experience: First of all, choose the keys of the piano, which should be light in touch, important and appropriate, flexible in action and sensitive in voice control. At this time, you can play chromatic scales, arpeggios and chords repeatedly. You can know whether the keys of this piano are sensitive or not by playing, and you can also hear whether the timbre of the piano is uniform in the whole range. The ideal piano sound should be soft with rigidity. The volume of the whole range is even, which can clearly express the weakest sound ppp to the strongest sound fff in music. Pay attention to check the keys of this piano. The surface of the key should give people a smooth, smooth and even cracked feeling. And the sinking depth of the keys should be consistent. Also pay attention to check the function of the pedal. The pedal should be smooth and silent during the movement, and it can sensitively show continuous sound and weak sound. Iii. Some experiences and precautions 1. When buying a piano, you should carefully look at its outer plate texture, paint decoration, assembly process and so on. Upper door, lower door, top cover, side plate, sanitary plate cover, etc. Shells are all made of important wood. Logs for high-grade pianos popularize synthetic wood for pianos, and the most feared thing is to use waste boards. This kind of piano is often beautifully wrapped in veneer. The brighter the paint, the better. For example, a cheap mirror looks bright. And a good mirror not only shines clearly, but also has a sense of hierarchy. Piano paint should have a certain thickness and durability, and the reflected shadow should have a three-dimensional effect. Very bright and "perfect" lacquer decoration, sometimes cheap furniture lacquer decoration. The fineness of assembly can reflect the technical level of the piano. The piano shell with good technology has compact assembly, smooth lines and even movement gap (about 1mm). Open the keyboard cover, the skilled keyboard is flat and the key gap is symmetrical; The buttons are elastic and feel tight. Open the piano cover, the clearance of the hammer is very uniform, and the chord circle on the chord pin should be three and a half times as the standard; The winding copper wire of the left chord should be at the same height. Look at the sound board in the back carefully. The external characteristics of high-quality soundboard are fine texture, uniform color, flat surface and tight assembly. 2. How to listen to the sound quality when buying a piano is the most critical link. It's noisy and noisy in the music shop, and the intonation is often poor because of traffic and other reasons. How to listen? Here are several methods for your reference; Listen to its pronunciation. Don't let go of the keys after playing. The longer the reverberation time, the better. Listen to whether the pronunciation is uniform. It is best not to buy a piano with a short bass; In addition, a certain sound is particularly sharp and harsh, and the bass has the phenomenon of "hemp sound", which are all manifestations of inconsistent pronunciation. Listen to see if it's full. * * * The sound of the piano is mellow, and there is no noise. * * * Those who sing badly, with hard pronunciation and heavy initials, can't spread far. Only by listening carefully and comparing carefully can you buy a satisfactory piano. 3. Play it gently and feel whether Bond is sensitive. A piano with a good feel is easy and flexible to play and has a sense of depth; Black and white keys's elasticity is similar, and the buttons have the feeling of "snapping fingers". Play hard. If the keys explode, it means something is wrong, especially at the junction of high and low notes. Check the degree of connection. If you have a certain piano playing ability, you'd better play some arpeggios or wide sentences, vibrato, vibrato and so on repeatedly. Test its feel and timbre on the selected piano. Check the pedal. Play chords, then step on the right pedal and listen to the sound. When the pedal is released, the sound will completely disappear without any noise. It is particularly important that the keys can remain sensitive when pedaling while playing. Piano is a durable product. A high-quality piano can last for 60 to 70 years. Even a pianist can hardly judge this index. Therefore, the simple way is to know the factory that produces pianos. Usually, the product quality of famous brands and old factories is trustworthy. Try to buy local products, which can not only avoid the influence of climate differences on the piano, but also be relatively cheap and convenient for after-sales service. 5. When the quality, timbre and playing sense are similar at the same price, buy cheap ones; It is more cost-effective to buy a cheap imported piano than to buy a famous domestic piano. It needs training to judge piano timbre and touch keys. However, as the saying goes, you are not afraid of not knowing the goods, but you are afraid to shop around. On the basis of acceptable price, as long as you compare several kinds of pianos repeatedly (a little gravity keystroke, loud and low voice) and trust your own judgment, you will definitely be able to choose your favorite piano.