Hello World! I finally got what I’ve always wanted! A digital piano! I’ve been longing to buy a new piano ever since I sold my classical piano a few years back but I keep putting off that idea till now. I want to keep to my new year resolution of going back to making music so I thought, boy, I really need to act upon my desires right now!
My musical journey with piano hasn’t always been a smooth-sailing one. I started learning piano since I was 8 years old because I was fascinated by how the individual sounds of each piano keys would be woven together to form a melodious piece of music. So I was like, ‘ Mummy! I want to learn how to play the piano.’ Right away, she brought me to the nearest community centre to sign up for piano courses. That’s how it all started. But at some point in time, I was ‘distracted’ by my studies and other pursuits in life so I decided to stop learning piano for a while. To be frank, perhaps it’s just an excuse as I give up easily when I stumble upon difficult piano pieces. I should have persisted on and practise hard to perfect it but I just wasn’t determine enough.
It’s only after A Levels and some prep talk from my mum that I shouldn’t stop what I’ve already started before , that I felt that I still have a passion for playing piano and was eager to get back to it again. It was tough at first. It’s akin to firing up an old cranky engine which hasn’t been functioning for years. My fingers aren’t that flexible and agile as it used to be but I know I just had to persist and at least complete the Grade 8 Piano practical exams.
Well, I did, in the end! But I just barely pass the exams and it was such a close shave! I know where my strengths and weaknesses are so I tried to ‘mask’ my weaknesses by playing the piano pieces with more emotions. My piano teacher believes in me,too, and she knew that I had a flair for piano as my finger touching on the keyboard is good. I love striking and hammering on the keys too but I just couldn’t sight read and play really fast. If only I have more time and knew what I want, I might have taken a different path and ended up in the world of music where I feel that’s where I truly belong. As of now, it seems like it’s gonna be a big detour for me but I know I will get there some day.
Taking on small steps at a time, I wanted to put in my best effort and work hard for my dreams. And my new Casio digital piano is part of this journey to the soul of music. I never knew that digital pianos could sound this fantastic! The beauty of digital pianos lies in the fact that it doesn’t require much maintenance and there’s a room for customizing the sound of the keys. Price-wise, digital pianos are way much cheaper.
The prices for digital pianos could range from a few hundreds to about a few thousand dollars depending on the features, brand and quality. I spent about an hour trying all Casio and Yamaha digital pianos at Best Denki, Orchard and I finally narrowed down to Casio Privia PX-850. Initially, I wanted to get Casio PX-150 that costs way much cheaper but in terms of sound quality, the Casio Privia PX-850 is a hands-down. Since I am capable of earning my own money, I felt that I could splurge a little more to get a great piano so that I would be more motivated to ‘spend time with it’. Yes, it’s almost like this piano is pretty much like a ‘boyfriend’ to me right now.
It’s definitely a pinch in my wallet after forking out S1,799 to buy this baby home but I know it’s all worth it. I could not only just practice my piano playing skills but to also to do recording with the piano!
Here are some features of the Casio Privia PX-850:
- Advanced AiR sound set for added realism
- 88-Keys with scaled hammer action
- Grand piano sound
- 18 Tones with split and layer
- 2-Track recorder
- Dual 20W speaker system
- 3 Pedals
- Durable cabinet with sliding keyboard cover
Ebony and Ivory Feel Keys: This unique texture feel of the keys is present in the newer models of Casio digital pianos. It has this matte-finish instead of the usual shiny and polished-finish in most classical pianos so it took me quite some time to get use to the feel of the keys. Such matte-textured keys prevents scratches on the keys. With the ivory feel of the keys, the fingers can run very quickly across the keys and it allows your fingers to slide pretty smoothly. It would be cool to play ‘The Flight Of Bumble Bee’ on this piano.
Like other digital pianos and electronic keyboard, it has built-in songs, sound effects, recording to built-in memory, recording to USB flash drive and other cool settings that you could customize and play with. It even has a built-in metronome where you could adjust its volume and the beat. Now, who needs to spend thousands of dollars on a classical piano when you can get a much cheaper alternative which replicates the sounds of the grand piano and armed with so many built-in functions?
This digital piano comes with a rather small chair which is not quite sturdy but I guess it could support the weight of anyone sitting on it (I hope).
This audio plug-in function allows me to practice piano in the late evenings without disturbing my family or neighbours.
I have not checked out other brands of digital piano except for Casio and Yamaha but I would say that Casio’s digital pianos are really value for money with its superb sound quality for their higher-end range of digital pianos.
Whether you are into music or not, always remember not to give up on something that you onced had passion for. Stay focus and you’ll be right on track. My musical journey has been a really patchy one but I hope to get back to where I belong and start all over again, even if it means more time and effort from me.
Okay, folks, it’s time for me to jam on the piano.
This piano comes with a free Baby-G watch too! That’s double the joy for me! Maybe it’s a reminder that the clock is ticking and I need to work hard if I want to fulfil my dreams.
What represents the colours of rainbow in your life?
