To first-time buyers, piano costs can be downright disheartening. You can get a decent starter guitar for about $100, but pianos start at about twice that, and we’re talking extremely entry-level models. But in music circles, it’s a well-known secret that manufacturers’ price lists are always inflated—it gives dealers some wiggle room for discounts. If you look around and do your research, you’ll find that the costs aren’t as daunting as they seem.

Digital stage pianos are the most affordable kind, and are a good choice for young learners or those who just want to see if they’re into it. A decent model will cost $300, although you can find discounted ones for a little over $200. The sound selection will be limited and quality won’t be at par with a grand piano, but for its purposes it does the job pretty well. At the very least it’s good for learning the basics without taking on the full piano cost.

An upright piano has a vertical frame and strings, making it more compact than a grand and a better fit for homes. Prices range from $2,000 to $4,000, so it’s best for intermediate to advanced users. Many piano learners use this at home and rent bigger ones at professional studios. Most shops arrange them according to height and classify anything taller than 42 to 45 inches (studio pianos) as uprights.

Prices start to vary a little more when it comes to grand and baby grand pianos. About $2,000 will get you a lower-end baby grand, but some models go for tens or hundreds of thousands. Brand names also come into play; Steinway and C. Bechstein are some of the most popular ones. The latter has a 9’2” concert grand valued at over $200,000, plus shipping and taxes.

Your best bet, as with any other big-ticket item, is to look in the secondhand market. A slightly used model can go for as much as 40% below retail price, although there’s no guarantee of quality. If you’re not an expert on the matter, it’s best to have a more knowledgeable friend check it out in person.

If you’re just starting out, renting is also an option. You can rent low-end pianos for about $30 a month and luxury ones for up to $400, but prices really run the gamut and it’s a matter of finding what you need. The main advantage is that you can rent it for as long as you need, and splurge on your own when you can comfortably afford it.

Learn and Master Piano Website www.learnandmasterpiano.com

Learn and Master Piano is one of the most comprehensive learn to play piano courses currently on the market.  The course was released in 2007 and quickly became a favourite for people looking to learn the piano at home due to the quality content and excellent teaching that make up Learn and Master Piano.  As with many of the top music education programs Learn and Master Piano is made up of a combination of DVDs, workbooks, audio CDs and some extra features that are available online.  Using a combination of visual and audio resources Learn and Master Piano is great for people with differing learning skills.

The Learn and Master Piano course has been designed specifically for people who are beginners at playing the piano but is also an excellent resource for those with some piano experience and are looking for a course that will enhance their skills.  Learn and Master Piano can also be used to teach children the piano.  This course is not specifically designed for children however it can be suitable for older children upward of 12 years old with little to no modification of the lesson content.

Learning to play the piano is a challenge so it is important that any lessons or instruction that you receive are given by a qualified teacher that has experience with teaching the piano.  Learn and Master Piano provides you with instructors that have a vast amount of experience in teaching and playing piano and this experience is evident in the quality video lessons and the supplementary features of this piano course.

As with many of the multimedia music courses on the market Learn to Master Piano contains video lessons on DVD, Play along sessions on CDs, a comprehensive work book and access to extra features online such as a student forum.  The DVDs are the bulk of the Piano course and feature 28 video lessons which are professionally produced and feature great extras such as a virtual keyboard which makes it easy to follow what is being played during the lesson.  The CDs contain 120 practice songs which have been produced so that you can play with or without the piano and band and there is also a choice of tempo for each track.  The work book included in Learn and Master Piano is an important part of the course and is designed to be followed while viewing the video lessons.  The work book is also a great resource that can be used during practice without the video lessons.

Learn and Master Piano is one of the best multimedia learn to play piano courses on the market.  The professional nature of the video lessons and the step by step learning make this a great resource for beginner and intermediate piano players.

For more information go to the website www.learnandmasterpiano.com