I'm thinking of getting a Yamaha NP-30 portable digital piano and wondered if anyone else had one? And if you have, what do you think of it and what other accessories have you bought?

It only has 76 keys. Do you really want to get by with nearly an octave missing? There is a surprising amount of stuff you won't be able to play (or play as written).

The P85 has a full keyboard and is not enormously heavy (12kg - 12 bags of sugar, 5 or 6 bags of potatoes, a quarter sack of coal ...)

I should explain that my reason for wanting to get one is to do with studying composition and theory, rather than wanting to "play the piano" (although you never know, I might get a taste for it ). Because I'm clarinet, I'm finding it annoying now that I'm studying G6 theory that I can't play/hear chords, not only for my own little attempts at composition but studying what the great composers have written. It's got to be very light because the teacher I want to go to in September for lessons says I've to take it with me and it's only 5.4kg, but with the stand and possible accessories, the weight is going to mount up. I know I will probably have got G6 theory by the time I'm able to play it, but the sooner I start the better!



PS. Hope I don't offend you pianists by my reason for wanting to get one

In that case it looks like a very sensible compromise - much better to work with than one of those miserable little 2 octave midi keyboards that attach to your computer. My Yamaha P80 is excellent and the NP30 uses all the same technology, so it should be just as good.

I'll give it three months. You'll have ditched the clarinet and be looking for a Bosendorfer

That's good to know, thanks.





On the other hand if you were to take up the clarinet, you wouldn't be bereft for the next X weeks!

I could be wrong but I think Tom has mentioned on these forums somewhere that he used to play the clarinet when younger!!

That depends how you want to use it. If you want to be able to use it with the computer (e.g. to input stuff into Sibelius) you might find that a miserable little 2 octave job is perfect, because it doesn't take up too much desk space. 76 keys sounds a bit over the top for what skylark has in mind.

Mind you, I started off with a 5-octave Roland keyboard for much the same reasons, and got so hooked that I ended up with an acoustic piano...

Well I've done the deed and ordered the NP30 and it's due to arrive tomorrow - eek!!!

primrose - if I'm honest in the back of my mind, as well as wanting it for the primary purpose mentioned above, is the thought that I'd like to be able to play the piano properly some day , I just don't think I'll ever be able to co-ordinate both hands sufficiently well to do it (let alone read two clefs at once), but at least with this one I keep my options more open than if I'd got a smaller keyboard that attaches to the computer. I'm really looking forward to it

That's what happened to me.

That's different. Good plan!

I just didn't like to admit it!

It is true, but I saw the true light after a couple of years and have not touched a clarinet for 23 years! (But I still have my Blues Harp in G to console me until August 16th - and a chess set!)

It came today and it's beautiful I'm no expert on piano tone but it seems pretty good to my untutored ears and I love it already!

Yes - and it has most of the characteristics of a real piano - the keys have a weighty feel, and you control the volume through touch (the essence of a pianoforte) - so the skills you learn will be transferrable to an acoustic piano.

I might concede two out of three... possibly

I've just been having a dabble on it before I go to bed and it's wonderful!! Already I can see that it's going to be beneficial for the theory side which is what I wanted it for - it's so much easier to see intervals etc.

It's got a few different "voices" and the organ sound is lovely. And I've been picking out Edelweiss and Good King Wenceslas on it

I covered it up for the night now


now as well as