Electronic Vs. Acoustic Pianos

[DGPEAKE@aol.com]

Jeff,

In response to you letter about Electric vss. Acoustic,  a lot of church
pianos have problems with strings breaking.  I can sympathize with them
having to spend so much money servicing these pianos.  Fortunately, I have a
church piano that I service once a month and they are purists.

I am one who would hate to see the acoustic piano replaced.  Indeed it would
be bad for all of us.  There are 3 questions I always ask when the subject
comes up.  What is the electronic worth in a year or two vss. an acoustic
piano.  Can you find an electronic piano that has the escapement feel
(letoff) that an acoustic piano has?  And finally, does an electronic piano
sound exacly like an acoustic piano?

Point two is the one I am very concerned about.  I had an organ teacher in
college tell me he would rather play the organ.  When I has to play the
piano, he pretends it is an organ.  If an individual is learning to play the
piano,  the machanical workings of the acoustic piano is important to
developing the proper technique and touch.  Organs and electric pianos should
come later.  After all, they are what enhances keyboard playing in the long
run.


Dave Peake, RPT