1. Many schools will allow you to borrow instruments, at least initially.
2. Otherwise, you have 3 options: hire, hire to buy, or buy outright. Your decision will depend on the cost of the instrument and your pocket. If your child is at a Scottish state school, you could apply for a discount under the VAT Free Assisted Instrument Purchase Scheme.
3. Unless you are are a player yourself, private and online (only) dealers are generally best avoided: instrumental defects are not always obvious, but they discourage a learner.
4. Do consider guaranteed, secondhand instruments, which are often better value. Better quality instruments tend to be more expensive and easier to sell on.
What makes a good learner piano?
To be used as a learning instrument, a keyboard must be touch-sensitive, have a range of 4 octaves and keys of a good width. In order to develop a good technique, a child needs to feel closely connected to the instrument’s mechanism, so that what they do and feel physically affects the sound. For this reason, it is best to source an acoustic piano, not a digital one.
Author
Laura Vida
Feature Writer @Edinburgh Nursery & School Guide
& Freelance Writer lauravidaorg.wordpress.com