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What accessories really are worth you hard earned money?
These are not necessarily the most exciting purchases in the world, but they can make a real difference to your piano which people often over look!
Some of them are also the sort of thing you might not think about when buying your first digital piano.
I’m starting with probably the least glamorous item on the list, but PLEASE, buy a dust cover for you pianos without a lid.
Dust can gradually work its way down between the keys. We have customers come to us with keys that are sticking or not moving properly, and we often find that a build-up of dust is part of the problem.
The piano may then need a proper clean inside, which is a lot more hassle and money than simply covering it when you are not using it.
It is such a small purchase, but it can help protect the instrument you have just spent a lot of money on. Definitely worth it.
Many portable digital pianos come with a small sustain pedal in the box. It will work, but it is not always particularly enjoyable to use.
The lightweight pedals can slide around underneath your foot, especially if you are playing on a hard floor. They also do not feel as substantial, and I find they give you less confidence and control when playing.
Something like the Yamaha FC4A feels much more like a proper piano pedal. It stays in place better and feels far more natural underneath your foot.
It might sound like a small upgrade, but constantly chasing a sustain pedal across the floor gets annoying very quickly.
When you first get a piano, one of the biggest questions is usually: what am I actually going to play?
That is why I think a Flowkey subscription is genuinely worthwhile for beginners.
One of my favourite features is Wait Mode. The app listens to what you are playing and will not move on until you play the correct note. It means you can take your time rather than feeling like the music is racing ahead of you.
You can also practise a small chunk of music over and over again until you know it, instead of trying to tackle the entire piece at once.
There are lessons for reading music and improving your technique too, so it is not just about copying songs from the screen.
Most importantly, it works around your schedule. You can practise for ten minutes when you have a spare moment or spend much longer on it when you have the time. There is no pressure to fit your learning into a set lesson time.
If you want to learn to play the piano properly, weighted keys are absolutely worth paying for.
They give you a much more realistic playing experience and help you develop the finger strength and control needed to play expressively.
They are also important for muscle memory. When you regularly practise on properly weighted keys, your hands begin to learn how a real piano responds.
This makes it much easier when you eventually sit down at an acoustic piano. You will already be used to putting some weight behind the keys rather than suddenly discovering that they feel completely different from a light keyboard.
You do not need the most expensive key action available as a beginner, but I would always prioritise weighted keys if your goal is to learn the piano.
One of the biggest benefits of owning a digital piano is being able to practise through headphones.
That only really works well, though, if the headphones are comfortable and allow you to hear the piano properly.
Cheap or uncomfortable headphones can make longer practice sessions feel tiring, and poor sound can make even a lovely digital piano sound disappointing.
Yamaha’s HPH range gives you a few options depending on your budget.
The HPH-50 is a good affordable starting point for everyday practice. The HPH-100 is a step up and would probably be the sensible all-round choice for many players. The HPH-150 has a more open and spacious feel, although its open-back design means people nearby may hear some of what you are playing.
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These items are sold on behalf of Yamaha, and are sent to us on a per-order basis, typically within 5-7 working days, unless an ETA is otherwise stated.
We'll contact you the moment your purchase arrives with us to organise delivery, based on your selected option.
Example products: Yamaha DGX670, Yamaha P-525, Yamaha YDP-S55, Yamaha Clavinova.
These items must be sent with a heavy-goods courier (typically APC or FedEx). On occasion, depending on which is fastest, we will drop-ship directly from Yamaha to your address via Dachser.
Tracking will be provided by the haulier, with a typical arrival time of 1-2 working days.
*If you have included the optional £180 "Yamaha Premium Service" home delivery & setup option offered on selected products, we will contact you regarding arrangements after purchase.
**The Yamaha CSP Series, Yamaha CVP905 & CVP909, Yamaha CLP875, 885 & 895GP, and Yamaha NU1Xa are all sold on behalf of Yamaha and arrive with us on a per-order basis. As soon as your piano has arrived, we will contact you to organise the appropriate dispatch method. ETA for stock is shown on the product page for those items.
***If you have included the optional £99 home delivery & setup option offered on selected products, we will send your details direct to the installation team, who will contact you within 48 hours to make arrangements.
Depending on which option is most appropriate, we will either contact you to discuss a bespoke ePianos delivery surcharge for goods we can’t package for a 3rd party courier, or otherwise dispatch goods via FedEx or APC.
If a courier is used, tracking will be provided by them directly, with a typical arrival time of 1-2 working days.
Example products: Yamaha PSR-SX920, Yamaha P-225, Yamaha NP-15.
These items will be sent via courier (typically APC or FedEx). On occasion, depending on which is fastest, we will drop-ship directly from Yamaha to your address via UPS or Parcelforce.
Tracking will be provided by the courier, with a typical arrival time of 1-2 working days.
Smaller items, such as books, discs, etc, will be dispatched via Royal Mail second class.
After purchase, you can download the file either from the order confirmation page or the "Downloads" tab in "My Account".
If you have selected the option to receive a pre-loaded USB stick, then this will be dispatched via Royal Mail.
We will contact you regarding any pre-ordered items, and let you know when they arrive so as to arrange delivery with you at a convenient time.
Used items can also be purchased using either of the following options (minimum loan amount of £250 after deposit):
Total amount payable: £893.32
Available finance options are displayed at checkout. Alternatively, please get in touch and we’ll be happy to discuss the options, or email a finance application to you. Find out more by clicking here
Our seasonal opening hours are as follows:
We are closed on all bank holidays, therefore the processing of sales and deliveries will be delayed.
For orders of any stock displaying a 7-10 day lead time, we will contact you as soon as the item arrives with us to schedule a delivery with you.
Occasionally, there may be availability issues with our suppliers, in which case we'll get in touch with you to see if you're happy to wait, or if you'd like to cancel the order and receive a full refund.
This is a special order "agency" item, and comes to us directly from Yamaha on a per-order basis.
It typically takes 7-10 days for this item to arrive with us, whereupon we'll contact you to discuss the arrangement of delivery.
For any pre-orders, we will contact you as soon as the item arrives with us to schedule a delivery with you, and update you with an ETA.
Occasionally, there may be availability issues with our suppliers, in which case we'll get in touch with you to see if you're happy to wait, or if you'd like to cancel the order and receive a full refund.
*Cashback amount varies product to product, as indicated.
Comments:
Is it possible to use Bluetooth head phones with Genos2?
Not directly, unfortunately. The Bluetooth on Genos2 is designed to receive audio from a phone, tablet or similar device, rather than transmit the Genos2 sound to Bluetooth headphones.
For headphones, you’ll need to use the wired headphone connection, or a separate Bluetooth transmitter if you really want to go wireless. 🎧
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