There is no subsitute for the sound and feel of a real piano, and of course for an advanced student a real piano is a necessity. However digital pianos have come a long way and they are somewhat cheap, small and provide some useful features (such has headphone playing, recording, built in metronome). While a digital keyboard is ok to begin with, it absolutely must have a "weighted action". A weighted action allows you to play soft or loud depending on the pressure you apply to the keys of the keyboard: without this feature there is no point in taking lessons because you will not really be able to "make music" with such a keyboard. In general, if you buy a digital keyboard, I would reccomand not to buy expensive and bulky versions such as a Yamaha Clavinova, but instead capitalize on the quality, value and portability of stage keyboards. A Yamaha P60 (around $600-800) or P120 (around $1100-1300) offer identical main features, such as sound and keyboard action, of much more expensive and heavy models. I own a Yamaha P120, and while I use it only for composing and perhaphs some memorization work, it has a great advantage in respect to my grand piano: I can easily take it with me when I go in vacation! If you buy a stage keyboard you should also invest in a portable music stand since the built in stand is generally placed too low for confortable score reading.

Few words on Pianos

There are of course a large number of makers and models, with prices ranging from $1000 to $100,000 plus. So, there is no point in even trying to discuss options. I would make just a few comments. First, try to go for a quality instrument. A piano is a complex mechanical device and very cheap pianos ... don't last! Second, if you have a choice between an upright and grand piano, stick with the upright if the length of the grand piano is less than around 5'5"-5'6". Stay away from so-called mini-grand (5'3"): often a very short grand piano may sound worse than a good upright.

Rentals

Renting an instrument is also a option, although it is very expensive in the long run. Rentals of pianos and digital keyboards are available in many stores in San Francisco.

Pianoforte History. Clik here for a short history of the pianoforte.