[UrLicht]

Also, if you're at least semi-serious about becoming good at piano, you'll want a real one because of the action (and if you're really serious about it, you'll want a grand). Digital pianos, while having improved over previous models, are still not close enough to the feel of a real piano to give you good tactile feedback and therefore good technique.

[marquis]

I'll be building a special room for a grand in my new house, and I'm terrified of the things. I grew up playing upright and when concerts came around that involved a hall and a grand I simply didn't know how to manage the sheer force of sound that comes out. Quite majestic but I agree, if you want to be an accomplished pianist of any level it's the investment you need to make.

[bryanlarsen]

Actually, I find that real pianos tend to be more forgiving of sloppy techniques than fake pianos are. In particular, I tend to partially depress keys while my fingers are resting on them. On a digital piano, they will often sound whereas they do not on an traditional piano.

That could be because I learned on a real piano, I acquired sloppy habits that a real piano forgives. Perhaps people learning on a digital would learn different sloppy habits that only a digital would forgive.