So long sheet music, hello iPad.

The writing has been on the wall for years, but the iPad is definitely speeding up the obsolescence of printed music.  After 61 years of selling printed music, our retail store front is in the process of having a fire sale on our remaining sheet music and books because of this quickly developing trend — and the trend is here to stay.   Why?  The notion that all of your printed music can be neatly organized on an iPad or similar tablet is a dream come true for musicians in more ways than one can initially imagine:

• No need to create room in your home to store all your music
• Your entire library can be taken with you anywhere and accessed instantly
• Your current music can be scanned into the iPad
• No need to worry about books closing on you while you’re performing
• Your markings and notations can be temporary
• No need for a music light since the iPad is backlit
• You can purchase whatever music you would like right on your iPad and have it instantly
• You can accurately turn pages with the swipe of your finger (or with a bluetooth pedal)
• Interactive sheet music / MIDI is coming from PianoDisc for your player piano
• All sorts of  apps are being developed to cater to every musical need.
• No more need for rare scores to be “out of print”
• MIDI sheet music will allow you to hear the selection you purchased and even offer accompaniment

This trend is also going to likely have an effect on the way music racks are designed on pianos as well.  Many popular professional upright pianos already have a problem holding up books, let alone the sheet music created from printing purchased music on a home computer printer.  Securely holding up an iPad isn’t even on piano manufacturers’ radars yet but it better be soon!  It wouldn’t surprise us if we start seeing a USB charging station embedded into the music racks of pianos with a power cord coming out the back of the piano!

A dozen used pianos for sale added this week!

If you’re in the market for a good used piano, we have just added more than a dozen of them to our inventory! Be sure to read our “Buying Tips” page to get candid advice on how to buy a piano.

An amazing “Starving Artist” grand piano just arrived

It has been years since we have been this excited about a used grand piano in our inventory. We have recently consigned an obscure British-made Danemann 6’4″ grand piano that is a musical gem.

How it got to the U.S. is still unclear, as the Danemann piano brand was never widely distributed in the U.S., and certainly not when this one was made. What we do know is that it’s an amazingly high quality piano that has an incredibly dynamic, singing tone with an action that allows an artist to bring out the unlimited palate of tone colors it is capable of producing. The piano also has a perfect set of original, single-piece ivory keys — an extremely rare, valuable feature. It’s almost impossible that this little known brand created such an incredible instrument without gaining greater notoriety.

So why is it part of Cordogan’s “Starving Artist Series?” Because the ebony finish didn’t weather 50 years as well as the piano, so we’re going to leave the finish as is in order to keep the price down and give it every opportunity to find its way into the hands of another artist.

If you’re looking for a great quality artist grand on a budget, you need to experience this piano. You will think you’re playing a Bosendorfer.

Video coming soon…if it doesn’t sell first.