In today's internet society, there is nothing stopping a person from exploring their interest in playing a piano.

Well maybe one...expense. But for a beginner, you don't need to invest thousands of dollars just to discover later that playing the piano isn't for you. You can start out with a simple and inexpensive roll up keyboard that you are able to store when you are done using it.

Or if you like, there are the auction sites like E-Bay that you can pick up a second hand standard keyboard. And download, for a small fee, piano lessons from the internet.

If you decide later that you like the piano and think that you may have a talent that you never realized that you had, you can always hire a professional piano teacher and get a better keyboard. It is not easy to decide on what piano is the best for that beginning piano player.

There is no way for a sales person or anyone for that matter to say right away what is the right one.

One of the first things to think about is whether that person has ever played piano before and whether there is anyone else who will play it.

Remember that buying a piano is a major investment. Think about it this way - a piano can cost about the same as a new car or as much as a new house.

The main thing is you really do not want all that money to go to waste if the person decides he really is not as interested as he first thought.

Then there is this to consider...space. Think about it first, you spend thousands of dollars on a very large, very expensive instrument to have it in your living space, taking up room.

And then you have to ask yourself, is anyone going to play it? If not, then maybe just a keyboard is would fit the situation better. If you can honestly answer yes to the above question then what kind to invest in.

Well, there are plenty of manufacturers of good quality pianos that cover a wide spectrum of styles and prices.

There are two types of piano body styles - uprights and grands. While grand pianos have a much better sound, they take up a lot of room, unlike an upright that is much easier on the pocket book and space.

When shopping for your first piano, test the different brands and talk to the sales personnel, technicians, and teachers to start narrowing down the possibilities.

When you have a feel for the manufacturer that will best suit your needs, do yourself a favor and if it is possible, try not to settle on buying the cheapest. The sound and overall quality isn't going to be what you had in mind.

Most manufacturers that are reputable have what is called a "trade up" option that will permit you to trade the current one in for a better model.