The Howard Score

Graham Howard – Author and Piano Advisor.
Email for piano advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk

 

What is the Howard Score?

It is the industry standard rating system for digital pianos.

Every digital piano is evaluated for authenticity on the 13 aspects of key touch and 15 aspects of sound. Each aspect is calculated and multiplied by an importance factor, ending up with an accurate overall authenticity score out of 100.

To receive a free copy just fill in your first name,
email address and the piano(s) you’re interested in:

Why the Howard Score is useful, and what you can use it for…

If you’re deliberating between similar pianos from different makes then you no longer need to spend hours traipsing round different shops to try them out, then trying to remember how each one sounded or how the key touch felt… all you need to do is refer to the Howard Score.

Most piano shops stock only one or two leading piano brands. So it’s virtually impossible to find somewhere that displays lots of different pianos to try out and compare.

You don’t have to go to a piano shop to compare pianos anymore…

Up until now, the only way to compare piano brands and models was to visit 2 or 3 different piano shops. Even if you had the time and patience to do that you’d still have to take notes, or remember how each one felt and sounded…

Now all you need to do is check the Howard Score for each piano!

The Howard Score gives all digital pianos a rating for:

1) Key touch
2) Sound
3) Howard Score (Total Score)

To receive a free copy just fill in your first name,
email address and the piano or pianos you’re interested in (if you know that):

Here is a list of points analysed:

Key Touch (in order of importance – most important first)

1) Key weight (Light-weighted, semi-weighted, weighted, medium-weighted, fully-weighted, heavy-weighted)

2) Touch sensitivity (also known as ‘dynamic levels’) (i) Number of levels: 1,2,3,4 or 5? (ii) Responsiveness of each sensitivity level (Applied force for each sensitivity level to achieve the correct dynamic) (iii) Smoothness when changing between sensitivity levels

3) Resistance on key descent (i) How closely it replicates a real piano on the various stages of descent (ii) Smoothness (Any obstruction or unevenness/unnatural heaviness to the key at any point of descent?)

4) Force and speed replication on key ascent (How close it replicates a real piano)

5) Weight of individual keys compared to adjacent ones

6) Repetition (How easy to play the same note quickly?)

7) Key noise at bottom of keystroke (Volume/pitch of thud) (i) volume mid-way (ii) volume off (The ‘next room test’)

8) Key noise when key returns (Click, thud or plop) (i) volume mid-way (ii) volume off (The ‘next room test’)

9) Sideways play (How much movement? Any clicking apparent from touching adjacent black or white keys?)

10) Feel of key tops under fingers (Smooth? Even? Plasticky? Slippery? Sticky?)

11) Bouncing keys (Do keys bounce at bottom when playing quietly?)

12) Graded hammer action (Yes/no: how accurate is it?)

13) Set-off (Yes/no: how weak or strong?)

Sound (in order of importance – most important first)

1) Tonal quality (Authenticity – how natural it sounds): weak/strong, boomy/clear, muddy/rich, false/pure, harsh/warm, dull/crisp, flat/bright and clarity for the following areas of the keyboard: (i) Bass (ii) Low bass (iii) Low treble (iv) Centre (v) Mid treble (vi) High treble (vii) Top octave

2) Note decay (i) Length of note decay at p, mf, ff – test bass, centre, treble and top (ii) How natural is note decay? – Rate sound natural or synthetic on a sliding scale at p, mf, ff – test bass, centre, treble and top (iii) How good is the looping disguised?

3) Tuning (i) Equal temperament: test accuracy of centre octave, bass and treble (ii) Octave stretching

4) Tonal balance (i) Evenness of tone throughout the keyboard (ii) Smoothness between individual notes and octaves

5) Tone quality and volume level on each sensitivity level

6) Speed of sound response after striking key (Immediate or delay?)

7) Piano sound from the audience’s point of view (i) Listening from a short distance away from the piano (ii) Listening from a nearby room

8) Tonal quality with headphones (The original sound source): weak/strong, boomy/clear, muddy/rich, false/pure, harsh/warm, dull/crisp, flat/bright and clarity for the following areas of the keyboard: (i) Bass (ii) Low bass (iii) Low treble (iv) Centre (v) Mid treble (vi) High treble (vii) Top octave

9) Speaker sound (What type and volume of sound/distortion is coming from the speakers: Hissing? Humming? Crackling?) (i) Whilst playing (ii) With ears close to the speakers

10) Tone quality and crispness level on repetition

11) Distortion test on maximum volume level

12) Harmonics (Are the harmonics clear and correct through each register? Test each sensitivity level)

13) Tone quality when using pedals (i) Sustain pedal (ii) Soft pedal (una corda)

14) Volume (Is it too loud or too quiet on maximum? Is it the same as a real piano on mid setting? Is it still audible on a low setting?)

15) Reverb (i) Reverb turned off (Measurement of natural reverb and string resonance) (ii) Different reverb settings

To receive a free copy of the Howard Score just fill in your first name,
email address and the piano or pianos you’re interested in (if you know that):

Copyright

All contents Copyright © 2018 Graham Howard. All rights reserved.

The Howard Score list by rank, list by brand, list by category, and all content on this page is registered with the UK Copyright Service, registration number 284660139.

This information may be freely distributed in its entirety provided that this copyright notice is not removed. But, no part of it may be published on the internet, or offline, nor copied, reproduced, or altered, without the prior written permission of Graham Howard.

Graham Howard – Author and Piano Advisor.
Email for piano advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
or Call 01327 300 016

 

Comments…

“The Howard Score enabled me to find the best instrument for a price I could afford”

Needed help to decipher which digital piano would best suit my needs. Used the Howard Score, kindly sent by Graham Howard of UK pianos, which enabled me to find the best instrument I could afford. It is concise and informative. His website is full of useful information and reviews which I found most helpful.

Helen Steele

 

“I don’t need to spend hours in the showroom trying pianos!”

Your chart gives me the opportunity to evaluate the sound quality.
And this is well worth while.

Maurice

 

“Thank you for all the information you have painstakingly put together”

As a complete novice I really appreciate it.

Leda

 

“I don’t know how you keep up with all the different models”

Dear Graham,

Many thanks – this is really good stuff. How does the Yamaha CGP 1000 fit in?
One problem with Yamaha in particular is trying to compare the CLP and CVP and hybrid ranges, and you have addressed this quite well.

Many thanks for your efforts in informing us all, and I must come over and visit your shop.

Regards,

Philip

 

“Howard Ranking System is a priceless thing for everyone looking for a digital piano”

I am about to choose a digital piano for myself as have got all necessary information from this and The Digital Piano Bible. Read them carefully. Probably you will never and nowhere find anything similar to it for free and what is more important – in clear and understandable way.
Thank you for the great job.

Dmitriy

 

“The howard score is for anybody who can’t run around shops to try every piano available”

Hi Graham.
It helped me a lot to understand basic parameters and specifications of electronic pianos, to thing about what is important for me and what is not. It helped me to narrow the choice so that finally I had to personally test about 3 models only.
The site will not choose for you. You must always make final decision. Sometimes it is even different from UKpianos recommendations. Choosing piano is very personal.
However, at least you make your decision very well informed.
I can fully recommend this site.

Petr

Graham,

Thanks for your scoring of pianos. I am sure some will be upset that their favourite piano is not listed or poorly rated, and I hasten to add that I am not in that camp.

Regards, Jon

 

“The Howard Score made the whole process of choosing a piano at a distance without a showroom possible”

Coupled with the price, the Howard Scoring helped me whittle down my choices to a manageable number.
I then checked the sound of each instrument on Youtube.
A useful tool in choosing a piano online.
Thank you Howard for spending the time and effort to put this list together.

Review by Louise Langhorn

 

“Highly recommended reading for anyone looking to invest in a piano”

I have been searching for a good second hand Clavinova for around 6 months but not being a player myself (piano is for my 3 kids) I was totally bamboozled by all of the technical jargon I kept coming across. I found Howard Piano Score on line whilst searching for advice.  A couple of clicks and e-mails after I first found the site I found myself reading a buyer’s guide which has helped me so much to better understand exactly what I want and need.  Saved myself from buying what would have been a really poor choice of piano because I had been taken in by the seller’s jargon.  Highly recommended reading for anyone looking to buy a piano (and not wanting to pay a fortune for something which doesn’t meet your needs).