What the Difference? Piano V Keyboard
When Learning Piano what’s the difference between Piano & Keyboards?
If you are interested in learning the Piano you might be wondering what the difference between the Piano & Keyboard?
The main difference is the number of Keys. On the Keyboard you have 61 Keys, which is 5 Octaves. The Piano on the other hand has 88 Keys, which is the full 8 Octaves. The number of keys impacts the size of the Keyboard so it is smaller than a Piano which makes it more compact and potentially easier to transport. There a Digital Piano’s also, they come in a couple of different forms. The portable option is the Stage Piano, an 88 Note keyboard style instrument.
The keyboard is a digital instrument, you can buy Digital Piano’s also which have 88 keys and the use a similar technology. The sound of the Piano is emulated by the keyboard to produce the sound. In the most modern Digital Piano’s the sound emulation is hyper realistic, which gives a much more impressive experience for the player.
What Are the Key Differences between Keyboard verses Piano?
Piano V Keyboard for Lessons
Although both will produce the sound you are looking for there are a few things that make the experience of learning different. If you are taking or planning on taking Piano lessons you may notice a difference between the instrument in your lesson and the instrument you have at home, that’s perfectly normal!
Take a look through the next few paragraphs to see what these differences are and if you feel they will impact your learning experience.
Weighted Keys
Piano keys are weighted, they feel “heavy” because they are connected to small hammers within the Piano, when you strike the key a string pulls the hammer, in turn this hammer strikes a the strings of that note and sounds out. With a keyboard there is no real mechanical movement within the instrument, a sensor registers the key being played and this then tells the “brain” to emit the sound through the speakers.
For this reason, keyboard keys are lighter and easier to play. Piano keys are made from wood which also makes them heavier. Some digital Piano’s have slightly heavier keys than a keyboard but lighter than a Piano. Some keyboards will try to emulate this mechanic with software, these are called “Touch Sensitive” keyboards.
Key Width
Keyboards are smaller and more portable than a Piano, Digital Piano or Stage keyboard. They can be made into a compact form as all that needs to happen is the sensor under the keys needs to know which key has been hit and how hard (if its touch sensitive) so the keys can be made narrower. This can be an issue when a student uses a normal Piano during lessons but its a small factor to keep in mind.
Sound
A normal Piano has many layers of sounds, there is what the ear hears but also what the body feels. The resonance of a Piano can be felt through the body, this layer of felt sound is difficult to recreate with a digital instrument. The higher end Digital Piano’s will have better quality speakers which produce a higher quality sound.
Feel
Taking all of the above points into account, you will need to understand that the feel of the instrument from Keyboard to Piano is quite different. The actual keys on a Piano have a texture, weight and also travel. Travel is the time from which you hit the key to the note sounding (i.e. The Key is depressed, the string pulls the hammer and the hammer strikes the key)
When you add all these smaller items together it can make for a very different feel for the player. In the longer term this response from the instrument becomes an important part of how you play a pieces of music.
Can I take Piano lessons while using a keyboard?
In short, Yes! At the start of your musical journey on Piano you will be using a limited number of keys in the middle of the instrument. As you expand your knowledge you start to need more of the keys on the Piano, this essentially means you run out of keys. Most students will get between 1 to 2 years depending on how quickly they take to learning.
What is the difference Keyboard Lessons V Piano Lessons?
Keyboard Lessons are specifically tailored to the instrument. With 61 Notes to play with, keyboard music tends to stay in the Treble Clef, there is less focus on hand independence (playing multiple notes on each hand at the same time) and works more with Chord based playing with one hand and notes (Melody) on the other. With keyboard, you are more likely to start from the begging with more Modern Music. For Piano lessons there is a tendency to lean into more Classical Music, especially for Music Exams but now you can look at someone like RSL Awards (Rockschool).
For anyone who is taking Keyboard lessons but want to transition to Piano it can take a little more work to develop your left hand, you will also need to work on reading the Bass Clef.