Thread: Keyboard vs. piano

I like electronic keyboards best because of how many voices there are and how you can play MIDI, and digitally record them without a studio. But then I'm a composer, and I compose mainly for orchestra. If I were a pianist who played concertos I think I might feel differently, but I'm not that great at performing. My keyboard has 61 keys, like most. My pet peeve, though is the Casio brand of keyboard. They may be fine for a beginner but I personally just hate them! MIne is a good Yamaha. There may be more realistic sounding ones but this is pretty good and is the best I know of. (If someone knew of a REALLY good one that beats Yamaha I would be ineterested to hear, though.)

I have also a composing electric piano and a keyboard mostly for midi... also a yamaha, baroque is quite right, yamaha has much better sounding, especially in same price categories.

Mine is a Yamaha PSR-85. It was one of the best at the time I got it, but that was nine years ago!

I have a Yamaha YDP-223 digital piano. It is fantastic to learn and practice on. The sound is very real. The pedaling is realistic. It has concert grand hammer action. It looks like a piano (can be a piece of furniture) but can be lifted by two 10 year-olds. The cost is around $1500 US. For the money, I can't think of a better value. Obviously, you never have to tune it which helps when beginning to learn. It has a built in metronome, 50 classical masterpieces sampled in that you can slow the tempo to help learn(of all degrees of difficulty), It has 64 note polyphony, a few different sounds, built-in speakers. You can turn the volume down to practice at night or use headphones. When you get to a certain level of proficiency you will need to get the real thing, but for now, a digital piano is a great compromise to the real thing IMHO.

Hope this helps.--Tim

My composing piano is also by Yamaha (CLP 990) kinda similiar to yours concerning technique.

yeah, sure. A keyboard is okay, so long as the proper things are being taught and absorbed, and most importantly, as in ALL music lessons...let yr kids have a good time!
But be sure to get a piano ( u know, touch and hearing blah blah blah ).....when they've started on an exam/formal mode of learning.

The only good thing about electronic keyboard is the price and maybe portable. Electronic keyboard's keys are too soft and you don't even have to apply a bit force to make it sound. Thus, making your son/daughter's finger muscles not that strong. Your child's finger may end up slow and weak. Also you cant' make soft, loud, cresendo, etc. on an electric keyboard. Your child will be a boring player if he/she practice on an electriconic keyboard daily. I will not reccomend it to a begginner or even a proffesional pianist. Use a real piano.

Well, based on my experience, I don't think a keyboard would be a great substitute for the piano, especially for younger kids who may eventually take up piano. Here's why.

The first instrument I got was a small keyboard when I was 6, which I just loved. I learned to play my first songs on it, and eventually, my parents thought me well enough to enroll me in piano lessons. HOWEVER, because I had become so used to the keyboard, my wrist posture was horrible. Instead of holding my wrist upright, I habitually dropped them (like that on a computer keyboard). It took me several years and many pennies (by putting a penny on the back of my wrist when I practiced) to correct this problem.
Also, because the keys on the keyboard were so small, I didn't develop necessary elasticity between my fingers to reach the keys on an actual piano. Therefore, I had to practice a few more years before I adapted to the piano.
So, the question becomes now, would you want your child to continue on, after the initial excitement with the keyboard, to piano lessons? If so, I do not recommend buying a keyboard first because there are so many problems derived from keyboard practice alone.
My 2 cents.
----
Rescon

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I have an electronic piano... if that makes any sense. It feels just like a real piano, but is electronic. I'm sure there are some out there that are cheaper than a real one. It's by Kurzweil if you're interested

If you have a really good electronic piano it may sound similar to a piano...
but a melody that comes out.... I mean that's a whole different story.... Feeling on a piano
is richer, how should i explain, on piano you get a real satisfaction...
I've just get yamaha electric piano and i own also upright piano and I steel prefer upright piano. I can't explain it, but when you play it for real you just can't play it on a electric piano.
In my opinion it's defenitly better to buy a non electric piano, even if it's a upright piano. And price of a upright piano and electronic piano it's equivalent.
Also the big problem on electric piano is that you can play fff or ppp...

And sorry for my english