Digital Keyboard, Digital Piano or Acoustic Piano?
Any beginner in learning piano would wonder what are the difference between Keyboard, Digital Piano and Acoustic Piano (Upright and Grand Piano)? Which one should they get?
Before deciding which one to get, one must identify the purpose of getting a piano instrument. Is it for their kids to develop interest in music? Is it to learn how to play a piano? Or will the piano be used for performances purposes?
Digital Keyboard (Keyboard)
Digital Keyboard is a musical instrument that is often recommended for kids. Anyone that aims to learn how to play a piano would understand that keyboard lacks a lot for one to learn piano properly. Keyboard lacks the touch and weight that a piano has, it also lacks the authentic tone that a piano produce when playing it. Despite all the cons, there are still a few of reasons for one to buy keyboard.
Pricing
The price for a keyboard is cheaper than any other piano instruments (cost only a few hundreds!) If you are interested in learning how to play a piano but you lack the funds for it, you can get a keyboard as a starter.
Features
Keyboard is a great instrument for a kids to develop interest in learning piano. Kids can learn how to play beginner songs using the features on keyboard such as key lighting, changing the sound, or playing a song in the keyboard’s data. All of these are a lot of fun for a kids who is still starting to develop interest in the instrument.
Digital Piano
The next upgrade from a Digital Keyboard would be Digital Piano. First off, you will notice that cheaper Digital Piano such as one of the most popular Casio CDP-S100, is much more expensive than a keyboard. You will also notice that the body weight is slightly more heavier. Thirdly, there are way less features on the Digital Piano compared to Digital Keyboard. Below are the reasons why are Digital Pianos more expensive than a Digital Keyboard
Piano Touch
In exchange for the features of a Digital Keyboard, Digital Piano has piano touch built in with them. You will get the feeling of playing on an acoustic piano. We always recommend anyone to practice on a Digital Piano rather than a Digital Keyboard. This way, anyone can get used to the heavy touch of an Acoustic Piano when playing on one.
88 Keys
A Digital Piano has 88 keys which is similar to any standard Acoustic Piano. Digital Keyboard might have 44 / 61 / 79 keys. More keys = more songs to be played!
Mobility
To add some pros of Digital Piano and Digital Keyboard, the mobility is the biggest advantage over Acoustic Piano! Digital Piano and Digital Keyboard is light (compared to Acoustic Piano) and it can be carried by anyone without any problems. This is a huge advantage for pianist that is looking to perform in different locations for some casual party or gathering. With a plugin for a speaker/ amplifier, Digital piano or Digital Keyboard has no issue in reaching out to the huge crowd.
Acoustic Piano (Piano)
Lastly, the highest grade piano instrument is the Acoustic Piano. Acoustic Piano consist of upright piano and grand piano that is made up of wood and strings. These are your standard musical instrument when you think of piano. Below are the pros of Acoustic Piano over Digital Piano and Digital Keyboards:
Usage/ Exam Suitability
With any exam grade piano (above 121cm height), you can use it for any grades. With Digital products, It is only recommended that you use them up to Grade 5 (Digital piano) and Grade 1 (Digital Keyboard) respectively.
Built to Last
Pianos are built to last! With proper care, a piano can last for more than 100 years! You should always take care of piano being damaged by water, fire, humidity and termites!
Control
You can fully control the tone of the song you are playing on a piano! The sound is highly representative of how much power you used while playing a piano.
Value
The resell value of an acoustic piano is higher compared to Digital Piano/ Digital Keyboard. You can easily sell up to 50% or more of what you paid. With digital products, it will be difficult to sell it after 5 years.
Repair
You can repair a piano regardless of how badly the piano is damaged. It is just a matter of whether if it is worth it.
Unlike digital products, where you might find it hard to replace any spare parts after several years, you can always find spare parts for a piano.
You can read this article on what are the processes during a piano refurbishing.
Ultimately, every piano instrument can produce good songs. It is just a matter of mastering the musical instrument.
Which piano instrument you should buy is highly dependent on what you need. You can always consult a professional before deciding what to buy. You can read this article on what to keep an eye on when buying an used piano.
Happy searching and purchasing!
