A keyboard is also a piano, isn't it?
A frequently asked question; What is the difference between a keyboard and a (digital) piano? And can I learn to play the piano on a keyboard?
- Written by Rutger Klaaijsen
"Why should I buy a piano for my children, when I still have a 15-year-old keyboard in the attic? They can learn to play the piano on that too, can't they? However, there are differences, which are listed below.
The Keyboard
The keyboard consists of thin plastic keys with a spring underneath. Underneath are sensors that detect whether the key is being pressed. After releasing the key, it shoots up again. This feels very light and sometimes keyboards have no touch sensitivity. It is then not possible to play hard or soft.
Keyboard keys look more like organ keys than piano keys. It is not a good representation of a piano key. Our other blogs explain the differences between digital pianos, pianos and grand pianos.
The sound
Digital pianos and keyboards are sometimes similar in terms of sound. There are usually speakers built into the instrument. In a digital piano, there are speakers which imitate the sound of an acoustic piano as closely as possible.
With a keyboard it is not (only) about playing the piano, but about playing many sounds. There are sometimes 300+ different sounds in a keyboard.
So what is a keyboard for?
A keyboard is a keyboard instrument with which you can make sounds that are programmed on a built-in chip. With the right hand you can play the melody of a song and with the left hand you can, for example, use an auto-fill function.
When you press a key, an accompanying chord part appears. Even the style of the music can be chosen. It is meant to guide you while you play, a kind of built-in tape that plays along with you. A keyboard therefore often has fewer keys!
There are also synthesizers! These instruments are intended to work creatively with sound and to generate new sounds. If there is a piano sound, it is often limited in realism and intended to be combined with other sounds.
Can I learn to play the piano on a keyboard?
They are two different instruments that both give a different result.
Is your intention to learn to play the piano? Then get a piano and not a keyboard. If you start with a keyboard and then switch to a piano, you can actually start all over again.
The instruments are hardly comparable with each other. The only thing that looks the same are the white and black keys. It's like learning to drive a bicycle. You learn the traffic, but not the driving itself.
