Keyboard vs. Piano

The Legendary Epic Battle

For years, whenever we visited Gramma, my family, the Castros, played her piano. Then one magical Christmas, Santa delivered a Casio PT-1 from Radio Shack to our house. It was an amazing gift … the best we received that year. It was a mini piano keyboard that made some truly epic 80s synth sounds with its own backup beats! Totally rad!

Now, if you know what the Casio PT-1 looks (or sounds) like, you wouldn’t even question why our family didn’t start our music lessons on that instrument. We waited until the summer before I started 4th grade to move Gramma’s piano from Morris, MN to our home in Crystal, MN. (That piano — a beautiful rose chocolate Gulbranson spinet — now resides in my house in Golden Valley.)

Up until that point, a keyboard was an expensive instrument and a little bit controversial. Electronic music had been around for decades at that point, but people held strong opinions on whether electronic keyboards were a suitable replacement for acoustic pianos. They even questioned whether electronic synth sounds should be considered music. (What can you say? It was the ‘80s! In fact, in 1984 there was a whole movie released about the “sins” of dancing to pop music, and it was a huge success! The greatest movie in history according to some.)

Fast-forward to today and keyboards have come a long way to becoming an affordable option for families. However, they aren’t without a few flaws when it comes to learning music. That’s why we decided you might want to gain an insider’s perspective on the legendary epic throwdown between keyboard and piano, before making a decision for your home and student.

In This Corner, The Keyboard

Today about half of our students begin lessons on keyboards. For some of these students, it might be the only instrument they will have at home for piano lessons. Truth is, Andy and I have keyboards. Our first was a 1st edition Casio Privia.

When Casio came out with the Privia, they really made it possible to have a quality electric piano for families at an affordable price. It has a low profile and is easy to tuck away if space is tight. Kids can even take them with them when they go off on their own.

These keyboards have a full 88-key keyboard with a weighted “piano touch” feel to them. Up until that point in time, a lot of piano instructors would have frowned on the electronic keyboard. However, the Casio Privia forced some healthy competition. Getting a quality electric piano for under $500 versus spending over $2,000 for one was a game changer.

To be clear, this is the only kind of keyboard we approve for lessons. While there are other electric keyboards that are shorter, lack a weighted touch, and usually have a lot of buttons for a variety of synth sounds, they are not good instruments for use in private music lessons.

For years we did accept any “piano-shaped object that wasn’t a toy” for families who were not sure if their child would stick with the piano or were uncertain they wanted to dedicate a spot in the home for an acoustic piano. But over time we have come to see these starter keyboards as a hindrance to progress.

Here’s why:

• Shorter keyboard: This means fewer keys than on an acoustic piano. This prohibits students from practicing assignments as they are written.
• Incomplete compass: The total range of notes on a standard piano keyboard is called its compass, which covers a span of seven octaves plus a minor third. Most electronic keyboards start on a note other than A and/or end on a note other than C. This throws off assignments that require a student to play the lowest or highest keys.
• Lack of weighted touch: Because the keys don’t replicate the weighted touch of a piano, students playing keyboard are not developing finger strength, which hampers their ability to play on pianos at their lessons.
• Extra synth sounds: Yes, they’re fun and often funny. They’re also a huge distraction not just at home but also at lessons.
• Lack of a music stand at the back of the keyboard: Music needs to be positioned in front of the student, not lying flat on a table or desk.
• Improper keyboard stand: This refers to the stand for the instrument, not the music. Keyboards need their own stand to be at the correct height for someone to sit comfortably in a chair or on a bench and play. When the keyboard is played on a table or desk, it’s usually too high, forcing students to raise their arms up to play. If the keyboard is on the floor or on a bed, it’s positioned too low, putting a strain on the student’s shoulders, wrists, and fingers over time. This can lead to unnecessary injury.

Keyboards should have their own dedicated stand, preferably furniture-legs or a z-stand. Unfortunately, the standard-issue x-stands are cheap and obstruct a student’s legs, pushing them back and ultimately, too far away from the keyboard.

• Inevitable upgrade: We recognize it can be a real struggle for families when asked to upgrade to a more appropriate instrument for their student’s lessons. Certainly, it is nice that the cheap keyboard can go right into the student’s bedroom, but if they aren’t able to sit at it properly, see their music, and play their assignment as written, then their music education is handicapped. Since it’s Minnesota, I know there are plenty of hockey parents out there. Let me just ask you this … would you send your kid to hockey practice with a plastic toy stick? The same thing applies here.  

And In This Corner, The Piano

Using an acoustic piano for a student’s practice allows the student to have ownership over their own music-learning and music-making experience.

The large, sonorous instrument is much more impressive, especially when a student understands how it works. Every key that gets pressed down throws a hammer at a string, which vibrates and becomes amplified by the soundboard to make a beautiful, big noise. This encourages a bond between the instrument and the musician. A student will take better care of an instrument that responds to their efforts, leading them to greater interest in using it to make music.

An acoustic piano also helps a student develop better posture, touch, dexterity, and musicianship than an electronic keyboard. Because of how a piano is constructed, there is only one way to sit at it. And the teacher’s instructions of how to position one’s body, how to hold one’s arms, and how to use one’s fingers and hands will not just make more sense, but will also produce better results.

The key touch of an acoustic piano is very important to build in any musician. How the key feels to depress, how it feels to release, the different weights you can use with your arms and fingers, and all of the different results from those different actions are part of learning the piano. There are hundreds of years of experience behind the construction of a piano. Because of how it is built, it is a remarkably subtle and responsive instrument. To learn to play it properly requires a student to experience those subtleties.

As a student learns how to control and play the piano, they are also learning about music. Of course, there is more that goes into music than deciding what note to play. There are louds and softs, shorts and longs, accents and smoothness, phrasing of musical lines … the list goes on. With an acoustic piano, a student is able to learn the full range of what a musician has to know to be able to take sounds and make them into music.

Music is a tactile, auditory, and physical activity. Piano players receive information not just from what they hear, but from what they feel. A piano player’s responses to making and controlling those sounds translate into outgoing physical actions. An acoustic piano allows a musician to understand the sense of touch they are both receiving and sending. That’s why having an acoustic piano to practice and play on maximizes the learning experience.

The biggest drawback to a piano for most people is the footprint it requires in the home. It’s a heavy bit of furniture that isn’t going anywhere once it’s in place. At least, it really shouldn’t. It can’t (and shouldn’t) go in most basements or garages. It needs to be kept in a spot of the home that has some climate control that is not subject to a damp, musty environment. There is also the need to keep it tuned. In the end, keyboards are what they are, while a piano is a living instrument that requires upkeep, which means hiring someone to maintain it. We get that. It can be a barrier.

Win, Lose, or Draw: It’s Up to You

Should you decide that the electronic keyboard is the best fit for your student, budget, and home, we recommend:

• A reputable brand like Yamaha, Roland, Casio
• Full 88 Keys
• Keys that are “Weighted” or have “Piano-Touch”
• Dynamics that are controlled by touch, not just by a volume button
• A keyboard stand that has “Furniture legs” or a z-stand. No x-stands.
• A piano bench or stationary chair at the right height for the musician’s stand setup. No office chairs or chairs with wheels/casters.
• A music stand that attaches directly to the keyboard

Should you decide that you are ready to commit to having an acoustic piano in your home, our advice to you:

• If you are going to purchase new, do so from a local piano or music store.
• If you are going to seek out a used piano, look for resources in your area. If you’re local to the Twin Cities (MN), we recommend Keys 4/4 Kids, a local Piano Technician’s Guild that can put you in touch with technicians who might have pianos or who know of clients’ pianos that are in need of a new home. Additionally, local piano movers sometimes have pianos that are homeless.

Whether seeking a used keyboard or piano off of an online marketplace, ask for a second opinion from someone like us. Your piano instructor will be able to help you determine if a listing meets the requirements or if it is something that sounds too good to be true. While you can turn on a keyboard and press a button to see if it is working, you’ll want an evaluation from a piano technician before committing to buying an acoustic piano.

For the many reasons we’ve listed, and from personal experience, we are going to favor the piano over the keyboard. However, we are flexible and do accept electric pianos when they meet the requirements deemed appropriate for private music lessons.

Have questions about your keyboard or piano? Feel free to reach out! We’d love to help!