| Keyboards: | | | | keyboard and are usually the same length (88 keys) |
| Keyboards are typically smaller than a full acoustic | | | | as an acoustic piano. |
| piano in that they tend to have approximately 61 keys | | | | The sound quality of a digital piano is often better than |
| (4 or 5 octaves) whereas a full acoustic has 88 keys | | | | a keyboard because they typically have built in |
| (6 octaves). The main benefit, however is that the | | | | speakers, but this also reduces the portability of in |
| keyboard is portable, able to provide a wider range of | | | | comparison to the keyboard. Digital pianos also tend to |
| sounds, due to sound modification, and the ability to | | | | have "weighted keys" which make them feel more like |
| interact easily with computers via MIDI or USB | | | | an acoustic when playing. |
| connections. | | | | Acoustic Pianos: |
| When playing a keyboard one will notice that the keys | | | | Acoustic pianos are the original and true form of piano |
| are slightly smaller and are in fact easier to press than | | | | playing. The piano, as we know it today, has been |
| an actual piano. This may take some getting used to | | | | around since about 1700 (for more history of the piano |
| for a pianist that has been playing on an acoustic. The | | | | refer to our piano history section in our piano articles). |
| reason that the acoustic is heavier is because they | | | | The term acoustic was recently added to the piano |
| are triggering the hammer that hits the string and | | | | after the creation of digital pianos. Therefore when |
| makes noise, whereas a keyboard does not require | | | | one refers to an acoustic piano they are referring to a |
| this action to occur. Since the keys are lighter and | | | | piano which makes sounds acoustically, which means |
| smaller keyboards are sometimes better for younger | | | | through the vibrations caused by the hammer hitting a |
| children. | | | | string. The vibrations are amplified by a board in the |
| Digital Pianos: | | | | piano referred to as the "sound board." The |
| Digital pianos are a mix between the keyboard and | | | | soundboard then evenly distributes the sound via the |
| acoustic piano. Digital pianos allow for a greater | | | | cabinet (if your piano is enclosed) or out the top lid, in |
| variation in sounds because they allow for sound | | | | the case of a grand piano. |
| modification. They are however, larger than a | | | | |