Introduction
If you’re looking to buy a new digital piano, it can be both daunting and exciting in equal measure. So many models to choose from. Different high-quality manufacturers posting slick videos of their instruments in spotless locations, perfectly recorded audio demos, and a long list of features and specifications to either help or confuse you.
All lovely, all useful, and likely an aid to getting you to part with significant amounts of cash.
Yet there is one feature of a digital piano which, if overlooked, could cause you pain and disappointment for the entire time you have and (attempt to) play the instrument.
Keyboard feel
How your fingers interact with the keys is the most important aspect of the instrument. If the ‘feel’ of the keyboard isn’t right, nothing else will redeem the playing experience.
You can have the most advanced, amazing piano sample or modelling systems on board, but if you can’t control the sound the way you want to, it becomes futile.
A keyboard which feels wrong can stifle a budding pianist’s learning. Good playing technique can be taught and learned, but a mediocre keyboard won’t help to build and maintain that good work.
Weighted keys: is that it?
There are three broad categories of key weighting on music keyboards, and they all perform best for certain playing styles:
- Synth or organ style are very light and springy, offering little resistance. They’re found on home keyboards, synths and organs, and excel at allowing the musician to play fast and light with reduced finger strain.
- Semi-weighted keys take a middle ground approach. They have some extra weight to them, but they are not as heavy as an acoustic piano’s keys (and often they are not graded across the keyboard). They’re great for a range of playing styles and are often found on workstations and some digital pianos.
- Fully weighted keys aim to replicate closely the feel of an acoustic piano’s keys. They are quite strongly weighted, and notes at the lower (left hand) side are heavier than those in the upper (right hand) side. They make playing organ and synth riffs more difficult, but of course can excel at replicating the touch of a piano.
All three key weight types are found on instruments we might consider to be digital pianos, but only the fully weighted keys can give the complete experience many pianists are after.
Even then, there are different categories of fully weighted keys. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, the more advanced and realistic keys are to be found on higher end (expensive) models — but even many of the more entry-level digital pianos have very acceptable weighted keys.
The truth is, manufacturers like Yamaha, Kawai, Roland, Nord and Casio in particular have spent decades developing the feel of their digital piano keyboards. Yamaha and Kawai have the advantage that they’ve built acoustic pianos as well.
Digital piano keyboards are probably better now than they’ve ever been — but there are still ‘duds’ out there. Buying very cheap from lesser or no-name brands can drop you in hot water. You may end up with a lower quality keyboard which has problems such as inconsistent weight, key sticking, or poor velocity sensitivity (ie how hard you strike each key and what sound is produced as a result).
What about range?
Yes, the range of keys on a digital piano is perhaps the second most important aspect. Serious and budding pianists will probably want to go for an 88 note instrument, as this directly maps to the range of most acoustic pianos.
76 and 73 note keyboards are still acceptable unless you think you will be playing music with a very wide range of notes.
Anything less starts to feel restrictive for a lot of ‘serious’ playing. 61 notes (five octaves) can be great in many circumstances but it rarely cuts it for a digital piano, and in fact you’d be hard pushed to find any genuine digital pianos with such a small keyboard range.
What about sound?
Of course the digital piano’s sounds are very important. However, unlike the physical characteristics of an instrument, there’s usually a way to change or replace sounds if desired.
If you can buy a digital piano with high quality acoustic piano sounds from the word go, that’s ideal, particularly if you’re using it as a standalone instrument.
However:
- many digital pianos can have their software and sounds updated via an Internet download.
- They often have MIDI capability which means they can control other sound sources or computer software, opening up the possibility of playing with improved and different piano sounds.
- The inadequacies of built-in speakers can be overcome by connecting to a higher quality sound system or external speakers.
Ideally you’d have an instrument which has a stellar keyboard and sounds — but if you had to compromise on one, let it be the sounds.
What about all those features?
Instrument manufacturers often like to add extra features — it looks good on paper and sounds good in demonstrations.
If you take a look at some of the higher end digital pianos, you’ll notice they often have a very sparse set of features:
- a few high quality piano sounds
- a metronome
- tuning
- minimal effects
That’s because they’ve concentrated on making the ‘core’ function of the digital piano the best it can be in its class.
Auto accompaniments, hundreds of sounds, recording, built-in lessons … they might be nice to have but if they detract from the basic remit, they’re simply a distraction.
Buy an instrument with the extra features if you know you’ll use them, but never skimp on the build quality as a result.
Conclusion
A solid, high quality keyboard action means a digital piano can last for many years without problems, need of repairs or replacement.
Always make this the number one priority when considering a new instrument.
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