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| | What to look for when buying an electronic Keyboard
| An article from Electronic Keyboards and Digital Pianos
| | Before you buy an electronic keyboard consider the following points:
How many keys do you need:
Keyboards come with varying numbers of keys, the most popular is 61 keys, with a smaller number of
keys, usually 49, on children's and starter keyboards. A full size keyboard will have 76 keys and digital pianos will have 88 keys.
How do
you decide ? It depends four factors - the music you want to play, the space you have available, whether you need the keyboard to be portable and the
price you are willing to pay.
A 61 key keyboard will let you play most music, it will have 5 octaves in the middle of the range, which will allow you to play most
music, but if you want to play some classical music, in particular The Moonlight Sonata you will find you run out of lower range keys. Some keyboards
allow you to transpose the pitch up or down an octave so if you do want to play this type of music occasionally you can use this function to gain an
extra octave and allow you play it. A 61 key keyboard is smaller than a 76 key keyboard and more portable so if your space is limited or you want to
take your keyboard out on gigs this might be the best keyboard for you
A 76 key keyboard will have the range to play almost any music. It takes up more room than a 61 key keyboard and is less
portable.
If you want the very best quality and sound and want something that closely emulates an acoustic piano then you need an 88 key digital
piano.
What features do you need:
Electronic keyboards are packed with features, many of which are fun but not very necessary. Consider which features you really need when deciding on
a keyboard to buy:
Different voices Since electronic keyboards work by playing back sampled sounds when you hit a key it is very easy for them to sound
like any instrument in the orchestra. So you can play the keyboard and have it sound like any type of guitar, violin, drum etc. A digital piano will
have a much more limited set of voices as these are designed to be used instead of an acoustic piano
Touch Response SensitivityAn acoustic piano will play sounds softer or louder according to the pressure on the keys. An electronic
keyboard with touch sensitivity will mimic this by having an additional sensor under the keys which sends a signal to the software controller to
adjust the sound volume according to how hard the keys are hit. A very useful feature, making an electronic keyboard sound much closer to an acoustic
piano.
Do you need a MIDI interface: If you want to record your playing on the keyboard and upload to a computer you might want to make sure
that the keyboard has a MIDI interface to let you do this. It is possible to use the USB interface and software on the PC to emulate a MIDI interface
but the real thing is much better and you will end up with a much better quality recording
Interactive Lessons: Some musical keyboards come with built in lessons to help you learn to play. You select a song you want to learn
and the hand (right, left or both) you want to play with. The display shows you each note you need to play and waits for you to play the correct note.
At the end of the song you are given feedback as to how you did.
Split Keyboard Mode: This allows you to play different voices with either hand, for example you can play piano with one hand and
strings with the other.
Musical Accompaniment: Some electronic keyboards come with built in musical styles you can play along with. Select a style (e.g.
rock, blues, country, jazz) and you can have the keyboard play rhythm, bass and chords in that style while you play the melody, just like playing
along with a band.
Recording Function: The keyboard can record your playing for later playback on the keyboard or upload to a computer.
Metronome: One of the most important parts of learning to play a keyboard is to get the tempo of the notes right. A metronome is Very
useful to help a beginner learn this.
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