Pianos vs Keyboards: What Is the Difference?

Owning a keyboard or a piano, especially a grand piano, is an investment that requires both space and money. Aspiring pianists should always have one in order to keep up a solid practice regime, but some find the offerings of keyboards to be underwhelming compared to the real thing.

While owning a Steinway concert grand piano is an unrealistic expectation for most, you can still get yourself a fit-for-purpose setup that allows you to improve your skills and entertain home audiences effectively!

Here I will outline the pros and cons of each option, and the possibilities presented by each.

Price

A brand new piano is always an investment.

A new Yamaha upright piano is nearly £6000, meaning you should only buy them if you intend to keep them for life!

Grand pianos are regularly much more expensive when bought from shops.

There is, however, a very clear workaround to this high price point.

Piano owners who need to sell their piano for various reasons usually are unable to find buyers quick enough, due to the general lack of demand for them and the difficulties around transporting them.

Because of this, it is very common to see pianos listed very cheap or even for free online.

Providing these are in good condition, they can be an absolute bargain, only costing you the labour required to transport the instrument.

Be sure to try out the piano before you commit to taking it!

Another consideration with acoustic pianos is that they need tuning twice a year.

For this, you need to pay a professional tuner, making a piano a continuous investment.

On the other hand, keyboards usually come in much cheaper, ranging from £50 to £1000 for most models.

Beginners can find many suitable models, which are recommended until you are sure playing the piano is a long-term aspiration.

Secondhand keyboards are also quite easy to find cheap, and decent brands tend to last very well.

Wherever possible, trying out the keyboard is highly recommended, as buying a bad instrument cheap will not be satisfying, regardless of what you may save!

Noise

Acoustic pianos are loud instruments.

They are made to fill large rooms and can compete with entire orchestras.

Because of this, having neighbours can be problematic when owning a piano.

One solution is a ‘mute’ pedal, which many upright pianos have.

This dampens the sound of the instrument significantly, making it much less intrusive when you need it.

A more modern invention for the upright piano is the Silent System.

This is a kit which can be retrofitted to many upright pianos, which turns the piano into an electronic keyboard at the press of a pedal.

This way, headphones can be plugged into it, and the piano played silently.

This replaces the acoustic sound of the piano with an electronic synthesised sound, but maintains the feel of the keys.

Keyboards usually come with headphone ports, which allow you to play the instrument silently when you want to.

It is worth mentioning that many keyboard models (especially Rolands and Nords) do not come with built-in speakers, and thus require either speakers or headphones to use.

This also brings on the subject of sound quality.

As of yet, a keyboard has not been designed that fully replaces the sonic beauty of an acoustic piano.

Certain models can get close to the real thing, but you should always be prepared for a keyboard to always sound like a simulation.

The same applies to the feel of the instrument, as replicating the mechanical action of an acoustic piano is very complicated, and most keyboard brands resort to a simple spring mechanism.

None of this will hinder your ability to play the instrument effectively, but it is worth considering if you are a more serious player who wants to hear and feel the real thing!

Space

Having a grand piano in your house requires plenty of space, often in a dedicated music room.

If you are buying a grand piano, make sure you have a clear plan for how to get it into your house.

Multiple people are required to move the piano, and in most cases you will need to remove the legs and transport it on its side.

For upright pianos, you only need the space of a reasonably large desk, making these much more practical.

If you own a full size keyboard, that will take up roughly as much space, with some sturdier keyboard brands lacking the option to easily dismantle and stow away.

Most keyboard models, however, are easy to remove from their stand and put away, which makes these useful if your space is limited.

Conclusion

The piano is one of the most complicated and cumbersome instruments in the music world, while also being the most widely used.

The challenges thrown up by this have been tackled over the years by the production of keyboards, which by now come in a wide variety of qualities and prices.

Pianists of all levels will be able to make good use of a keyboard, especially if they wish to try out music production and synthesis.

Those who have the space for an acoustic piano can these days find them at affordable prices, providing they have the ability to transport them.

It is one of the better evolutions in the music world, that in the 21st century, anyone can afford to play the piano in the comfort of their own home.