What kind of piano do you have?
Published: May 29, 2016 | Category: Uncategorized
Acoustic Grand/Horizontal Pianos
Did you know there are six different types? Petite, Baby, Medium, Parlor, Ballroom, and Concert.
Acoustic Vertical Pianos
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SPINET, CONSOLE, STUDIO AND UPRIGHT PIANOS? All of these pianos fall into a category called “verticals.” Height is the main difference here. Spinets range from 36″ to 39″ high. Consoles range from 39″ to 44″ high. Studios range from 44″ to 48″ high and full size uprights range from 50″ to 56″ high. Spinet pianos differ from the rest because they have an inferior action (playing mechanism) which is called a drop action. Because of its design, a drop action is not as responsive as a direct blow action, which is what consoles, studios and uprights have. All acoustic pianos need to be tuned 1 – 2 times a year.
Digital Pianos
Digital Pianos are designed to mirror the sound and feel of 88-key acoustic pianos. The two most important things when looking at digital pianos are sound quality and an authentic feel. The technology used in digital pianos to mimic the rich tones of a "real" piano is called sampling, and it involves taking high-quality stereo recordings from the best-of-the-best concert pianos.
To copy the acoustic feel, digital pianos are usually equipped with what is called Graded Hammer or Scaled Hammer-Action Keyboards.
Pedaling is another critical part to the feel and expression of piano playing. Most digital pianos have the same 3 pedals as acoustics: The damper pedal (right) is the most commonly used pedal. It keeps notes sustained long after you have released the keys, creating a legato effect. The soft pedal (left) enhances the timbre of softly played notes. The sostenuto pedal (middle) is used to sustain certain notes while leaving the rest of the keyboard unaffected.
Portable Keyboards
Portable keyboards are just that, portable. They usually weigh less than 20 lbs. and have a smaller range, with 61 and 49-key models being the most common. The width of the keys are often narrower and shorter than a regular sized piano key, thus making it difficult for a student to go from practicing at home to a lesson.
Portable keyboard keys are notoriously light and “plasticy” compared to acoustic or digital pianos. Touch-sensitivity (allows for a change in volume depending on how hard a key is pressed) may not be a feature; and polyphony (the ability to sound many notes at the same time) can be limited or omitted. Some keyboards may have an attachable pedal, with poor quality.
What’s best for you?
Digital pianos are preferred as cost and space effective alternatives to an acoustic piano. Portable keyboards are best-suited as beginner, or to try out if the piano is for your child. For my studio, I allow portable keyboards for the first 3 months of study. If your student is going to continue, it’s time to invest in an acoustic or a digital piano.
Did you know there are six different types? Petite, Baby, Medium, Parlor, Ballroom, and Concert.
Acoustic Vertical Pianos
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SPINET, CONSOLE, STUDIO AND UPRIGHT PIANOS? All of these pianos fall into a category called “verticals.” Height is the main difference here. Spinets range from 36″ to 39″ high. Consoles range from 39″ to 44″ high. Studios range from 44″ to 48″ high and full size uprights range from 50″ to 56″ high. Spinet pianos differ from the rest because they have an inferior action (playing mechanism) which is called a drop action. Because of its design, a drop action is not as responsive as a direct blow action, which is what consoles, studios and uprights have. All acoustic pianos need to be tuned 1 – 2 times a year.
Digital Pianos
Digital Pianos are designed to mirror the sound and feel of 88-key acoustic pianos. The two most important things when looking at digital pianos are sound quality and an authentic feel. The technology used in digital pianos to mimic the rich tones of a "real" piano is called sampling, and it involves taking high-quality stereo recordings from the best-of-the-best concert pianos.
To copy the acoustic feel, digital pianos are usually equipped with what is called Graded Hammer or Scaled Hammer-Action Keyboards.
Pedaling is another critical part to the feel and expression of piano playing. Most digital pianos have the same 3 pedals as acoustics: The damper pedal (right) is the most commonly used pedal. It keeps notes sustained long after you have released the keys, creating a legato effect. The soft pedal (left) enhances the timbre of softly played notes. The sostenuto pedal (middle) is used to sustain certain notes while leaving the rest of the keyboard unaffected.
Portable Keyboards
Portable keyboards are just that, portable. They usually weigh less than 20 lbs. and have a smaller range, with 61 and 49-key models being the most common. The width of the keys are often narrower and shorter than a regular sized piano key, thus making it difficult for a student to go from practicing at home to a lesson.
Portable keyboard keys are notoriously light and “plasticy” compared to acoustic or digital pianos. Touch-sensitivity (allows for a change in volume depending on how hard a key is pressed) may not be a feature; and polyphony (the ability to sound many notes at the same time) can be limited or omitted. Some keyboards may have an attachable pedal, with poor quality.
What’s best for you?
Digital pianos are preferred as cost and space effective alternatives to an acoustic piano. Portable keyboards are best-suited as beginner, or to try out if the piano is for your child. For my studio, I allow portable keyboards for the first 3 months of study. If your student is going to continue, it’s time to invest in an acoustic or a digital piano.