What’s the Difference between a Digital Piano and a Keyboard?

Do those black and white keys fascinate you? Fancy learning the art of making music with them? Pianos have forever been grand. But with all the advancements and fancy musical instruments ruling the industry, keyboards have been stealing the thunder.

In a dilemma about what to purchase? It is only natural for a beginner to be confused about which one to trust more – A digital piano or a keyboard?

But before you go splurging your money, we are here to help you decide the best for you.

Folks, there’s no denying the fact that each of them has certain unique features that make them stand apart.

However, let us narrow down things a little bit and give you a clearer picture, shall we?

Mobility at stake or not?

Well, if you knew, digital pianos are modern day doppelgängers if the good old acoustic pianos. With the size so grand and the body carved out solid wood, these get a tad bit difficult to carry around. Turn off, right?

However, a keyboard wins this round. Designed specifically to be portable, this one comes with a lesser number of keys comparatively. There’s no doubt that this one is the choice for all those musicians who keep touring with all the feels. Why? Well, they are light weight and extremely suitable.

Sound Quality

Coming to one of the most important factors, a digital piano is wired to replicate the sound of an acoustic piano. Yes, the sound works grand. Why? Because it is made by taking the sound samples from a charming acoustic piano and recording it.

On the contrary, keyboards come with a myriad of sound features. With accompaniments, rhythm section, and different sounds simulating various other musical instruments, keyboards take music production on a whole new level.

Tap and voila!

Keys are an integral part of both the instruments. However, digital pianos differ a lot when it comes to how tapping keys feels. With a set of graded hammer keys, a digital piano is sensitive to pressure. You gotta tap harder.

On the other hand, the feel of the keys of a keyboard is soft. There is almost no resistance or weight on the keys. All you need to do is press oh – so – lightly and voila!

Pedals for the win

While a keyboard comes without a pedal, a digital piano comes with a set of 3 pedals to improve the sound experience. The pedals work to sustain sound whenever there’s a need.

These three pedals are namely soft pedal, sustaining pedal, and silent pedal.

However, if you feel like giving a touch of grandness to the sound of your keyboard, you can get yourself an external sustaining pedal.

Prices

Alright, let us address the elephant in the room, shall we? It is only imperative to talk about the weight of it all on your wallet. A perfectly functional and portable keyboard is less expensive as compared to a grand digital piano.

A decent fully functional keyboard would come at 250$-400$. Whereas, a basic digital piano starts at somewhere around 350$. I’d suggest you to read digital piano reviews on reputed sites like Piano Nadu before purchasing!

Take your pick, folks.

Well, in the battle of the best, there’s no one absolute winner. With different perks that come with both the digital piano and keyboard, it is for you to pick one that suits you the best and fits your style like nothing else.

However, if you dream of becoming a concert pianist someday, a digital piano is your best bet. Why? Well, it perfectly simulates the sound of a fancy good old grand acoustic piano. That is the real deal, no matter how much you deny.

But then again, if you wish to tour in the future and want something more flexible, portable, and stuffed with electronic sound and rhythm effects, a keyboard should be your best friend forever.

Hope this helps. Go splurge some money already!