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Choosing a Keyboard - Size and Touch

   

Portable keyboards come in different lengths. What matters is the number of keys and the size of the keys. Compared to playing a piano, the keys have a light-weight feel (more like an organ). If you want a keyboard that feels like a playing a piano, you'll usually have to look for a "weighted" key digital piano.

Full-Size Keys

Full-Size KeysFull-size keys are recommended so that the spacing is the same as that of a standard grand piano. Mini keys on mini portable keyboards may suit very young children's hands. However, they will get used to the non-standard size keys and then need to adjust to bigger keys when playing another keyboard or piano. All the keyboards at Allegro Music have full-size keys.

These keyboards have 61, 76 and 88 keys.Number of Keys

A piano has 88 keys. Portable keyboards can have 49, 61, 76 or 88 keys (mini keyboards can have even fewer). Students can start with 61 keys, a span of 5 octaves. You won't use more keys until you progress to complex pieces at a more advanced level. The keyboards at Allegro Music have 61 or more keys.

Touch Sensitivity (or Touch Response)

A keyboard which features touch sensitivity has the ability to control the volume of a note according to how hard a key is struck. Press hard, the note is louder; press softly, it's quieter. Without touch sensitivity, only the keyboard's volume setting affects the volume of the notes played. Although not essential to a beginner, touch sensitivity can be very helpful. It allows you to hear whether you're playing evenly and introduces you early to the concept of expressive playing. Many keyboards have a button to switch off touch sensitivity, which is useful for authentic organ or harpsichord playing.

Aftertouch

On many professional models (including those offered by Yamaha and Roland), the keys respond to aftertouch which is how much pressure you apply to the key while it's held down. The aftertouch feature is a convenient way of adding more effects to the sound, like vibrato.

 

 
 

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