I am researching Piano Key boards, what is 'touch sensitive keys'? does that mean it plays like a real piano?

Question

I am looking at different key boards, my 8 year old son is starting piano lessons and instructor is asking for real size keys, and one that plays like a piano..meaning the harder u push the louder the note. So i am wondering if 'touch sensitive' is that feature. Any suggestion on a keyboard for one starting out??

Answer 1

NO. "Touch-sensitive" does NOT mean a keyboard plays like a real piano.

It simply means that you can play louder or softer sounds on each key, depending on how hard you press them (as opposed to a non-touch-sensitive keyboard, like that on a traditional organ, where there's a single volume setting for the whole instrument).

In addition to being touch-sensitive, a keyboard's keys can be WEIGHTED.

"Weighted" is the term they use---but it's a bit misleading. It refers not only to how heavy the keys themselves are, but to the feeling of mass that's built into the key's mechanisms.

It's been a challenge to make electronic keyboards feel like a real pianos. In a real grand piano, there's lots of horizontal space---so keys get their mass from their length (they're about a foot and a half long), the physical mass of their wood, and the point where they pivot.

To be practical, keyboards must be light (okay, at least light enough to carry!) and compact. So to make convincing-feeling electronic pianos, keyboard makers had to create ways to simulate the feeling of large, massive keys in a much smaller space and with much less actual weight.

The good news is, they've gotten very good at it. As a professional, I can play classical music nearly as comfortably on my Yamaha P-90 digital piano as on my Steinway grand. (BTW, this is *not* a pitch for a particular keyboard. I like mine, but everyone has different feelings about key actions.)

When you have a keyboard that's both touch-sensitive AND weighted, it's designed to simulate the touch of a piano. Whether it's successful or not depends on the feelings of the person who's playing it. Hope this helps.

Answer 2

No problem. When I took piano lessons in college, I was supposed to practice in the practice rooms in the music building, but I preferred the convenience of practicing on the keyboard in my room. My piano teacher didn't seem to notice any difference. Just a few differences: 1. The keyboard doesn't have as wide a range. Whenever the piece went very high or very low, I had to make adjustments. You won't have this problem in learning music by Eighteenth Century composers, because at that time, their keyboards weren't much larger anyway. 2. The keyboard didn't have a damper pedal. That's okay because a damper pedal could be a source of addiction anyway. 3. The touch might be different. For this reason, some piano teachers are adamant about students practicing on a real piano, but this did not present a problem for me.

Answer 3

Yes, "touch sensitive" means the volume will respond to how hard you press the note. Almost all keyboards come with that feature nowadays. The feature that makes a keyboard "feel" like a piano is called "weighted hammer action," or just "hammer action." The keys are weighted to feel more like piano keys, and you pay a bit more for that. The fanciest kind is "graded" or "progressive" hammer action, which means the lower keys feel heavier and the higher keys feel lighter, which is what a real grand piano feels like.

For an 8 year old, I wouldn't worry about graded hammer action. If you can afford it I'd spring for a regular weighted keyboard. Also, go for one that doesn't have lots of sounds or built in beats and songs and other bells and whistles, because that will just distract your son from really learning how to play. Shop for a "digital piano" rather than an electronic keyboard. As far as brands go, I recommend Yamaha.

Answer 4

Like a piano, striking a key harder will produce a louder sound, striking it softer will produce a softer sound. Yamaha Computer Ready Keyboard with Touch Sensitive Keys If playing the piano is important to you, the PSR275 is the lowest priced model in the line that is "touch sensitive" to sound and respond more like a piano. My step daughter plays this. She is 10 now and plays classical.

Answer 5

yes touch sensative is that feature. get one with a pedal too if you can. all the buttons are really confusing and don't really exist on a real piano, so don't think you have to get one that has a ton of features. or get him a real piano after a few years. good for your son, i wish i had started piano when i was that young!

Answer 6

If you don;t have a nearby music store,there are a lot of online music suppliers. Musicians Friend,Guitar Center,etc. Farfisa,Fender,and Casio all make keyboards with real piano/organ feel.Keep doing your research.

Answer 7

yes touch sensitive is exactly that i have a casio keyboard they are very nice as well as the yamahas it really goes by features and preferances