28
votes
Accepted
Why do I hear higher harmonics, when the strings aren't free to vibrate?
Tim's answer is of course correct, but I'd like to offer a more quantitative way of saying the same thing. As others have noted, digital pianos emulate the sympathetic vibrations of acoustic pianos (...
- 13.5k
20
votes
Accepted
What are the practical advantages of keyboards with non-weighted keys vs. weighted hammer action?
What I've found is that the acoustic piano is the most expressive when played softly. We all like loud, but anything can be loud and the ear will tune loud OUT after a while. But it pays attention ...
- 6,053
20
votes
How does a keyboard help in a band?
The advice to get a digital piano that transposes easily given in other answers is excellent; when I played keys in a cover band once upon a time that's what I did. Learn the pieces in whatever key is ...
- 551
20
votes
I need a help about polyphony, will 128 be enough
There's no simple yes or no answer to this - it depends on how smart the polyphony recycler is.
Dumb devices will simply steal the oldest note.
Smart ones will steal 'the one least likely to be ...
- 22.5k
17
votes
Is it an issue if the white and black keys are weighted differently?
TL;DR: It's a matter of personal taste.
Preface: I've played scores of different pianos and keyboards, and it has never once dawned on me that the black and white keys were weighted differently.
A ...
- 54.8k
16
votes
Why do I hear higher harmonics, when the strings aren't free to vibrate?
Any piano string (or other, for that matter) will produce harmonics from that root note. The first few harmonics produced from a C string are the octave (C), the 5th above that (G) and the next octave ...
- 173k
15
votes
Accepted
XLR vs 1/4 (jack/TRS/TS) output on digital piano. What is better to connect to audio interface?
XLR connectors should be your preferred route, as balanced cables have a much lower noise level by their design - they are constructed such that noise induced by electromagnetic interference cancels ...
- 36.3k
14
votes
Is it important to have three pedals on a digital piano?
I would differ from Wheat Williams’ answer.
The sustain pedal is essential. A variable-resistance sustain pedal, often marketed as “half-damper”, will also make a world of difference: non-variable-...
- 818
14
votes
What should I take into consideration when buying my first digital piano
Both Kawai and Roland are reputable brands. But Kawai CN37 is a brilliant digital piano. From my experience with some digital pianos, I wasn't able to use a great range of dynamics, but with Kawai ...
- 456
14
votes
Is it okay to use different fingers every time while playing a song on a keyboard? Is it considered a bad practice?
You are overthinking this.
You are free to use whichever fingers you like when playing a piece but obviously some fingerings will work better than others.
What you need to do is to find a fingering ...
- 4,811
13
votes
Accepted
Why transposing range of my digital piano is restricted by 5 semitones up?
Why would you need more than that?
Five semitones up and six down can make every possible key:
Let's say the original MIDI file was in C major. Up 5 semitones and you can get C C# D D# E and F. Down ...
- 2,092
13
votes
What are the practical advantages of keyboards with non-weighted keys vs. weighted hammer action?
If you are playing an organ sound, you might want a keyboard that can feel and respond like an organ, rather than a piano
It's possible to make a very shallow non-weighted action, which is helpful ...
- 45.6k
13
votes
Is practicing on a digital piano harmful to an experienced piano player?
The keys of e-pianos today are weighted.
My son is professional pianist. He plays on different grand pianos and keyboards and he never complained about losing skills. I wouldn’t worry about yours ...
- 25k
13
votes
I accidently plugged my sustain pedal jack into AUX output, will it brick my brand new digital piano?
No, it shouldn't hurt. The worst thing that could have happened was shortening the AUX output terminals. The voltage on audio outputs is low (or zero if no sound was playing), and at the same time the ...
- 11.6k
10
votes
Is it important to have three pedals on a digital piano?
TL;DR
If I were you, I would care only about the sustain, and made sure the piano and the pedal support more than just on and off states.
Surely, if your son keeps practicing there will be a time ...
- 705
9
votes
How high from the ground should the keyboard from a piano be?
Classic grand and baby grand is 28-29 inches. Period. Answer made!
I measured 30 pianos from eight manufacturers and nearly all were inside this range. This is without wheel stands or any other such ...
- 91
9
votes
How many keys are enough to learn to play piano?
The thing about piano is that unlike most other instruments, playing in the extreme high and low registers is not any more difficult than playing in the middle. So there is a lot of easy music that ...
- 21.2k
9
votes
Is it okay to use different fingers every time while playing a song on a keyboard? Is it considered a bad practice?
We try to find a good fingering - that might mean 'good for YOU' considering your hand size - and stick to it. Not because it's a 'rule', but because it's effecient! You don't want to be hunting ...
- 77.8k
9
votes
Does it matter if a digital piano has a large cabinet?
Not really.
Most of the resonance in a digital piano is "faked" - that doesn't mean it can't be good, just that it doesn't rely on actual cabinet resonance to make it sound "real". ...
- 22.5k
9
votes
Does it matter if a digital piano has a large cabinet?
I'm going to post a counter-opinion and say it does matter. Not because that fake structure makes any difference to the sound of the piano - it doesn't. But...
We do not need it to be mobile
I'm not ...
- 4,354
8
votes
XLR vs 1/4 (jack/TRS/TS) output on digital piano. What is better to connect to audio interface?
If you use a short length cable (for Home Studio use), it won't really change much.
Using balanced cables is good for long cables (10 meters long, on stage), but just for a 2-meters-cable connection :...
- 439
8
votes
Accepted
What do "Brilliance" and "Ambience" mean?
Let me break it down from a language point of view so we can better understand how these words were chosen in the context of controlling the sound of musical instruments and thereby gain a better ...
- 26.8k
8
votes
Acoustic piano vs digital piano: is there any solid evidence for one being better than the other?
I'm only a guitarist, but I play once a week on a real piano at my teacher's studio, and I have a Yamaha P-115 digital piano at home (weighted keys, $600 retail most places -- I got lucky and paid $...
- 625
8
votes
What is the difference between marcato and forte?
The forte symbol: f means "loud", but it doesn't mean just play that note loudly; successive notes after this symbol should also be played loudly, (until another dynamic symbol is encountered).
The ...
- 7,132
8
votes
Accepted
Do I need to be able to read sheet music to become a good pianist?
Depends on what your definition of "good" pianist is. Reading sheet music is a skill that would certainly greatly aid you in becoming a good pianist, but isn't strictly required. If you are ...
7
votes
Should I fix my piano or buy a digital one?
I have had real acoustic pianos and digital/electronic pianos. But due to moving more frequently I sold my acoustic piano about 7 years ago and now I have a Yamaha 88 weighted key piano that I can ...
- 26.8k
7
votes
Accepted
How much digital piano polyphony is really needed for classical music?
There are some tricks to polyphony - the same number on 2 different synthesizers/digital pianos might be different
1) a stereo note sometimes requires 2 voices
2) your favorite sound may be "layered"...
- 6,053
7
votes
How does a keyboard help in a band?
I admire your desire to want to be a part of a band and your willingness to try to improve your skills so you can make a valuable contribution.
As far as transposing - you can spend many hours ...
- 26.8k
7
votes
Accepted
If I only care about playing, is high end home digital piano better than high end stage digital piano?
Home piano and stage piano are two completely different animals.
A "home" piano is designed to be permanently set up in the home. Therefore it must be aesthetically pleasing because it may well ...
- 26.8k
7
votes
Acoustic piano vs digital piano: is there any solid evidence for one being better than the other?
I own, and have performed on both kinds. I use them for different reasons, in different scenarios. If you can have only one, you should choose according to your needs. What kind of music will you ...
- 91
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible