Should I Start with a Keyboard or a Piano?

Posted on Dec 19, 2009 in Piano Blog | 2 comments

We often get the question at HPC about the benefits of starting off with a keyboard or a piano, especially for kids. Keyboards are definitely inexpensive, so people with a limited budget tend to think of starting there, but at HPC we’re committed to making piano playing affordable for everyone, so we rent pianos starting at just $35 per month. Your rental can even be applied to the purchase of the piano later on.

Keyboards can be light, portable, computer-ready and inexpensive, and they don’t take up a lot space, but they have some pretty notable drawbacks compared to full-fledged pianos as well:

Ø They use an organ touch, not a piano touch, so if your aim is to play the piano eventually, you’ll have to get used to a whole new action once you move to the piano and your hands will need to strengthen to be able to strike the keys on a piano as needed to produce the sound.

Ø They have only one pedal or none at all. This means that you won’t learn how to play with pedals at all and will necessitate a whole other learning curve if and when you migrate to a piano.

Ø They have a multitude of buttons, which can be particularly distracting to a young child trying to learn how to play.

Ø They need external amplification to produce a substantial sound as compared to a piano with own natural resonance and power.

Ø Keyboards aren’t as aesthetically pleasing as traditional pianos in your home if you want to have it out in a more shared space.

Ø According to music pros, due to the tech specs of keyboards, they cannot express the personality, mood or feelings of the player – in short, all the “color” – that a piano can.

Ø Also according to pros, learning on a keyboard can produce boring players because of the lack of color potential stated above. Without the ability to produce crescendo on a keyboard, a whole element of musical flair is missing and would have to be learned later on a piano.

Houston Piano Company offers a very large stock of smaller, space-economical pianos that can be placed along a wall just like a keyboard, but are much more pleasing to the eye and give the full piano-playing learning experience.

Our best advice is that if you’re considering a keyboard – especially for this holiday season – come on down to HPC and try out our traditional pianos even if you are on a tight budget. The benefits of playing the piano are proven, and how big an investment is $35 per month really when you or your kids can learn and master skills for a lifetime and bring the family together through the magic of music?