So, you’ve got a hankering to learn to play a keyed instrument, do you?

Well, there’s two prime candidates for you then – the classic grand piano, and the more recent, compact electric keyboard. These two instruments are both strikingly similar, yet they have some strong differences that set them apart from each other.

What’s so special about a grand piano?

Careful – some old-timers would smack you for asking something like that!

The grand piano is an amazing instrument that’s been used for centuries. The fact that the keyboard, an instrument modeled after the grand piano, is so ragingly popular even today, is a testament to how incredible the piano was.

The grand piano can’t be beat in terms of its sound, but the big ol’ beast has its own set of disadvantages as well.

Advantages:

• The grand piano cannot be beat in terms of sheer sound. The booming resonance of this amazing instrument can humble even the toughest men, and it can play so loudly that it can be heard on clearly from the other side of a football field.
• The grand piano makes you feel powerful when you play it. When you fall into a musical trance playing piano, there’s nothing in the world that can move you. You can truly feel the same mindset that Beethoven and Bach felt.
• People will be impressed! Not many people are classically trained on the grand piano.
• They’re very durable – some pianos have been kicking around for hundreds of years and still sound great.

Disadvantage:

• Unfortunately, the grand piano is absolutely huge. They’re very difficult to move and transport, and can be difficult if not impossible to haul up a set of stairs. Many people find that they can’t take their piano with them when they move.
• They can go out of tune, and finding someone who knows how to tune a piano is becoming increasingly difficult these days.
• They’re extremely expensive, so if you don’t already have a piano, you’re going to have to shell out quite a lot of money to get one.

What’s so special about a keyboard?

The keyboard carries with it its own set of benefits, many of which you can’t find in a traditional grand piano. Most of these benefits come from the fact that the keyboard is compact and electric.

Advantages:

• The keyboard is a lot smaller than a grand piano and thus can be transported much easier. Some of them are even battery powered, so they can be played outside without having to plug in.
• Many keyboards contain advanced electronic features for you to create and mix entire tracks and compose your own songs by using looping units, memory banks and the like.
• Keyboards typically have banks of different ‘voices’ you can use that change the sound from that of a piano to many other crazy sounds.
• Keyboards are much cheaper than grand pianos, though some of the higher end ones can be very expensive

Disadvantages:

• Keyboards are not as durable as grand pianos and will break a lot easier, though they’re also easier to get repaired.
• Very few keyboards will be able to produce a sound that’s as beautiful as that of an actual grand piano.
• Needing a power source, or at least a set of batteries, means that you can’t always play your keyboard when you want to.

So – which is better, the piano or the keyboard?

Well, if you can use the number of electronic keyboards that you see on a weekly or monthly basis as an answer, then we’ll have to say that the electronic keyboard is a better value in today’s age.

Whether or not this is because of the price difference between keyboards and grand pianos, we’re not sure, but it’s quite clear that grand pianos aren’t as popular as they once were, and that the keyboard is taking over.

If you want to learn how to play a keyed instrument, they’re both great options, but you’ll probably have an easier time getting your hands – or fingers – on a keyboard instead of a grand piano.