The electronic keyboard maintains perfect pitch and can be transported around easily. It has a wide range of features installed inside and is recommended for practice and performance.The smaller keyboards have either 61 or 76 keys, the larger ones have 88 keys.When buying a keyboard, it would be beneficial to buy one with the “graded hammer action” as the sound is more realistic with the bass octaves having a heavier touch than treble notes. Weighted keys are important as they get the performer adjusted to the heavier feel, so switching to an acoustic instrument is less of a challenge. When you press the keys, they spring back like a real piano. This builds finger strength and technique.
Polyphony refers to the sounds the keyboard can produce at one time, whereas multitimbrality refers to the capability of the keyboard to play different sounds at the same time. MIDI compatibility allows the keyboard to receive as well as send MIDI messages. Computer connectivity allows for the keyboards and computers to communicate with each other via USB, MIDI and various other interfaces, either external or inbuilt in some models of keyboards. A keyboard with built-in sampling abilities has a sampler which can record digital audio and enables it to be changed and played back in different ways.This comes in handy if you want to add external audio clips to your music. Some keyboards offer USB connectivity while others provide storage options like SmartMediacard, hard-drive, CD burners and even USB flash drives.
The pre-programmed demo songs in the keyboard can be utilised for learning and also for entertainment purposes. Some keyboards have features which allow the student to compose and create their original compositions. Accompaniment styles enables the performer to try out many different styles which makes the lesson more fun.
Do avoid buying the keyboards which have small, thin plastic feel keys and go for those with a more realistic touch especially those with full sized weighted keys. Most modern keyboards offer great features, dynamics and sounds.Some keyboards are powered with an AC adapter, batteries or both. Generally, keyboards are portable and where space is an issue, owning a keyboard is more practical compared with an acoustic piano. Touch sensitive keys are usually available on higher end keyboards, they respond in volume according to how softly or hard you play the instrument. Some keyboards have bulit-in speakers, metronome, recorder and an LCD display.
A synthesizer is a keyboard which can reproduce the sounds of many instruments with different effects. It is great for composing songs when it is used with computer programmes. This would be beneficial for advanced students. For the beginners, a 61 keys keyboard is sufficient to learn as they are easier to play and less confusing without the extra features in a bigger keyboard.