Keyboard Instruments

Keyboard Instrument Variants

• Children's piano keyboards - compact, simple and affordable keyboards; great for kids who want to explore their musical talent.
• MIDI keyboards - used for recording keyboard music passages on PC via USB; they are relatively inexpensive, but usually do not contain any sound generator. They require a computer or a sound bank module to use.
• Digital keyboards -  relatively light, so they are also suitable for  concert performances. They support MIDI, offer a wide range of sounds, and even allow you to create your own. The range of these keyboards is usually 3-7.5 octaves.

Children's Piano Keyboards	MIDI Keyboards	Digital Keyboards

Keyboard Instrument Keys

Standard pianos usually have 88 keys (7.5 octaves, with one octave consisting of 12 keys). If you intend the keyboard to serve mostly as a toy for your kids to fool around with, you should buy a classic children's piano with a range of three octaves or less (approx. 32 keys). If your child attends an art school or plans to take their music studies more seriously, choose a models with a range of at least 5 octaves (61 keys) and touch response.

Keyboard Types

• Unweighted keys - plastic keys use a simple spring to return to the basic position. These keys feel light and don't provide much resistance; they are more suitable for MIDI keyboards and children's keyboards.
• Semi-weighted keys - these involve a sprung-action key with more resistance than an unweighted keyboard. Semi-weighted keys provide less resistance than a classical piano, which will be appreciated especially by users who are not used to the piano and want to play fast passages without much effort.
• Weighted keys (hammer action) - the keys have a lever system near the key to replicate the weighty hammer action of an acoustic piano for an authentic feel and resistance.

Keyboard Instrument Connectors

• USB - used for PC connection, transmitting or receiving MIDI information, or connecting a flash drive to record sounds and songs or uploading new sounds into your instrument. MIDI keyboards also use the USB format for charging.
• Line-in - input from any analog source, such as an MP3/CD/MM player or a cellphone with musical accompaniment.
• Line-out - connects the device to an external amplifier or active speakers, or for recording the audio output via a sound card.
• Sustain (damper) pedal - used to extend (sustain) the length of the tone when playing to smoothly transition from one tone to another.
• MIDI in/out - used for PC connection, transmitting or receiving MIDI information, or control of keyboards or external devices (synthesizer/sampler, etc.) via the MIDI protocol.
• Headphone output - self-explanatory, serves to hook up your headphones or studio speakers.
• Memory card slot - mainly for storing MIDI data and the subsequent work on a computer.

Important Keyboard Instrument Features

• Voices (number of voices) - the palette of sounds that a keyboard or a synthesizer can reproduce. Includes pianos, string instruments, guitars and all kinds of complementary sounds. One voice usually corresponds to one instrument.
• Polyphony - indicates how many tones/voices can be played simultaneously. The number of voices is the same as the number of tones by default. Richer polyphonic texture is created when using the delay or reverb effect.
• Transposition - transposition of the keyboard by the selected number of tones to a lower/higher register (moving a song from one key to another, e.g. from C to E). It is used mainly for easier accompaniment when the singer has a limited vocal range.
• Arpeggio - play chords broken down to individual tones. Usually you choose the order of tones, tempo and beat, and the keyboard then plays an arpeggio, for example, as an accompaniment.
• Drums, accompaniments, tutorials - most keyboards also contain accompaniments to make playing songs more enjoyable. These accompaniments can range from basic drum loops to full-fledged band sound.
• Metronome - useful for tempo training and precise song playback rehearsal.
• Power supply - the power is provided either via the mains adapter (not always included) or batteries. MIDI keyboards are generally powered directly via a USB cable.