As an adult, you’re ready to take up a new hobby. 

You’ve recently downsized and have little interest in buying a full-size piano. Who has room for a grand in your newly remodeled condo?

Yet you have the time to do what you want to do. And you’ve finally made it a priority to learn to play the piano. 

Today’s keyboards can be just as powerful and soulful as traditional pianos. IF you know what to look for. 

Even though keyboards are largely a personal preference, there are a few things that you should look for and never compromise on when you’re making your final selection. 

Action

It all starts with the action. If you’ve ever pressed a key on the piano and produced a sound, that’s the action in play. Action comes from the connection made when the piano key is pressed, causing the hammer inside the piano to connect with the strings. On a traditional piano, this process is weighted to make the connection feel a certain way. 

Keyboards come in many sizes and price levels. What separates out the good from the bad is action. Low quality keyboards won’t imitate this action process. The keys are flimsy and don’t have much of a feeling when you press them down. If you have a desire to learn to play the piano, you should make sure your keyboard imitates the real thing as closely as possible. 

Keys

It’s also important that you have the proper amount of keys. 

An acoustic piano has 88 keys. And while it’s only a rare song that uses all of these 88 keys, it’s still important to have access to them as you advance in your playing skills. 

Most piano music can be played with the middle 60 keys. If you’re a beginner, it will be some time before you expand beyond these 60 keys. 

But keep in mind that in many cases, the number of keys often is in direct correlation to the action of the piano. When pianos are built smaller, they tend to be lower in price. When a manufacturer shrinks the size of the keyboard, it spends less time making it sound like a high quality instrument. You can often tell how effective a keyboard will be at making music simply by counting the keys. 

Whether you are looking for acoustic or digital, want a grand piano to make an impact in your home, or want a keyboard to save space, we can help you find the right piano for your needs.