The problems or disadvantages of an instrument like the electronic piano are that you will never be able to fully replicate the unique tone and harmonic mix of an acoustic piano. While electronically the mix of different notes can be digitally produced and enhanced, to a trained and cultured ear, it will never sound the same with warmth and breadth of an analog produced sound as that from an acoustic piano. So while many electronic pianos today sound almost as similar to that of its acoustic counterpart, you lack the warm tone of the latter, and even the touch and feel of an electronic piano can sometimes be too cold compared to that an acoustic piano.

Many electronic pianos have piano keys that are now specially weighted and graded to ensure as much resemblance to that of an acoustic piano as possible. However, most electronic pianos are not able to reproduce the kind of touch that many pianists demand from their instrument, such as when they apply greater force to that of an acoustic piano, the dramatics that action provides to the sound of each key would be relative according to the amount of force applied on the piano key, and this is the kind of relationship that exists for an acoustic piano that an electronic instrument will never be able to fully simulate to the complex and analog nature.

The advantage of an electronic piano, on the other hand, is that the maintenance and care required for it will never be as extensive or expensive compared to that of owning an acoustic piano. With the latter, you will definitely need regular and constant maintenance of the instrument and its different components, such as the piano keys and strings. For example, you have to avoid the gathering of dust and rust on these components, or they will drastically and negatively affect the sound quality. With an electronic piano, all you need to ensure is that the instrument is kept away from heat and humidity, and by nature of it being an electronic device, it can last much longer if such conditions are met. As a result, you can save considerably on your budget when using a digital piano and learning how to play the piano.

Another pro to using an electronic piano is that you can actually play different instruments on it, or rather, you can simulate playing other instruments. Due to its electronic nature, a digital piano can come with sound samples of other instruments such as the flute, violin or even guitar. You can even add on extra instruments as and when you find them or like any. Once done, you can play the violin on an electronic piano, but just like playing an piano. This is incredibly useful and provides maximum cost savings for the recording musician who is unable to afford or even find another musician to play and record different instruments. Using an electronic piano, all the recording musician needs to do is to compose and play the various instrument parts, on his piano.

With the above, you would have learnt the key basic differences between an electronic piano and that of an acoustic piano. The critical pros and cons of both instruments have also been presented, and they should all help to provide you with the necessary information and details to make a well-informed decision on which of the two forms of the piano instrument to purchase and learn on.

First of all, consider that electronic pianos will always stay in tune. That is one great advantage of electronic items and it is an especially great feature to have for a piano. Acoustic pianos periodically go out of tune whether you use them or not, and you need to hire piano tuning services or a tuner to look into it and fix the problem. For an electronic piano, there is no such issue and you can use it for ages and the piano will stay in tune for a lifetime.

While many electronic pianos are now designed to give you the look of an acoustic one, they are still not as big in size nor do they take up a lot of space. As a result, these digital pianos will not take up as much valuable home space as their acoustic counterparts. If you do not wish to get one with the stage piano setup, you can spend less and purchase a simple electronic keyboard or what they call a synthesizer, and it can be easily stored in your home. You can either put it back in its package box after use, or stack it up against the wall or in between cupboards. The amount of space taken up by an electronic piano is significantly lesser than an acoustic one.

With acoustic pianos, most people place them in their living rooms where everyone can see you play, especially for parties and such. Or they are placed in a room so that it does not disturb anyone’s peace when you are practicing. The point is, no matter where you put it, there is no way you can prevent anyone from hearing what you are doing on it. Even if you were to soundproof the room, it would mean extra costs. An electronic piano does not have such a problem. They are headphone enabled and you can play it wearing a headphone and not disturb anyone. This means one could even practice their piano lessons in the middle of the night on electronic pianos and not worry about receiving complaints from neighbors or even their family members.

With an electronic piano, you can even have recorded accompaniments to practice your piano pieces on. That is a powerful feature while learning how to play piano and taking lessons, as it means you can simulate playing in a band or live situation with accompanying music. If you spend a bit more, you can even have built in sequencers for you to record your own pieces and then edit them on your computer or on the keyboard itself. An additional feature would be that of samples stored in electronic pianos. The digital instrument provides endless possibilities and one of them is the ability to store sounds from other instruments in it, and then use it for playback purposes. For example, you can simulate playing the trumpet or violin while using a digital piano, made possible by the use of samples.

With the increasing quality plugged into electronic pianos, the sound quality has improved drastically. By special weight grading, piano keys on the digital instrument are built to ensure realistic portrayal of an actual acoustic piano key timbre. When you are playing the instrument, it feels and sounds just like its acoustic counterpart. There are just as many professional piano players who use an electronic piano and vouch for the lack of differentiation in look and feel between the two versions of the instrument.

There are many electronic piano brands to choose from nowadays. You have the famous Yamaha digital pianos, Casio, Korg electronic pianos, Kurzweil pianos, and Roland digital pianos. Our five brands provide value for money and features which will serve a piano player well. They are also relatively cost effective compared to acoustic pianos. You can easily get a quality electronic piano by spending between $1,000 to $3,000 regardless of brand, and a few essential piano accessories such as a piano bench, stand, piano sheet music, extra pedals and headphones. Use the money saved otherwise from buying an acoustic piano by using it on extra piano lessons. This way, you can get the best of both worlds and advance more in your piano playing endeavors.

So why buy an electronic piano over an acoustic piano? The reasons to support this are perfectly illustrated here and hopefully it provides enough arguments to provide you with more reason to get a digital version of a piano. One of the most attractive advantages is that of saving costs, and all the savings can be later pumped into areas that will improve yourself as a piano player instead of spending too much money on accessories which do not necessarily help you much without learning the skills first. So go forth and become the best player you can on an electronic piano.

In case you are somewhat of a piano purist and have misconceptions that digital pianos do not provide enough of the same feel as an acoustic version, then think again. Nowadays, technology has advanced as quickly as demand has risen, and the same feel of playing an acoustic piano can be had just as much as from playing an electronic version of the instrument. Each piano key on the synthesizer (another name for it) would be made according to weight similar to that of its authentic counterpart, and they are individually graded. If you have tried your hands playing piano on a Steinway for example, you would have felt that the lower key notes are heavier than the lighter notes. They thump down when you press on them, don’t they?

Electronic pianos of the modern era now also provide enough internal computing intelligence to ensure that the notes do not sound messy or jumbled when they are played. The piano sample sounds that are used are all genuine and provide accurate replication of when an acoustic piano is played. Many of them even provide additional effects and variations of such samples, such as an organ or harpsichord. A key early breakthrough in the design and development of digital pianos came when they were able to produce polyphony which is the combination of more than 60 notes played at the same time.

One factor in choosing a good electronic digital stage piano is of its design shape and size. Many people decide to opt for such an instrument due to the limited space in their homes. As a result, the piano should be placed on a stand (thus the stage piano) and not only must the size of the instrument not be too large, the combined space usage of the piano and its stand must be convenient and reasonable. As a result, most manufacturers of electronic pianos and synthesizers now build keyboards within reasonable sizes and lengths, to cater to the mass consumer market.

Other essential features when looking to buy a good electronic stage piano include the MIDI capabilities, sequencer and recording functions, properly weighted and graded piano keys, piano pedal capabilities such as sustain and half-pedals, basic piano samples and extra sounds such as from different instruments and headphone line ins to allow playing without upsetting neighbors or people in the house with the noise. An extra note is the powerful ability of a digital piano to replicate other instruments through the use of multiple samples stored in it. Additional features might allow extra samples to be loaded into the keyboard and used. This is something that many professional musicians rely on in studios and during live stage performances.

As of today, the digital stage piano manufacturers that provide value and reliability are still the same as from years ago. They include Yamaha, Korg, Roland and Kurzweil. While reviewing the different electronic piano brands, I have personally preferred Yamaha and Korg pianos, and their digital pianos provide the same power and performances. Yamaha has always been the best piano manufacturer around, in my opinion, and they have carried over their technological know-how in building acoustic pianos to that of electronic pianos. Their electronic instruments are the best in replicating the sound and feel of an acoustic piano, and myself and my kids have always enjoyed using both Yamaha piano forms.

Another good choice for an electronic digital stage piano would be that of Korg’s range of pianos. They provide excellent support and the sounds and piano timbre produced are crystal clear with unbelievable warmth. A little recommendation would also be that of Casio digital stage pianos, especially if you are looking for one for your kids who are clamoring to learn the instrument. You never know with kids. They might lose their interest after six months so why take the risk to spend money on an acoustic piano or even a top range electronic piano when you can go for a Casio which is much less expensive and provides all the basic essential features to learn how to play piano. All you need to spend more would be on piano sheet music and lessons.

Therefore, if you want to buy a good electronic digital stage piano, consider the points above and assess the many options available to you as a piano buyer nowadays. There are so many varieties of pianos from Yamaha and Roland to actual acoustic pianos such as Steinway. But as a starting point, a grand piano is not essential at all. Save the money for the extra piano lessons and future piano refinishing, and use it to invest on a powerful electronic digital stage piano instead.

Back in the 1970s and 1980s, the electric piano was extremely popular, aided in part by the widespread use in popular music and rock music, when the synthesizer was all the rage, especially in the 80s style of pop music, when groups from Depeche Mode and the Pet Shop Boys incorporated it into every song they released. The electronic piano was also a viable and cheap alternative to that of the piano, which was made from more expensive material like wood. Advancement in technology allowed mass and affordable production of electronics, and that made the digital piano an attractive substitute for an actual piano.

Not that electronic pianos are not true instruments. They are. The simulation of piano timbres is now very authentic and real. Even audio enthusiasts can hardly note any difference, and it has become acceptable that these instruments are used instead for professional music recordings everywhere.

If you are looking to learn how to play, piano lessons can be taught on a digital piano such as the popular Yamaha models. The Japanese are now world leaders in the production of electronic instruments, and the Yamaha piano is no exception. While starting out as a beginner, you might still be unsure how serious your interest is. Instead of paying thousands of dollars for a grand piano, it might be more economical to purchase an electronic piano for starters. Learning to play piano can be quite difficult at the beginning, no matter how fun it might be. But if you find out later you were not cut out to be a pianist despite having spent hours upon hours practicing, then all that money used on a piano bench, a spanking new Steinway and sheet music would have been a bad investment.

Furthermore, by virtue of being an electronic instrument, electronic pianos can also last just as long as their normal counterparts. As long as you keep them well-maintained and away from the usual rigors of humidity and heat, they would last you a life-time. The chances of you needing piano restoration will also not occur as well, although if you are still playing it by then, it would be high time to get a non-electronic piano.

When I started taking piano music lessons, I had to make a choice. Was I really keen on the instrument, or was it just a passing interest? Not being totally sure, although I was crazy about classical piano music, I decided on the sensible option and paid less for a digital piano. There was absolutely no difference between learning how to play on it compared to a Steinway piano, for example. I figured that if I was still playing it after two years, it would mean my love for it was strong. True enough, till today and after 9 years, I still spend at least 2 hours daily practicing and playing with my electronic piano. Yes, it is still with me.

Therefore, what it comes down to whether you should purchase a Yamaha electronic piano or go for a full scale Steinway, ask yourself if a couple of years from now the interest would remain. Many people take up lessons as a result from being influenced by peers or believing that learning music is a status symbol. But there is a lot of hard work involved playing the piano and being good at it. Without really loving the instrument and the music, it can be a long struggle and most people would not last the distance. I have seen many friends who force their children to learn piano, but these kids grow up hating the lessons and the sight of piano keys would bore them to death. Why spend your time learning a musical instrument unless you really like the process and the music? But if you would still like to test it out, an electronic piano can provide an economically reasonable means of doing so.

Therefore, by learning what an electronic piano is, its benefits and disadvantages, you can logically decide if it would be right and suitable for you to get one. It provides an incredibly sensible and cheap alternative, so getting an electronic piano will never be a bad mistake.