Beginner’s guide to keyboards!
Welcome to our guide to piano keyboard. For starters, let’s get familiar with the structure of a keyboard. Although each model looks differently, they all have common parts. Some might have more features, but that depends on the price. If you want to know how to choose the right keyboard for you, make sure to check our our second lesson of this guide, where we’re showcasing a few basic models. Okay, so what is a piano keyboard? Simply put, it’s an electronic instrument resembling a real piano, however much smaller and
So the most important part of a piano keyboard is well.. the keyboard. Different keyboards may contain various number of keys, depending on the model. Naturally, more expensive keyboards have more keys. A standard piano keyboard has 61 keys (5 octaves). When you play a key, the sensor underneath sends an information to the computer inside, which then plays the corresponding sound sample. As opposite to a real piano in which the sound is organic, electronic keyboards have their banks of samples, which you can choose from.
Speakers – pretty self-explanatory, that’s where the sound comes from.
Volume knob – regulates the volume of the keyboard or how loud the keyboard is.
Numeric keypad – usually used to switch between different instruments. Depending on how many instruments your keyboard has, all of them have their number. For example, a grand piano might be at 01, a trumpet
at 17 and so on. You can choose the instrument by setting the correct number on your numeric keypad.
LCD Display – A little screen showing different information, usually current sound, volume etc.
Mod-wheel (or pitch bend) – is a controller, which you can use to slide between the notes. Very useful for expressive piano performances however, it’s not really neccessary for a beginner piano player, so don’t worry if the keyboard you want to buy doesn’t have this.
Keyboard stand – A piece of hardware on which you can set up your keyboard. Usually sold separately. It’s worth to get one if you don’t have enough space at home for your keyboard or if you need to travel with it.
In the next lesson, we’re going to talk about a few models of keyboards to choose from for your first buy. Make sure to check out this guide to see which keyboards are worth buying and what features they have!
