DIGITAL vs. ACOUSTIC PIANO – WHICH IS BETTER FOR PRACTICE?
Do you want an elementary student to have a digital keyboard for home practice? Call me a purist, a snob, just plain old-fashioned– but for keyboard instruction I always favor the piano over Generation X’s digital keyboard. Why? The digital relative still cannot produce a true piano sound, touch, and response. That being said, I will admit that digital keyboards have come a long, long way in recent years. Their sounds are amazingly close to that of a piano; after all, many use actual sound samples from acoustic grand pianos. They stay in tune. They are portable. They generally cost less than a piano. The most expensive ones offer touch-sensitive (also called velocity-sensitive) and weighted wooden keys quite similar to an acoustic piano. Digital pianos have one to three pedals which simulate those on an acoustic. They can also be equipped with headphones which allow private practice. Most even offer instrumental sounds and percussion effects which titillate many students. Even with al
