Monday, November 05, 2012

Why You Should Own/Play/Learn on an Electronic Keyboard: Reason #1

by Dan Starr

Introduction

I give up. There's too much brainwashing. Too many folks think that there is some difference between an acoustic piano and an electronic keyboard. Even though technically any acoustic piano IS a keyboard (after all, it's a "board with keys on it for making music") the sales people and even piano-only teachers have created the idea in the minds of the public that somehow such a difference exists.

I keep hearing folks refer to anything with keys as a "piano" which it most certainly is NOT!

They have also created the idea that anything electronic is somehow less valuable, less worth having, than something acoustic. It simply isn't true, however, and I (a professional player and professional instructor with decades of experience in both) will tell you why I think so. There will be several of these posts, one per day.

Today's Reason

It's really simple. Most people simply want to be "hobbyists." Now I know this irritates professionals, but it's true. The professional musician's life is something only a tiny, tiny number of humans want.  Besides, I think our society would improve a great deal if more folks knew how to actually create their favorite music rather than merely listen to it - even if only as a "hobbyist."

And for the hobbyist - an electronic keyboard makes much more sense that some bulky, unwieldy acoustic piano. That's why companies that make bulky, unwieldy acoustic pianos (such as Yamaha and Kawai) also "hedge their bets" and manufacture excellent electronic keyboards.

Let me give you some more examples - as if price and portability wasn't enough!

Let's also say that time is important. Now a person could learn to play the sax, the clarinet, the flute, the violin, etc. or they could simply learn to play a keyboard and then use that keyboard's sounds to play those instruments. You might have been thinking of "the bad old days" when such sounds we not very authentic. However, today it would take a pro player of those instruments to tell the difference! These sounds (and 100's more) are as real as you'd like them to be.

Can't play anything? Hey, the electronic keyboard has many ways to help you learn to play that no acoustic piano, even the world's best acoustic piano, ever thought of having. I'll tell you about many of these in a future blog post. If you can't wait, you can always email me directly at danstarrorg@yahoo.com! I promise to respond within 24 hours.