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 less work to play your favorite music. Let me explain how this is.
You must understand that there exists two types of sounds. I call them decaying sounds and sustaining sounds but no matter. You don't need an advanced degree to understand how these sounds work and why keyboards are easier. Just read on and you'll get it.
One type comes from striking a string and letting it vibrate this it stops. This is a decaying type of sound and is the sound produced by pianos and guitars. It also includes any sound that results from striking a head, such as drums. The sound's behavior is the result of the thing that makes the sound ceasing to vibrate bit by bit.
The other type of sound continues at full volume so long as the thing vibrating (all sounds are formed by vibrations) continuing to do so - a sustaining type of sound. This includes flutes, saxes, trumpets, violins, organs, etc. Now if your wind gives out such things can disappear also but on a keyboard so long as you hold down the key you will hear the sound at it's full volume. It sustains.
If you are playing a decaying sound you have to play more of them to "keep the music going." If you are playing a sustaining type of sound you don't. It's as simple as that.
But wait - it's even simpler than just using the sustaining sounds. Almost all modern keyboards (there are some for the piano-only purists) have controls which play some sort of musical "style" or genre. You have to tell the keyboard what "chord" (what group of 3 or more notes) to play using your left hand Once you do that the keyboard will continue to play this chord in that particular musical style until the cows come home. In other words, even that sustains. It will only change when you play a different chord.
Now you have to know something about chords and musical styles, but that is all "head knowledge" and easily acquired. The "hand knowledge" is much more difficult to attain. That's what the piano requires - a ton of "hand knowledge." You have to keep on making note after note to keep the music going. That's why it's easier (NOT totally easy of course) to learn to play a keyboard AS A KEYBOARD and not as a "poor man's piano."
Does this explanation leave you cold? Do you not understand it? I'll be happy to explain but first you should really check out the Dan Starr videos on youtube where you can see me playing my keyboard. It's kind of eye opening for most viewers. Then email me at danstarrorg@yahoo.com or check out my website at danstarr.com.
