Choosing an Electronic Keyboard
Electronic keyboards give you a great way to explore music and learn to play an instrument. Different types of electronic keyboards work best for different players. Popular keyboards include everything from Yamaha keyboards, Roland keyboards, and Korg keyboards to keyboards from Rhodes, Wurlitzer, Kurzweil, Casio, and Moog.
Pack up a portable electronic keyboard
Affordable and easy-to-play portable electronic keyboards can go anywhere and you can play them anywhere, even on your lap. Plus, portable electronic keyboards come with built-in speakers, so you’ll have everything you need to be a one-person band or orchestra.
Portable electronic keyboards can produce dozens of instrument sounds and percussion rhythms. Some electronic keyboards even have sampling capabilities, allowing you to record and play back sounds. Higher-end portable electronic keyboards, geared toward more seasoned players, offer more functionality and better sound.
Select a synthesizer
Synthesizers, or synths, are more sophisticated than portable keyboards and utilize cutting-edge technology. Many include a sampler that works like a digital tape recorder, playing back stored digital sounds. Samplers will also record original sounds and play them back. Some synthesizers can also change the waveform of an instrument’s sound and alter it completely.
Synthesizers or samplers that have percussion and rhythm sounds fall in the workstation category. Workstations function like a complete music studio, allowing you to create compositions without additional equipment.
Make the most of MIDI
Many electronic keyboards have Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) capabilities that allow them to communicate with other electronic instruments and computers. If you’re strapped for cash, consider a standalone MIDI keyboard controller, which is basically a keyboard without sound. Hook the MIDI keyboard controller up to your computer, play back your music on your computer’s built-in sound system, and digitally record your jam sessions.
Play the digital piano
Portable keyboards and synthesizers can approximate the sound of an acoustic piano, but digital pianos sound closer to the real thing. The lower-cost and portable alternative to the acoustic piano makes sense for professional musicians who need to carry their instrument from gig to gig and for novice players who eventually want to graduate to an acoustic piano.
Digital pianos have two or three pedals and require a stand. Aside from realistic piano sounds, most can produce a limited number of other sounds such as organ, vibes, harpsichord, and strings. Most also feature MIDI in and out jacks so that you can connect them to a computer or other MIDI device.
