An Introduction To The Digital Piano
The digital piano becomes increasingly popular in today's
society for some pretty sound reasons. If you haven't giving
this sort a serious look, look again. You may be in for a
pleasant surprise.
This type of keyboard is a
different breed of the classical stringed piano in that it
uses technology to emulate acoustic sounds sent through
sound chips.
It's normally played in bands rather
than in orchestras, and the versatility of the sounds that
it can produce allows
musicians to imitate the music of other instruments
(organs, flutes, violins, etc.). Some of the more advanced
can record new sounds or even record an entire performance.
Advantages
At first sight, this instrument may
seem like a toy to the musician who has studied and played
classical piano for numerous years, and many such musicians
refuse to appreciate it as a serious instrument. But there
are some distinct advantages to playing one that shouldn't
be ignored.
One of those advantages is its relevance
to today's technologically obsessed society. For example,
today's musician can easily connect one of these pianos to a
computer and create MIDI
sound files.
It
never needs tuning, it's lightweight and portable.
Sounds
Known as the synthesizer of the past,
the digital piano can emulate the sounds of almost every
kind of classical piano known (upright, grand, tack, etc.)
but it's rarely used to generate the sound of a single
instrument. It's so
versatile, musicians imitate the sounds of several
different instruments at once to create the sounds of a
small quartet or intimate band.
Of course one of the
most frequently asked questions about this instrument is,
"How did they get the sounds in there??"
Essentially, the sounds that you hear are sounds recorded
from actual (non-digital) instruments. The higher quality
ones will produce sounds that are more faithful to their
natural counterparts, making it nearly impossible for some
to distinguish the output from real instruments.
Brands
If you're interested in playing this
kind of piano, you may delight in knowing that some of the
world's best technologists are digital piano manufactures.
They include world-class
Yamaha, Roland, Suzuki, Casio, and more. Chances are
that you've seen these brand names on other products around
the home.
The same quality that you enjoy from these
brands is incorporated into their musical instruments as
well. So you can feel confident that your Roland digital
piano for example is just as first-rate as your Roland
stereo system or amplifier.
The Interface
The learning curve required to
play one of these is relatively short and depending on the
goal, musicians experienced with the classical piano and
computers can get started with one rather quickly. This is
because its interface combines the
interactivity
of a software menu with the
traditional piano keyboard.
Above the keyboard
are options
that change the volume, bass and treble output, and
instrument tone.
More advanced pianos will offer
additional options and could include various drumbeats as
well as a nice assortment of percussion sounds. Spending
some quality time learning how to change the available
options without losing your place in a song is what turns a
beginning digital piano player into a pro.
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