Just like guitars, basses, or drum kits, pianos can be acoustic or electric. Each type offers a different kind of sound and unique perks, but they also have their disadvantages too.
Differentiating between electric and acoustic pianos can be difficult for beginner pianists. Both types can produce similar notes but sound differently; they look similar, yet they’re strikingly different when it comes to portability. If you want to learn more about the main differences between acoustic and electric pianos, you’ve come to the right place.
We’re The Music Box, Florida’s premier piano school. Our piano coaches have prepared this article to help all piano players understand not only the differences between these piano types but also how to leverage them to their advantage and properly use them while playing. Without any further ado, let’s dive straight into it.
Electric vs Acoustic Piano: At a Glance
At The Music Box, we strive to educate our piano students about their options before proceeding to actual lessons. We believe that pianists who are familiar with their chosen instruments progress and fall in love with the piano faster.
Acoustic pianos are the “original” versions of this instrument. They’re steel-strung instruments operated by weighted keys that produce bright, airy tones, which can be altered with pedals. Acoustic pianos are also very heavy, occupy a lot of space, and tend to be significantly more expensive than their digital counterparts.
Digital pianos are usually much cheaper, rely on electronics to produce a barrage of different notes and/or timbres, and offer players the flexibility to adapt to any scenario (rehearsal, live show, recording, etc.).
After we cover the basics, we typically dive straight into practical lessons. Check out our Facebook page for more detailed info.
Sound
One of the most important differences between an acoustic and a digital piano is the quality of the sound they make. Digital pianos produce sounds that are sampled after acoustic pianos. The tone of high-end digital pianos is usually difficult to discern from acoustic pianos, but all digital pianos have a hint of “digital” in their sound.
Acoustic pianos, on the other hand, lack the flexibility and versatility of digital pianos. They have only one timbre, which can be slightly modified with piano pedals. Expert pianists play “to” the piano rather “than” the piano by applying different amounts of pressure to the keys, emulating different tones.
Electric or digital pianos are incomparably more versatile. Certain models are built to replicate authentic (acoustic) piano tones and often feature at least a couple of unique timbres, which the player can switch between with a tap of a button.
Electric “keyboards” are not to be confused with electric pianos. They also feature a set number of keys (which can be a higher or a lower number compared to the classical piano) but offer hundreds of different samples. Some of these samples are effects, or even tones of different instruments (like guitar, drums, bass, saxophone, etc.). If you want to hear what a real digital piano should sound like, check out our Instagram page.
Price
All pianos, excluding electric keyboards, are quite expensive. However, because they feature incredibly delicate parts, acoustic pianos cost significantly more than their electric counterparts. It’s almost impossible to find a new model under $3,000-4,000.
Electric pianos cost a fraction of that price. Since they mainly use electronic hardware to produce sounds and don’t feature special tonewoods, these pianos usually cost $900 – $1,500.
Keys & Playability
Mastering an acoustic piano can be very challenging, mainly because all of these instruments feature weighted keys. Each model offers a different level of key sensitivity, meaning that some of the habits you’ve acquired on playing one piano won’t necessarily be useful on another model.
On the brighter side, all acoustic pianos feature a broad range of action mechanisms that enable the pianist to control the keys. As we mentioned earlier, professionals know how to use the piano’s action to make their tones more expressive, but this feature can also be used to lower or tighten the “feel” of the piano’s keys when needed.
Electric pianos usually feature touch-sensitive keys. This is mainly the case with low-end models – all keys require a slight tap to produce a sound. The downside here is that you won’t be able to affect the expressiveness of your tones. Many modern electric pianos come supplied with features similar to traditional piano action that allows the player to customize the “weight” of the keys.
Size & Portability
Acoustic pianos occupy a lot of space. Furthermore, they’re extremely heavy and immobile, so moving them from one spot to the other would be either too difficult or downright impossible without the help of a few friends, depending on which model you own.
Pianists who play classic “grand piano” instruments often need to hire professionals to haul the piano to the stage. This shouldn’t come as a surprise since acoustic pianos can weigh upwards of 1,000 pounds (upright pianos are slightly “lighter” at 500 pounds while Baby Grand pianos often weigh 500-700 pounds).
On the other side, electric pianos don’t weigh nearly as much. Without the actual strings and complex mechanisms, electric pianos weigh around 100 to 300 pounds. Even though this weight is still too heavy for a single person to move, nudging an electric piano a few inches is much easier than an acoustic one.
Electric keyboards, the ones that are designed to emulate pianos with hundreds of samples, are the most portable type. They rarely weigh above 50 pounds while their average weight is around 25-30 pounds. Needless to say, they occupy the least amount of space. If you want to learn more about the differences between acoustic pianos, electric pianos, and keyboards, swing by our TikTok channel.
Want to Learn More? Come to The Music Box
We’re always happy to welcome new piano students, so if you’re looking for quality music education, The Music Box will gladly have you. Our HQ is located at 4321 Gunn Highway in Carrollwood, Florida, so swing by whenever you feel ready. Send us a message, give us a call, or simply follow this link if you’d prefer to enroll online.
