Differences of the Digital Keyboard vs. Acoustic Piano

The digital piano keyboard sits on a stand or can be incorporated in a digital piano shell like that of the grand piano.  It has 88 full length keys that on touch can be made to feel like the same pressure of keys as the grand piano with lighter pressure on the treble cleff and more pressure on the bass.  The keyboard range is usually the same as the piano which is A0-C8. 

The digital piano is versatile in that it can be played in many styles, i.e. grand piano, harpsichord, strings, jazz and pipe organ as well as the more traditional styles of the piano which are classical, jazz and blues.  Of course, most of your classical pianists prefer the acoustic piano over the digital piano keyboard.

The size and weight of the digital piano is considerably lighter than the acoustic piano.  It can be carried around, it is portable, where the acoustic piano is too heavy to be carried everywhere.  The acoustic piano is large and cumbersome.

Periodically the piano will need cleaned of dusted and tuned.  An acoustic piano should be tuned at least 2x a year because the strings can become lose or too tight and cause an out of tune key when the hammer hits a string.  It is best to keep the piano away from sunlight, vents and windows avoiding things that would cause it to get warmer or cooler and affect the tuning of the piano.  The digital keyboard is never tuned because the sounds are in a program written to sound like a given style.   The acoustic piano must be kept in a room with  stable temperatures and humidity. 

Digital piano keyboards are less expensive than an acoustic piano and therefore more affordable for the beginning student of piano. 

Whichever you choose, be aware that both can be made to look the same aesthetically.  Today piano shells are made for the digital piano keyboard that make it look very similar to a grand piano or baby grand.