Keyboard Lessons

Learn to play Keyboard. Keyboard tutors throughout the UK; more welcome. Free guide to buying a keyboard

An electronic keyboard consists of keys (like a piano) which, when depressed, generate a synthesized or sampled sound which is then amplified and broadcast either by built-in or external amplifier and speakers. The quality of this synthesized sound depends upon a number of factors with the more expensive instruments playing sampled sound (as opposed to synthesized) - ie a digital version of the actual instrument they are emulating.

The electronic keyboard began to increase in popularity in the early 80's and, probably as a result of its affordability and ease of playing, become almost a household feature.

Here are twelve reasons why a keyboard makes an ideal musical instrument for a young child:

Prices start from under £30 making it one of the cheapest musical instruments
A half-size keyboard (ie with smaller keys) can easily be purchased and this would be suitable for a child
On-board help (lights above the keys, labelled keys etc) can help teach a beginner the basics of playing
Headphones can be plugged in and this mutes the sound of someone learning!
A keyboard is a good starting place for learning the piano
Auto-accompaniment, single-finger chords, synthesized sounds, percussion kits etc mean that even a complete beginner can produce music
An electronic keyboard requires very minimal cleaning and tuning is usually unnecessary
Play piano or guitar music - both of which are easy to obtain
The keyboard is a 'C' instrument but most can easily be transposed to keep them in-tune with other instruments
A beginner's level keyboard is light and easy to transport
The tempo of a song can be adjusted to suit the ability of the player
The auto-accompaniment facility is an excellent way of teaching a beginner to play music in time

The most popular makes of electronic keyboard are as follows:

Alesis
Casio
Ensoniq
E-mu
Kawai
Ketron
Korg
Kurzweil

M-Audio
Moog Music
Ne-Ko
Roland
Technics
Yamaha
Sonic

Anyone venturing to a music shop to buy an electronic keyboard who has not played one themselves will be met by a plethora of machines with prices ranging from about £30 to over £3000. How do you choose which one is best for the musician in your life?

Here are some of the main features of a keyboard and a brief explanation of their function. Always check with the shop you are buying from as these can vary from keyboard to keyboard.

Auto-accompaniment
This is an option whereby the backing rhythm incorporates the sound of the chord being played.

Single-finger chords
If this option is selected, the left-hand can play a full chord by just pressing one finger on the keys in the chord section of the keyboard. More complex chords can be played using 2 or 3 fingers. For example, if a player depresses the 'C' key (in the chords section) then the keyboard will play the chord of 'C'. If (say) C and B are depressed together, the keyboard may play the chord of Cm with C7 and Cm7 being played in a similar manner.

Modulation wheel
This wheel allows the pitch of a note to be bent like the 'wow' of a guitar or the slide of a trombone.

Sampled sounds
Sounds produced by authentic instruments - available on a more expensive keyboard and much more realistic than a synthesized sound

Synthesized sounds
Electronic imitations of sounds and less realistic

Touch-sensitive keys
Cheap instruments are basically on-off switches whereby it makes no difference how hard a key is struck. Touch-sensitive keys vary the level of the sound in proportion to the pressure applied by the musician.

Polyphony
The number of notes which can be played at the same time. While this is unimportant for a beginner, it becomes increasingly relevant for more experienced players. The better the machine, the higher the polyphony value.

Harmony
This feature allows the player to get the keyboard to automatically generate a harmonising sound with the melody-playing part of the music. In other words, it considers the chords being played by the left hand and calculates and plays the most harmonious notes as the right hand plays the melody. If applied properly this gives great depth to a piece although misused it can be hard on the ears!

Obviously the most important thing is the sound quality so make sure the shop gives you a full demonstration of the keyboard.

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