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         Yamaha digital pianos - Review

Are you looking for a Yamaha digital piano? We offer a source for you to find a Yamaha portable digital piano - CP33 model for the road or the Yamaha YDP223 digital piano with bench for home, church, school or teaching studio use. The Yamaha clavinova digital piano models are also great!

You may ask, what is the difference in each keyboard. The difference is size or body style, weight, onboard features such as different sounds, drums, demo or recording features, etc., and overall design plus outside features and accessories. All of the Yamaha digital pianos and keyboards are some of the most popular electronic instruments in the world.

They are one of the top choices among professional musicians, recording studios, and amateur stay at home players. Almost all of the electric pianos will have 88 keys. All are touch sensitive (also referred to as graded touch) and the more expensive ones will have weighted keys.

There are at least two Yamaha digital pianos that have only 76 keys. The NP-30 and YPG235. Both can run on batteries. 76 keys can be enough for an amateur. Even some pros can do quite well with 76 . In case you don't know a real piano usually has 88 notes. This includes the white and black keys. Some people who don't play piano count only the white ones and forget to count the black ones.

A Yamaha digital keyboard (remember now days almost all electronics are digital) may sometimes have only 61 keys, or possibly even less. These include the synthesizers and what I call the toy boards (meaning mostly for children to play with). A Yamaha digital piano (and all other brands) in reality are synthesizers because a synth imitates other sounds. Remember a yamaha digital piano (plus all keyboards) only pretends to sound like the instrument it is imitating.

But, Yamaha does a very good job of sounding like the real thing. Piano, organ and many other sounds in a Yamaha are very good and will most likely get even better as digital technology gets better. This includes the portable keyboard and home models. 

There may be a few 61 key models that do not have touch sensitivity. These are the very low priced ones or those that are not meant to be used or played like a piano. Higher priced 61 key synthesizers are usually touch sensitive. Again all Yamaha digital pianos that are full sized (88 or 76 notes) will have touch, either graded or weighted.

 

Now about the weighted feel on a Yamaha digital. It is quite good. Of course it's not exactly like an acoustic piano, but for a digital keyboard it isn't bad! Yamaha has put a lot of time and research in creating an imitation that should please all amateurs and pros. Those that can not be pleased should probably stay with a Yamaha acoustic.

Now, in my opinion the only thing that a digital piano (this includes Yamaha and all others) keyboard lacks is good after touch. An acoustic piano has what technicians refer to as let off, which is a certain "give" before the key goes all the way down and stops. This is mostly noticeable while one is practicing slowly to work up the material. A digital seems to bottom out with no give, like a thud.

Remember, an electric keyboard has no mechanical mechanism. Hince, there are no working parts that can help create aftertouch. This fact points out one of the big differences between acoustic and electronic pianos. And all that wood in the king of instruments helps to resonate sound and feel!

If I'm just bouncing along and playing the song,(hey, that rhymes!) the lack of after touch in a Yamaha digital does not really matter. An acoustics keybed is all wood. This also suggests that there may be a little more bottom give than with a metal stand and plastic frame. One solution so that you do not hurt your fingers or wrist is to practice lightly. Never with a firm force (like my old classical teacher taught me). She would not have ever accepted a Yamaha digital piano for playing classical music. Times have changed.

Just remember, don't practice or play on an electronic keyboard with the same force you would use on your acoustic! As I said one might hurt fingers and wrist. Now days students of any style can carry a portable Yamaha digital piano just about anywhere. They definitely get the job done. And I believe that the Yamaha digital piano will get even better. Including the after touch. I feel Yamaha will certainty see to that.

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