DIGITAL PIANO VS ACOUSTIC PIANO : Which One Is the Best?

Interested in learning piano? Today you are going to read complete our Digital piano vs Acoustic piano : Which One Is the Best? There are types of pianos you don’t even know. You should know the better one as a beginner. Every beginner struggles to find which one to buy and if you are one of them, then this discussion will make things clearer for you.

So, the question is which one to buy? Digital piano vs acoustic piano, which one would serve you better? Let us start our discussion here.

DIGITAL PIANO VS ACOUSTIC PIANO

Choosing any instrument depends on so many factors like what’s your personal choice, then the goal, which one you are comfortable with, reason of learning and buying, area coverage, and so on. But surely you know what, there are no rules forced upon anyone that which is better, and which one should be bought or not. But it’s always wise to buy whichever one you’re comfortable with.

Differences Between Acoustic Piano and Digital Piano?

First of all, before getting to the actual difference, you need to know why I am pointing out the differences between two major types of a piano! What is so special about both of these piano types? You should know what they are before getting to know about the differences between them.

Acoustic Piano

Basically, acoustic pianos are the pianos that can make a proper sound without any electronic help, like an amplifier. Acoustic pianos have hammers, steel strings, and a wooden exterior. It looks very grand. When you press the keys. When you press the keys, the hammers take action of hitting the steel strings to produce the sound. Acoustic pianos are the oldest type of piano you may find on the market today.

Digital Piano

Unlike acoustic pianos, digital pianos work completely differently. Just like the name suggests, they work digitally, that is, taking the help of electronic devices. When you press a key in a digital piano, it plays the sound of the keys which was recorded beforehand from the corresponding acoustic piano.

The acoustic piano was made centuries ago so the mechanism is obviously different. An acoustic piano makes sound using hammers that are covered with felt, then hits the steel-wire strings. A piano made in the digital era doesn’t use hammers obviously, rather it features electronic speakers to provide high-quality audio recordings.

Digital Piano vs Acoustic piano—Which Sounds Better?

The tone of the instrument is one of the most important things to remember. The acoustic piano will provide a greater note we know. As previously said, the acoustic piano makes a sound when the hammer hits a line. It produces an authentic, acoustic sound with a colder, more resonant note.

You will have more influence over the musical notes, articulation, and language. A digital piano, on the other hand, can only imitate the sound of an acoustic piano. Its tone is a digital document, but it lacks the same acoustic nuances. Nonetheless, a high-end digital piano can outperform a low-end acoustic piano in terms of tone.

Touch and Feel

The touch of the keys is very important to a musician Playing on rough keys or very slippery keys can be irritating. There is a small realistic hammer in acoustic ones, digital pianos can simulate the weighted keys of an acoustic piano.

On some digital pianos, the touch sensitivity of the keys can be adjusted to the player’s likes and dislikes. Because of the low touch sensitivity in acoustic pianos, the player must press the keys harder to make them louder. But in digital ones, there is high touch sensitivity, and you don’t have to press as hard to get the same loud result.

Digital pianos have a variety of sounds, and you can easily switch between strings, church organs, and harpsichord with the press of a button. Some digital pianos allow you to split the keyboard so that one sound is played at the bottom and another at the top. This can result in a more expressive and varied performance, and students often enjoy playing with sounds.

Storing Your Digital or Acoustic Piano at Home

Do you know where to put the piano at home? Pianos are a very delicate instrument. If you don’t store them in a proper place, they don’t last for a long time. And get rather rusty with a defective sound.

So, when selecting a piano for your home, consider where it will be kept. Because changes in humidity can affect tuning, an acoustic piano should be kept in a room where the temperature does not fluctuate. In the case of acoustic pianos, you need more maintenance than a digital piano.

A digital piano, on the other hand, doesn’t get its tuning damaged, and is low maintenance, so it can be placed in any room, irrespective of temperature. Because of its portability, you can easily move or resettle it. Isn’t it great?

Acoustic pianos are typically very heavy and are very difficult to move from here and there. Digital pianos have the advantage in this section!

When deciding between acoustic and digital, you have to make sure how much space you have available for placing the piano. If you don’t have enough space, then digital pianos are a better option. Acoustic pianos are basically much larger, and the sound can be compromised if placed too close to a room and would need even more space like a hall.

Durability and Maintenance

If you can properly maintain piano, the last generations. All they need is just a little bit of attention, okay? Make sure you don’t let it stay without any sort of maintenance. Maintenance is a quite important part here, they must be away from the damp and wet environment, strings are to be repaired before it gets rust.

Playing occasionally also helps as it, plus keeps the keys and strings running. And it was discovered from all of this that they live a long time this way, but apparently, not all of them will last 100’s of years. They would undoubtedly expire one day.

However, the maintenance and durability both are less complicated in the case of digital pianos, rather than acoustic ones. Even though it’s simpler to maintain a digital piano, it’s not so durable as acoustic pianos. So, both pianos have their ups and downs if you think about it!

Functionality and Weight

Without a doubt, acoustic pianos are very heavy. And the smallest uprights weigh about 200-250 kgs, while large ones will weigh more than 550 kgs. It’s a very popular theory that the polar bear weighs the same as an acoustic piano.

The weight of a digital piano is determined by the type of piano you purchase. A portable stage piano can weigh as little as 10kg, but a full-size digital piano with a wood cabinet, speakers, and a weighted 88-note keyboard can weigh up to 50kg.

Price

An acoustic piano costs way more than a digital piano. A low to a mid-tier upright acoustic piano could cost from $1500-$4000, whereas a digital piano could cost from $250-600. So, the price of a digital piano is clearly much lower than that of an acoustic piano.

Here’s a tip! If you’re a beginner, learning about pianos now, then you can buy a digital one as they are cheaper, less in maintenance, and other facilities benefitting a beginner.

Also, don’t forget to check my piano buying guide and piano apps article The Best Piano Brands in the World – A Buyer’s Guide and The 10 Best Piano Learning Apps for Android and iOS Digital Piano Vs Keyboard: Which One is better? and Top 16 Best Baby Grand Pianos to Choose in 2022

So, The Major Differences Between Acoustic and Digital Tuning Are –

• Tuning: Acoustic pianos require frequent tuning, as well as general servicing and restringing. Digital pianos on the other hand don’t need so much tuning like the acoustic ones since they’re only playing from the previously recorded one.

• Room: Acoustic pianos are much larger than digital pianos and need much more space to provide the best sound. From this, you can also guess that an acoustic piano is way bigger than a digital piano.

• Portability: Since digital pianos are lighter, they can be transferred and shipped with ease.

• Technology: digital pianos have features that allow for playing experimentation, can motivate players to practice, and allow them to explore composition and recording.

• Versatility: an acoustic piano has only one sound; a digital piano has a large selection of pianos and other instruments.

Final words

In this article, I compared a few points contrasting topics about Digital piano vs acoustic piano. Moreover, I explored how personal choices and priorities can influence you at the time of buying a piano. You are now going to make the final decision on which one’s more preferable for you. This discussion here is entirely for you to make a proper choice! Best wishes to you!