What are Weighted Keys on a Keyboard?

Something you may not know about when you choose a keyboard is weighted keys. What are they and why would you need them?

Many digital pianos are built with keybeds that emulate the feeling of playing an acoustic piano. Acoustic pianos have hammers and strings that produce the vibration heard as a musical note. Hammers strike the strings and are connected to the keys by lever type systems. The natural weight of a lever can be felt while playing and helps the piano player to know how hard they should press the keys to get the sound they want. Pressing the keys softly will produce soft sounds, while hitting them harder creates louder sounds.

With digital pianos and keyboards, weighted keys are not needed, as we have the computer detecting automatically how hard or soft we press the keys and providing the correct sound. However, some digital keyboards are designed with weighted keys simply to emulate the feel of playing to an acoustic piano. This is particularly useful for the beginners who want to learn playing the classic piano but to not have a classic piano yet. Weighted keys are good to build finger strength and encourage good playing habits.

If you are interested in pursuing piano or keyboard lessons, and are looking for a piano to play, use social media resources to buy and sell used musical instruments.