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What’s The Di erence…. A Piano, Keyboard, Synthesizer Or An

Organ?
By Rimmers Music Blog (https://www.rimmersmusic.co.uk/blog/author/cathyrimmersmusic-co-uk/) / March 6th,
2020 / There are currently 0 comments

Every so o en a customer will come into the store keen to purchase and learn any of the above instruments. However, there can some mes
be confusion as to what the correct instrument is that they have in mind. A customer wan ng to learn to play a keyboard, in fact, think that it’s
an organ (possibly due to references from grandparents etc about learning to play the organ).

So what is the difference, and does it really ma er what instrument you purchase? Let’s find out!

What is the di erence between a piano

(https://www.rimmersmusic.co.uk/pianos-c3/acoustic-grand-pianos-c8) and
an organ (https://www.rimmersmusic.co.uk/viscount-classical-organs-i120)?
What is the difference between a piano and an organ?
A piano is a percussion instrument, whereas an organ is a woodwind instrument meaning that they produce very different sounds when
played. A piano can only sound like a piano, however, an organ can be altered to sound like a variety of woodwind and reed instruments.
Addi onally, a piano’s key needs to be pressed repe vely to sustain that par cular note, however, the organ will sustain the note for as long
X
as the key is depressed.

(h ps://www.rimmersmusic.co.uk/pianos-c3/acous c-grand-pianos-c8)
The piano (h ps://www.rimmersmusic.co.uk/pianos-c3/acous c-grand-pianos-c8)
has been in existence for hundreds of years and is s ll one of (if not the) most
popular instruments that have lasted throughout me and has changed very li le
(apart from the digital variant). Evolving from the Harpsichord, the Piano offered the
advantage of being able to be played both quietly as well as loudly (hence the
official name of Pianoforte, or So /Loud).

Piano’s these days are of course familiar to most people, if not already being at
home you would no doubt be familiar with the one in your old school assembly as a
child. A piano (in its standard form) doesn’t rely on power and requires both the le
and right hands to be playing independently to perform a song. Due to the
mechanical nature of a piano, the keys are a lot harder to press than the likes of a
keyboard, organ or similar.

(h ps://www.rimmersmusic.co.uk/viscount-classical-organs-i120)Next up is the
Organ (h ps://www.rimmersmusic.co.uk/viscount-classical-organs-i120). At one
me most homes would have one as the pride of place in the lounge or dining room
and can be dis nguished by the 2 offset rows of keys, and usually a set of pedals at
the bo om with a rocking pedal to the right…

The pedals at the bo om are used by the feet to play the Bass notes with the le
hand playing the lower keyboard and the right hand the upper. Lessons aren’t really
readily available to learn to play the organ these days and there are very few new
suppliers of instruments which are far more costly to purchase than the keyboard.
Which leads me to…

What is the di erence between and keyboard

(https://www.rimmersmusic.co.uk/keyboards-synths-c4/keyboards-music-
workstations-c6) and a synthesizer
(https://www.rimmersmusic.co.uk/search/synthesizer)?

Keyboards have black and white keys, like that of an acous c piano, and come with a large number of automated samples and sounds. While
synthesizers o en look similar to a keyboard, they are different because the can mimic any instrument to make a unique sound. Synthesizers
can create their own sounds whereas keyboards can not.

(h ps://www.rimmersmusic.co.uk/keyboards-synths-c4/keyboards-music-worksta ons-
c6)Keyboards (h ps://www.rimmersmusic.co.uk/keyboards-synths-c4/keyboards-music-
worksta ons-c6) have evolved immensely over the years. They differ from the piano by
being lighter in weight and with fewer notes which offer li le resistance so are much easier

X to press. Unlike a piano where both hands need to work independently, a keyboard only
really requires either a chord to be played or even a single key to be pressed on the le side to enable a built-in auto-accompaniment to play
which is based upon that note. As you press a different note, the accompaniment changes to reflect the different ‘chord’ which allows you to
control the backing, and use your right hand to play the melody alongside it. The be er a keyboard is, the be er it will sound, with more
realis c sounds and cu ng-edge quality accompaniment styles.

(https://www.rimmersmusic.co.uk/keyboards-synths-c4/synths-
c167)

Synthesizers (h ps://www.rimmersmusic.co.uk/search/synthesizer) were

originally developed as the most basic way to emulate a real instrument
but with limited technology. These ‘analogue’ synthesizers then
developed their own following and can be heard in many iconic 70’s and
80’s tracks. A lot of synthesizers these days work of a number of different
ways of producing sounds and some even have a built-in library of many
thousands of iconic voices which are ready to be used instantly. However
they aren’t instruments with built-in accompaniment sounds like keyboards and organs and are generally used as a music produc on tool,
either live on stage or in a studio with the use of a dedicated synthesiser.

Come into your local store (h ps://www.rimmersmusic.co.uk/map) and see for yourself the differences between all four instruments, maybe
this will help you to make a decision!

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