Piano vs Keyboard

Pianos and keyboards are basically the same thing, when examined from very far away. They perform the same basic functions - they emit sounds that combine together to form music. However, every instrument does that. But what makes these two instruments so similar that they're so often mistaken for each other?

A keyboard is basically half the piano. It's electronic. I don't think I've ever seen a keyboard that wasn't. It has no pedals. All it has are the black keys, the white keys, and a couple of switches. The really high-tec keyboards have a full control panel that can be used as a synthesizer. You usually need to go out and buy a keyboard stand for it, and also a music stand or something to hold your sheet music. The pluses for them are that they're a lot easier to transport than pianos are.

A piano is what people usually think of. 'Piano' is the layman's general term for all the different types of keyboards and pianos and organs and everything, but right now what I'm talking about is the flat out generic piano - an upright piano. You can google that if you want, but I think you know what I'm talking about. I have two upright pianos, one electric and one acoustic. Honestly, I like the electric one better. But that's not we're talking about right now. Upright pianos are basically like keyboards, except they have pedals included in them, and they're a lot heavier. Also, they have a cool built-in stand for your sheet music. The keyboard is just the general term used for the 'board of keys,' so I guess that's a way to tell the difference if you ever forget for some reason.

If you don't already have a piano or keyboard, and you're looking here to figure out which one you want to buy, just think about a couple questions. Do you not have a lot of space where you're putting it? Do you intend to transport it constantly? Do you have a low budget for it? If your answer was yes to all of those, you should probably think about getting a keyboard rather than a piano, but you should also probably think about doing more research into it than just answering three simple questions about it. Buying any instrument takes a lot of research, and cutting corners will only help guide you into a mess. There's nothing worse than ending up with an instrument that doesn't work for you.