| me of you may think of someone playing the | | | | after touch, polyphony (the number of notes that can |
| electronic keyboard as a “pianist”. Well | | | | be played at the same time), multi-timbre (playing more |
| you’d be wrong. They would actually be | | | | than one instrument at the same time), tempo, split |
| referred to (by someone who knows what they are | | | | point (the ability to split the playing area into different |
| talking about) as a “keyboardist”. | | | | instruments), style, synchronisation, auto harmony, |
| Sounds clumsy, but it’s true. | | | | wheels and knobs (to control and vary different |
| 2. The term “electronic keyboard” is | | | | features on the keyboard) and response (weighted or |
| used to mainly describe the cheap end portable home | | | | spring loaded). |
| sequencing keyboards, but is also commonly used to | | | | 7. Synthesizers are actually slightly different from the |
| include many variants such as the digital piano, the | | | | standard electronic keyboard in that they can produce |
| synthesizer, the electric organ and the arranger | | | | a variety of sounds by generating, combining and |
| keyboard. | | | | distorting signals of different frequencies. Unlike the |
| 3. Many electronic keyboards commonly use MIDI | | | | keyboard, the synthesizer produces an electric signal |
| signals to send and receive musical data. MIDI is | | | | (rather than an acoustic signal) which can then be |
| essentially a sequence of instructions that identify the | | | | played through an amplifier of some kind. Synthesizers |
| sound used, the note pressed, the duration of that | | | | are most commonly controlled by a keyboard device, |
| press, although the complexity of the MIDI system will | | | | although this is often integrated into the machinery. |
| vary with each keyboard. Some cheaper end models | | | | 8. Perhaps the most infamous synthesizer is the Moog |
| of electric keyboard (such as keyboard toys) simply | | | | Synthesizer, famous for its role in many 1970s and |
| will not output that data. | | | | 1980s pop hits and popularly used by artists such as |
| 4. Many keyboards have the ability to add a | | | | Jean Michelle Jarre and Duran Duran. |
| “foot switch” or “sustain | | | | 9. The earliest incarnations of the non-electric |
| pedal” as it is commonly referred to. The | | | | keyboard are the pipe organ, the hurdy gurdy and the |
| application of the foot switch enables a pressed note | | | | harpsichord. The organ is the oldest of these from |
| to “ring” for longer and better replicate | | | | perhaps as early as the third century AD. |
| the sounds of many keyboard based instruments | | | | 10. The first keyboard to be powered by electricity is |
| including the organ and the piano. | | | | said to be the “Ondes Martenot” which |
| 5. Electronic keyboards across the world have been | | | | appeared in the early 20th century (approx. 1928). It is |
| commonly built by instrument manufacturers such as | | | | actually still played today in some French |
| Alesis, Casio, Ensoniq, E-mu, Kawai, Ketron, Korg, | | | | conservatoires thanks to some compositions written |
| Kurzweil Music Systems, M-Audio, Moog Music, Ne-Ko, | | | | specifically for the Ondes Martenot. It produces eerie |
| Roland, Technics, Yamaha and Sonic to name but a | | | | wavering notes and was produced by “varying |
| few! | | | | the frequency of oscillation in thermionic valves”. |
| 6. Features that keyboardists would be interested in | | | | Whatever than means... |
| when choosing a keyboard include touch response, | | | | |