As with many areas of study and expertise, music is an area with many words that become synonymous to the general public. For example, when the average person looks at a viola and calls it a violin, that would be a perfectly normal and acceptable word to use to describe that instrument! Except now, you have the knowledge of an expert musician, especially if you’ve been reading this blog for some time now… right? So, you know that a viola is actually a stringed instrument slightly larger than a violin. Great work, expert musician.
“Keyboards” and “pianos” are two other words that are often jumbled and misconceived. When you refer to one of these words, you may be referring to something different than what you intend - so let’s clarify.
The Keyboard
The word “keyboard” is actually part of a greater family of instruments—namely that. The “keyboard” family. Instruments that fit into this category include:
Marimba
Vibraphone
Xylophone
Glockenspiel
Celeste
Harpsichord
Organ
and yes… the piano
All of these instruments have one thing in common—the main construct of the instrument is simply a board of keys. Each key on the board represents a different pitch or musical sound, that when played together, creates a beautiful mix of sounds. The instrument called the “piano” also fits into this category, as the piano is, in essence, a board of keys.
The Piano
Similar to the idea that a “square is a rectangle, but a rectangle isn’t necessarily a square”, a piano is a keyboard, but a keyboard isn’t necessarily a piano. Online music stores and contemporary culture have turned the “digital piano” into a keyboard for short, and you might even hear professional musicians calling digital pianos a keyboard. However, this term does include a broader range of instruments. If you want to refer to these instruments more specifically, give them a Google search and take a look at how unique and neat they are!
So whether you play a “keyboard” or a “piano,” you can learn more about these amazing instruments by signing up for lessons with one of our great instructors!
- Tyler Long, Music Instructor at Vibe Music Academy.
