Task #10 Comparison Essay

Acoustic Piano vs Digital Piano

There is a constant discussion among piano beginners and even professional

pianists about choosing between acoustic or digital piano. Although both seem to
have cognate features, they have staunch differences. Despite the advances of
technology that have tried to imitate an acoustic piano, there are still distinctions that
contrast one from the other, like the mechanism, sound, versatility, touch, and
expressiveness.

One of the most significant disparateness between both is the sound. Moreover, the
mechanisms that execute the sound are vastly different. First, the acoustic piano
works by a hammers mechanism that strikes the strings, thus producing this
movement, sounds. Therefore, this creates a unique sound that spreads vibrations
through the environment naturally. An acoustic piano will be always characterized for
its warm, solid, and intense tone. Digital pianos, on the contrary, have samples
previously recorded of an acoustic piano. As a result, every time you press a key,
what you are hearing is a recording of a piano sound. A digital piano can mimic the
sound, but it won’t be able to perform the wide sound palette and nuances that a
piano has. Nevertheless, nowadays there are digital pianos that resemble a piano’s
sound very well.

Then, there is the touch sensitivity. The feel while you are playing may vary
depending on if it’s acoustic or digital because of the weight that keys have. The
keys of a grand piano are made of wood and synthetic ivory that is used for the
external plating. The wood makes the keys heftier, which requires a certain strength
when you play. So, depending on how much vigor you put into it, it can produce
different shades on the same key, and it gives the pianist a better tool to broadly
interpret what he plays. Conversely, electronic pianos are distinguished by how
effortless and lightweight the keys are when you’re playing because, unlike acoustic
pianos, they’re made of plastic. Contrasted with the multiple sounds that an acoustic
piano can beget, an electronic piano sustains a consistent tone. Albeit you try to play
differently, the sound won’t change.
Versatility is as well a contrasting element between both with some singular
particularities. The electronic piano has a broad range of features that an acoustic
doesn’t have. An instance of this is the repertoire of sounds of many distinctive
instruments, ranging from a violin to a choir, giving you the possibility to create and
personalize a piano piece; however, the piano does not have any of these added
modalities. Equally, digital pianos differ in size and have diverse options and optimal
dimensions to transport them more easily than their acoustic counterparts. On the
other hand, grand pianos are extremely heavy and big because they are usually
designed to be located in only one place, so it's effortful to move them from one
place to another.

In conclusion, both acoustic and digital pianos have individual characteristics and
functions that make them particular and functional in different ways. Notwithstanding
what I said before, there is a remarkable dissimilarity with the acoustic piano
because it still stands out over a digital piano. The sentimental factor when a pianist
plays is of utmost importance for the interpretation of any piece, which the acoustic
pianos can achieve that task perfectly. Instead of digital pianos, they can hardly
replicate that human factor. Thereupon, playing the acoustic piano whether it is for
learning, practice, or playing professionally will be a complete and better experience
for the pianist.