A keyboard is not just an electric version of the piano, it is a wholly separate instrument in its own right. While there are some similarities, (a lot of them to be exact) there are some differences as well. Owning a keyboard versus a piano may be very attractive indeed to apartment dwellers, small homeowners or frequent movers. It is also far more portable, so if that is a deciding factor when choosing between the two, there you have it: advantage, keyboard.

Sitting down and playing the keyboard is a relaxing way to spend some time, can be a great stress reliever and when you get good, can even net you some extra money. But before you get to actually booking gigs, there are several things you need to consider. For instance, why are you choosing the keyboard over the piano in the first place? Can you play either? And what about those similarities and differences? Using those as an argument for and against the keyboard may be a good place to start:

Comparison between keyboard and piano:

1. Price. A basic keyboard can be hundreds, even thousands dollars cheaper than a standard piano. Start adding on extras however and that price can skyrocket. The basic concert set up for a rock keyboardist would buy more than a couple baby grand pianos.

2. Size. Again, if you stick to basic to mid-range here, the keyboard wins hands down. The larger models start getting fairly comparable to the basic piano, but do not take up nearly as much room as a grand piano.

3. Portability. You can carry the smaller keyboards from room to room with you. Try that with a piano!

4. Ease of use and purchase. This one is a tie because generally where you can buy a piano, you can find at least a few keyboards. The reverse is not always true, but there are still enough places to buy a piano that you cannot say they are hard to find.

Pianos have 88 keys, both black and white. Some keyboards have the same number of keys, some do not, however all have black and white keys. The approximate middle of both the keyboard and the piano is C, (middle C) regardless of the actual number of keys. Learning to play either requires practice and hard work. And both can be welcomed or shunned depending on the skill of the player and the songs that are chosen.