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What are weighted keys and why are they important?

"...playing a keyboard without weighted keys is almost like riding a bike with stabilizers... eventually, they need to come off!"
Oct 06, 2020
4 min read

Today we will be answering the frequently asked questions of what the purpose for weighted keys actually is, and how significant the role is they play in the modern-day digital keyboard… I hope you enjoy!

The mechanical resistance felt with weighted keys gives a keyboard a much more realistic, ‘acoustic piano’ type feel.

It will really help build muscle strength in your fingers and get you used to the feel of a real grand piano, which is super important if you were looking to practice seriously and maybe progress to make piano playing your career as you would find yourself behind lots of acoustic pianos.

I also like to say that playing a keyboard without weighted keys is almost like riding a bike with stabilizers… eventually, they need to come off!

So there are 3 different types of weighted keys on today’s digital piano/ keyboard, there is ‘semi-weighted, which as you can imagine, means that the keys are lightly weighted, but not quite the same as the fully weighted keys that you will find on an acoustic piano.

They provide a playing experience that is far more responsive to your touch.

If you can stretch to semi-weighted keyboards within your budget, you’ll definitely feel the difference, and it would greatly improve your playing ability and set you up well for when you start to progress.

Yamaha CLP700 Clavinova piano series comparison | CLP735 vs CLP745 vs CLP7756m
Yamaha CLP700 Clavinova piano series comparison | CLP735 vs CLP745 vs CLP775
ePianos

All of the CLP models have weighted keys - David gives us a tour

The next level of weighted keys up from here is the ‘Hammer Action’ keyboards, this means the keys have a mechanism that replicates the same hammer action as an acoustic piano.

This is usually achieved by the attachment of a lever system near the key to adding more resistance to the keys you’re playing.

As you can imagine, this will only come on the mid/ high range keyboards as it will cost quite a bit more, BUT it will boost the feel of the piano much closer to that of an acoustic. It actually helps improve the sound too, adding to those tiny little details in the sound that an acoustic has, like when the hammers hit the strings and produce the resonance.

Definitely a worthwhile investment for those looking to progress from a beginner to intermediate level of playing.

Finally, we have the ‘Graded Weighting’ system. You will only find this on the very best keyboards out there. It identically replicates that of an acoustic piano, with its individually weighted keys system.

On acoustics you will find that the weight of the keys varies depending on where on the keys you are playing… as you play the lower end keys, the weight of them is heavier meaning there is slightly more resistance to them when you push them down, and as you work your way up to the higher keys, the keys become lighter and easier to press as they have less resistance.

This is due to them having the ‘Graded Weighting System’, all-acoustic pianos will have this, and now the top-end digital pianos have them too, making them feel just like an acoustic which is great for developing your playing and getting used to what a real piano feels like.

Most keyboards that have the GHS, will also have wooden keys, and some will even have the same feel and weight as ivory keys, just like the older acoustics have.

For the advanced player, you will want to work with a keyboard that is equipped with this top-of-the-range feature as it will really help challenge you and prepare you for a potential future career in music, say for example if you’re training to be a classical concert pianist, then you will want to train on a keyboard that represents a real concert piano as accurately as possible, and the GHS really helps to do this.

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Isaac Stuart
Isaac Stuart
Sales at ePianos
Isaac is one of our longest-serving sales team members, and is a gifted musician and actor. He has a wealth of product knowledge and experience overseeing a range of promotional content via social media and email. You’ll also see him in a number of our ePianos Youtube demonstration videos.
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Tyros Tipsters Bonus Content for Tyros 5

Here's what we offer when you select the option to include our Bonus Content...
We update the firmware so that your Yamaha Tyros 5 is running on the latest version

We load in 600 registrations into the Tyros 5 which give you sound set-ups in your registration bank buttons for different genres of music

We add 1825 songs into the Tyros 5 Music Finder

We are pleased to be able to offer interest-free finance on selected products through Novuna Personal Finance, for a limited period only.

This offer is available on purchases of:

  • Brand New Yamaha Genos 2
  • Brand New & Used Yamaha SX920 (if purchased with bonus content & guide)
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  • Used Yamaha Genos 1 (if purchased with bonus content & guide)

Get in touch to request a remote 0% finance application with or without a part-exchange using the form below:



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Available Bonus Content for SX720

Here's what we offer when you select the option to include our Bonus Content...
  • Latest Firmware
  • 27 Expansion packs which include 557 voices and 381 backing styles
  • 234 extra styles from Tyros 5
  • 600 registrations
  • 2673 song setups
  • Video showing where all the key features are
...and when you select the option to include our GenosTipsters Guide
  • We include our GenosTipsters guide (digital version) worth £99, featuring over 3 hours of video and 200 pages of written accompaniment.

Disclaimer – a proportion of this content is made available freely by Yamaha, for those fully competent and confident with using the required software to install it via computer.

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For orders of any stock displaying a 7-10 day lead time, we will contact you as soon as the item arrives with us to schedule a delivery with you.

Occasionally, there may be availability issues with our suppliers, in which case we'll get in touch with you to see if you're happy to wait, or if you'd like to cancel the order and receive a full refund.

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Available Content for Genos 1

Here's what we include when you select the option to add our Bonus Content...
  • Latest Firmware
  • 23 extra expansion packs which include 877 voices and 577 backing styles
  • 234 extra styles from Tyros 5
  • 600 registrations
  • 4096 song setups
  • Video showing where all the key features are
...and when you select the option to include our GenosTipsters Guide
  • We include our GenosTipsters guide (digital version) worth £99, featuring over 3 hours of video and 200 pages of written accompaniment.

Disclaimer – a proportion of this content is made available freely by Yamaha, for those fully competent and confident with using the required software to install it via computer.

Genos Tipsters Bonus Content for SX900

Here's what we offer when you select the option to include our Bonus Content...
  • Latest Firmware
  • 14 Expansion Packs inc many extra voices and styles
  • 234 T5 styles
  • 600 registrations
  • T5 Music Finder
  • 15 Playlists with 2287 song set-ups
  • Video showing where all the key features are
...and when you select the option to include our GenosTipsters Guide
  • We include our GenosTipsters guide (digital version) worth £99, featuring over 3 hours of video and 200 pages of written accompaniment.

Disclaimer – a proportion of this content is made available freely by Yamaha, for those fully competent and confident with using the required software to install it via computer.

Available Bonus Content for SX920

Here's what we offer when you select the option to include our Bonus Content...
  • Latest Firmware
  • 25 Expansion packs which include 780 voices and 540 backing styles
  • 234 extra styles from Tyros 5
  • 600 registrations
  • 4256 song setups including 136 ‘Decades’ registrations
  • Video showing where all the key features are
...and when you select the option to include our GenosTipsters Guide
  • We include our GenosTipsters guide (digital version) worth £99, featuring over 3 hours of video and 200 pages of written accompaniment.

Disclaimer – a proportion of this content is made available freely by Yamaha, for those fully competent and confident with using the required software to install it via computer.

Korg Pa5X Bonus Bundle

Bonus Content for Korg Pa5X

Here's what we include when you select the option to add our Bonus Content...

  • Korg Bonus Styles (Taken from the Bonusware downloads on Korg UK website) – 450 styles
  • Korg Pa2x Internal Styles converted to 5x – 419 styles, all complete with 4 x Keyboard Sets
  • Korg Pa3x Internal Styles converted to 5x – 486 styles, all complete with 4 x Keyboard Sets
  • Korg Pa4x Internal Styles converted to 5x – 584 styles, all complete with 4 x Keyboard Sets
  • Korg Pa800 Internal Styles converted to 5x – 409 styles, all complete with 4 x Keyboard Sets
  • Korg Musikant 4x Internal Styles converted to 5x – 577 styles, all complete with 4 x Keyboard Sets
  • ePianos Songbook for Pa5x – A collection of over 200 well-known songs with 4 Keyboard Sets per song, giving in excess of 800 registrations
  • Latest Osimo Songbook from Korg
  • 3 x User Sound Packs from Korg
  • 6 x Korg Pa5x User Know How videos covering: "Power Up & Panel", "Selecting Styles", "Selecting Sounds", "My Setting & Favourites", "Mixer Basics", "Songbook", and "Recording"
  • How to Locate and Load the Various Software Bundle Components (Video)

Available Bonus Content for Genos 2

Here's what we offer when you select the option to include our Bonus Content:

  • Latest Firmware
  • 52 expansion packs which include 1,721 voices and 1,148 backing styles
  • 234 extra styles from Tyros 5
  • 816 registrations
  • 4256 song setups including 160 ‘Decades’ registrations
  • Video showing where all the key features are

Some of the best parts of our Bonus Content option are the 1,721 new extra voices and 1,148 new extra styles included across 52 expansion packs. These packs are quite complex to upload and, whilst free to obtain, we pride ourselves on getting them into your keyboard for you — something many dealers shy away from purely because of the time it takes to get them uploaded.

...and when you select the option to include our GenosTipsters Guide:

  • We include our GenosTipsters guide (digital version) worth £99, featuring over 3 hours of video and 200 pages of written accompaniment.

Disclaimer – a proportion of this content is made available freely by Yamaha, for those fully competent and confident with using the required software to install it via computer.