How Does an Electronic Piano Work?

Electronic Pianos

Electronic pianos are keyboard instruments designed to be somewhat similar to their acoustic counterparts. Electronic pianos create tones in the same way that synthesizers do, through oscillators that generate sound waves. Playing a particular key on an electronic piano triggers that corresponding oscillator or group of oscillators. Electronic pianos are typically not touch-sensitive; that is, the sound does not vary depending on the touch of the musician.

Digital Pianos

Digital pianos are distinct from electronic pianos in that they often play samples of acoustic pianos instead of generating tones through oscillators. Playing a particular key on a digital piano triggers a sample of an acoustic piano playing that corresponding note. Due to advances in technology, digital pianos usually do account for touch-sensitivity; there are different samples of any given note, which correspond to different strengths of attack on the key.

Electric Pianos

Electric pianos are still another variation on electronic keyboard instruments. Electric pianos work through mechanical processes. Some electric pianos are essentially a combination of piano and guitar; pressing a key causes a string to be struck, which is then amplified by a pickup. Other electric pianos create sound through the triggering of reeds or the striking of tines. For this reason, most electric pianos can create sound even when not plugged in; plugging them in simply amplifies the mechanical sounds that are created.

Polyphony

Polyphony refers to the ability to generate multiple tones simultaneously. Most electronic pianos have a limited polyphony. Some of the earliest electronic pianos and synthesizers were monophonic; they could only generate one tone at a time. If an electronic piano has eight-voice polyphony, it can generate eight tones simultaneously. Many digital pianos and other electronic pianos have had at least 64-voice polyphony since the 1990s. Electric pianos have unlimited polyphony, as their sound is limited only by the physical constraints of the musicians using them.

References

• Types of Pianos