![[List] Types of Keyboard Instruments [Piano, Synth, etc.]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/ovLU3pg1Ny4/maxresdefault.webp)
[List] Types of Keyboard Instruments [Piano, Synth, etc.]
When you think, “Let’s try playing a musical instrument,” what kind of instrument comes to mind? For most people, the very first image that pops up is probably the piano.
Even if you’ve never played a piece, chances are you’ve touched a piano at least once in your life.
Now, the piano is a type of keyboard instrument.
And there are actually many different kinds of keyboard instruments! In this article, I’d like to introduce a variety of them.
You might even discover a keyboard instrument that makes you say, “Wait, I’ve never seen this before!”
[List] Summary of Keyboard Instrument Types [Piano, Synth, etc.] (1–10)
synthesizer
A synthesizer is an instrument that creates sounds using electronic engineering methods, and it has been studied in various places for a long time.
It is said that the first ones appeared around the mid-19th century.
Instruments like the theremin are also considered part of the synthesizer family.
When computer music became popular in the 1950s, synthesizers grew to sizes that are hard to imagine today.
In the 1980s, with advances in digital sound generation, portable, shoulder-carried synthesizers became the mainstream.
Recently, there has been an increase in affordable, easy-to-use options with a rich variety of sound sources.
grand piano
A grand piano—the kind of piano anyone who practices the instrument dreams of playing at least once.
Unlike an upright piano, which strings run vertically to save space, a grand piano has its strings stretched horizontally, allowing for rapid repetition and trills, and enabling a wider range of expression.
Grand pianos come in various lengths, from compact models that can be placed even in small rooms to full concert grands capable of meeting the demands of performances in large halls.
Rose piano
The Rhodes piano is an electric piano that flourished in the worlds of jazz and pop from the 1970s through the 1980s.
It was used on many hit songs, including Billy Joel’s “Just the Way You Are.” Unlike an acoustic piano, it strikes metal rods called tone bars and, like an electric guitar, converts the vibrations into an electrical signal via electromagnetic pickups to produce sound.
It’s a legendary instrument beloved by many keyboardists—overseas by artists like Chick Corea and Joe Sample, and in Japan by Masataka Matsutoya, among others.
organ
Organs can largely be divided into three types: the large-scale pipe organs installed in churches and concert halls; reed organs, which produce sound using reeds as seen in pump organs; and electronic organs, which generate signals via electronic circuits when keys are pressed and play them through speakers.
All three differ from the piano in that the sound continues as long as a key is held down, allowing for performances that make use of sustained tones.
Among electronic organs, the Hammond organ is beloved and widely used in genres such as R&B and jazz.
Accordion
It’s an instrument where you operate the bellows with your left hand to push air through, and sound is produced by reeds when you press with your right hand.
Its tone is similar to a melodica.
Some models have buttons on the left side for playing bass notes and chords.
Because it can be played either sitting or standing, many people picture it being performed on street corners or in bars.
It also has switches to change the timbre, making it a surprisingly versatile instrument despite being entirely human-powered.
The concertina and bandoneon are part of the same family.
Mellotron
In Western rock music of the ’60s and ’70s it was used a lot, so even if you don’t know the name, some people might recognize it when they hear the sound and think, “Oh, that.” It looks like a big white box with about three octaves of keys.
The Mellotron is more of a sampler than a musical instrument—it’s a machine that plays back recorded sounds.
With the technology of the time, the recorded sounds were embedded on tape, and pressing a key would play the tape back.
Because of that, if you pressed the keys repeatedly, the pitch would deteriorate.
That, in turn, created a retro vibe.
shoulder keyboard
A shoulder keyboard is a synthesizer designed to be worn with a strap over the shoulder like a guitar, allowing it to be played in a guitar-like manner.
The part corresponding to a guitar’s neck has a pitch-bend wheel, making it fun to raise the pitch with a dramatic swoop, much like a guitar.
Around 1980, giants of the jazz and fusion worlds such as Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea frequently used this instrument.
There was a period when it fell out of production and was considered a relic of the past, but in recent years it has drawn renewed attention, with new models being released.