Weighted Keys/Non-Weighted Keys

[jenniferchanya]

Hello. I am a 21 year old female musician from Georgia. I play the keyboard and flute.

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone has the same problem that I have with weighted vs. non-weighted keys. The digital piano that I have at home (Yamaha YPP-200) and the one at church (Yamaha DGX-300) both have what they call "semi-weigthed" keys. So..when I practice at home and play at church, I play with ease..since the keys are not weighted. I can play fast songs with no effort. But when I go to one of my sister churches and play an actual acoustic piano with weighted keys..it is such a drastic change. My fingers are not used to the weight of the keys so my arms get tired out. I don't think I could play a fast song on a real piano.

I was just wondering if I am the only one with that problem. To solve the problem, though, we are going to be purchasing an acoustic piano for our church soon. That way, I will have plenty of practice with weigthed keys and feel more comfortable with it.

Jennifer

[Lauragal]

hi,

I have the opposite problem, I've been playing the piano for 20 years.  When I try to play a non-weighted keyboard, its very sloppy and my fingers hit too many notes at one time (if you understand what I mean - my fingers kind of hit several notes next to each other, unintentionally).  So I'm buying a weighted keyboard as a non-weighted one feels like a toy to me.  My church is also buying a weighted keyboard so I can play on that too.

Lauragal

[BBoy]

I like the feel of weighted keys, and I think if you are going to do a lot of playing you actually need some type of weighted action (semi-wieghted, weighted or hammer-like action) to avoid carpal tunnel syndrome. I have a Yamaha that is fully wieghted and I love the feel, but I also have a Roland arranger for rhythm / accompanyment and it is non weighted.

Be Blessed

BBoy

[SisterT]

Hi Jennifer,

I too play the flute!

I purchased a Kurzweil keyboard, specifically for the weighted keys and the piano sound. I prefer to play weighted keys now. I ran into the problem of visiting churches that had a piano, and because, at the time, I only played non-weighted keys, my playing was horrible.

I also have a non-weighted keyboard. Every now and then I play it so that I won't lose the "touch".

[GloJean]

I also have that same problem. I have a Yamaha DGX 300 at home and at church. The church also has a piano. And yes, there is a big difference for me. I have to mentally remember that I must adjust when I play the piano. The church piano is decent so that's not a problem, but as Sister T said, the pianos at other churches - that's another story. We visit alot of other churches for revivals and afternoon/evening services and I take the keyboard with me anymore. It sometimes is alot to haul around, but believe me it is well worth it.

As for my speed, I have noticed a big difference with the keyboard, but with time it gets easier. But one thing good about this site, It is nice to know that you are not alone. What I may be going through with my playing someone else is experiencing it also. I don't even begin to put myself in a class of a great musician. I am even sometimes a little embarrrased to say that I play, but I'm beginning to believe that I am my own worst critic.

I promised the Lord, not long ago, that I would use my talent whereever he would have me to go. And he tested me almost before the words were out of my mouth.  It has been a challenge and a blessing.

Be Blessed!

[jenniferchanya]

Well..it's good to hear that I'm not the only one that experiences this issue. One correction I needed to make to my original post is that we have a Yamaha DGX-500 at church. Yes, it definitely is an adjustment to go from non-weighted to weighted and from reading the others posts, vice versa. I was wondering why this lady that came to my church that has been playing the piano for many years was having so much trouble with playing the keyboard. I now see why..she has been used to playing with weighted keys!

But the Lord knows all about it. I'm still blessed to be able to play the keyboard/piano at all. And like the last poster said, I'm my own worst critic. As long as I play so that God gets the glory and honor out of it..that's ALL that matters!!

Jennifer

[brownhornet]

Well, having gone from non-weighted to weighted at my first church, I can understand completely where you are coming from.  I remember playing for their first few services and my forearms were killing me.  It's one thing to play weighted during rehersal and all together different to play during a service.

I only played on weighted for many years after that.  I even went and bought a Yamaha P-80 because I liked the weighted keys so much and didn't want to be caught off guard like that again.  Well, I then experienced the reverse effect.  When I finally laid my hands on a keyboard and managed to produce a hot mess.

Long story short, I still have the P-80, but I added a Korg Triton LE to the mix.  Now, I can handle either.  More importantly, I'm not at the mercy of not knowing what kind of piano to expect at another church.  I bring my own now.

bh

[BBoy]

Ha, you guys are making me chuckle.

I experience something a bit different, I think. Whereas weighted keys are different and more pleasureable to play in my opinion, I think the issue with me is not "weighted" verses "non-weighted." I am getting to the point where I don't like to play other peoples' instruments, period. I like my own keyboards and my own guitars. I like the leslie voices in the newer keyboards, because you can sound like an organ without having to play someone else's organ!  :lol:

Some other saints tell me jokingly that I am just plain TOO independent, because I like things a certain way. They chuckle with me when I tell them that I don't like to play other peoples' instruments, but I tell ya . . . . I likes my own stuff!  :wink:

Is that just me, or do you guys experience that as well?

Be Blessed  :lol:

BBoy  

[RMS2003]

BBoy...I think I can go long with what you're saying. When you're using someone elses instruments, they may have it set the way they like it but you don't. And to change it might not make them happy. That's really not a problem with our keyboard. We have a Roland FP-9 and any settings you change are erased anyway so it don't matter. But the organ is another story. I like my drawbars a certain way, I like to use the bottom manual with my right hand and top for my left. WHen I'm using pedals, I like only the left drawbar to be pulled out. The leslie, I like the fast stop effect by pulling out the slow motor plugs. This also caused the drum to decelerate more slowly. Also adjusting the belt tension on the lower rotor affects how fast the drum will accelerate and I'm picky about that too...Now I can't just go and fool with another churches leslie, they wouldn't like that. So I do see your point, using your own stuff makes you feel more free to do whatever you want to it.

But anway, on to what this thread is about. The keys issue really isn't too big a deal for me. I can do both very well, I do play both piano and organ so I guess that has something to do with. However when I'm playing piano, I do prefer waited. This is because with non-weighted, I feel like I'm gonna break the keys off if I play any harder.

If you're not used to weighted keys, it really doesn't take long to get used to them. I did within just a few short weeks and I was probably practing maybe once or twice a week at most. This was before I got my own keyboard with weighted keys and shortly after I started playing. I bought a Roland RD-300 from a local music shop here in town...It's a relic by today's standards. I love the classic 80's synth-piano sound on it though. If you listen to alot of black gospel albums, I guarentee you the keyboard they're using is an RD-300 or something similar.

It was never a hard transition for me, even though I was pretty much raised on non-weighted keys.

[Crazykeys]

Praise the Lord!!!!! I started with weighted keys on an old up-right at my church. That made me used to playing with weighted keys. Then I baught my own bord for the house. This board had non weighted keys. In turn, that made me adjust to non-weighted keys. After that, last year I got a ps20 with 88 keys. Now my problem is kindoff crazy because not only am I adjusted to weighted keys, I feel weird when I don't have 88 keys to play on. Oh SisterT, I love playin on Kursweils. I play one in Anderson Indiana. It made a beautiful sound. I'm wtih Lauragal, the non-weighted are like playin on toys. May God bless yall.