Re: Key Touch Resistance

[Louis]

Hello,

A new Member here, a beginning player with a new Yamaha DGX-660 Keyboard. Moving from a simple Casio board to a true Weighted Key instrument is quite the experience.
I am in my Sixties and learning to play. Is key resistance very critical to learning to play piano. The Fixed Key Resistance setting is so much easier to play than soft, medium or hard, but significantly reduces the expressions available playing the note.
What's the advice on this topic for the Novice?

Thanks

 

[anotherscott]

Find whatever is easiest for you out of soft, medium, or hard... but not fixed. Fixed eliminates ALL dynamic expression (all notes come out at the same volume regardless of how hard you hit the key). No piano works that way, and being able to play louder or softer is a key part of learning to play the instrument. In fact, the full name of the instrument is "pianoforte" which *literally* means "soft-loud" -- the ability to control dynamics was the big leap forward that the invention of this instrument had over previous keyboard instruments. And if you set it so that everything is the same no matter how hard you hit the key, it will be that much harder to adjust when, in the future, you actually want the notes to behave differently depending on how hard you hit the keys.

 

[Louis]

Thank You.
That is indeed a perfect reply to explain the dynamics of learning this instrument. I had suspicions taking the easier method (fixed resistance) was of dubious merit for learning proper technique. Greatly appreciated the pianoforte instruction as well.

BRAVO!