"Which is better, a piano or a keyboard?" beginning musicians sometimes ask before they make an investment.

Piano players ranging from the amateur to the professional have split opinions on the matter. To some a keyboard (or electric piano, or digital piano), is a degradation of the magnificent acoustic pianoforte. To others it is viewed as a great alternative.

As an avid piano player I'll admit right now that I own a traditional, upright "real" piano, a full-size high-quality synthesizer keyboard, and a cheap 61-key keyboard. Each one has a different purpose, each has its pros and cons, but to answer the questions quickly: by all means, a piano is preferred over a keyboard. Let me explain...

Keyboards

Price. Keyboards are much cheaper than real pianos, ranging from $40 to $4,000 (please don't buy the $40 one). Price alone is a deciding factor for many who are looking to add this instrument to their home. That's a more than plausible reason to purchase a keyboard if it's the only thing someone can afford but they want to play. End of discussion. Even the cheap ones are better than nothing, but be aware the higher the price the better the quality and the more piano-like they'll be.

Portability. Live in an apartment? Is the instrument going to be put in a child's second-floor bedroom? Real pianos take up a lot of space. They are heavy, they are expensive to move. Even full-size keyboards can often be carried by one person. And with a keyboard, if the budding musician abandons their piano-playing endeavors after six months, packing away the keyboard in the attic will only take a matter of minutes.

Features. A keyboard is much more than just an electric piano these days. The most basic ones have several variations of piano sounds with the more complex keyboards (synthesizers) having thousands of sound effects and instruments-ranging from galloping horses to helicopters to xylophones to cellos. A good question to ask is, "What do I want my keyboard/piano to be able to do?"

Beyond funky sounds, keyboards usually include prerecorded sample songs and drum beats that the musician can play along with. They often include metronomes and have the ability to record what is being played on the keyboard. There's usually a headphone jack too -great for practicing in the middle of the night without interrupting anyone.

So, that probably sounds pretty good, probably sounds like what you're looking for, but read on.

Pianos

Sound and Touch. Oh, the beautiful sound that comes from a real acoustic piano-there's nothing like it. It doesn't matter whether you have the best keyboard on the market, it's not going to truly sound like a piano. A keyboard can't resonate the way a piano does. A keyboard can't elicit the same loud and soft dynamics a piano can. A keyboard can't respond to varying touch the way a piano can.

Everyone agrees that keyboards have made monumental improvements in their sound and touch quality over the years, but everyone also agrees that it doesn't truly simulate a real piano. Pianos have an element that I can only describe as a "depth" of sound that carries and conveys emotion in a way an electric keyboard can't.

If this doesn't make sense go to a store that has both keyboards and pianos. Play something-or have a salesperson play-anything. It doesn't matter if it's Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, but first listen to it on the keyboard and then on the piano. The difference should be evident. (Then ask for a Mozart piece on the real piano and then the buyer's mind will be made up right then and there about which they want to buy.)

The experience that the musician will have with a real piano-even in daily practicing-will likely be profoundly more satisfying on a real piano. I would go so far as to say that it is necessary to becoming a proficient pianist. If I am itching to sit down and just play, I am almost never drawn to my keyboard; I will always choose my real piano, hands down (unless I'm messing around with groovy sounds).

Cost. Obviously pianos are much more expensive than keyboards, but they are much more valuable and retain their value for, well, just about forever. And there are ways to procure a piano within a poor musician's means. Used pianos-start looking through those classified ads in the newspaper. Look on eBay, maybe there's one being sold nearby (shipping isn't really an option). There are also stores (piano dealers) who sell both new and used pianos too.

Music Teachers. Believe it or not, there are music teachers who will only teach if the student is practicing on a real piano (gives an idea of how they believe a real piano compares to a keyboard). Some teachers will instruct beginners on a keyboard until they reach a certain level of achievement, at which point it is necessary to switch to a real piano.

My Experiences. I started playing piano at 8 years old with a tiny, cheap keyboard that a friend lent me. When I showed some dedication to playing for about a year, I got an upright piano-a very old one that someone gave us, but a real one nonetheless. After a few years I started playing for weekly youth meetings at my church and I needed portability so my parents gave me a full-size synthesizer for my 13^th birthday. I didn't have a lot of room for two instruments and I was so enthralled with my keyboard and impressed by its thousands of sounds and weighted keys that I gave away my piano.

Within a few years I was aching again for the touch of a real piano. I just couldn't get the same emotion and drama out of my keyboard. I didn't bring it up often, knowing my parents probably couldn't afford a piano and I already had a fantastic keyboard, but it was the desire of my heart. For my 18^th birthday I came home to a beautiful mahogany upright piano sitting in our living room. It is truly my most treasured possession. All I can say is that nothing compares to a piano.