Hi ,
have a question, I blame Uncle Dave for getting me interested in pianos again, with his Yammie P121, I think it was.

I possibly want to give piano a bit of a try again, been about 25 years since I played so not sure if it’s something I’m capable of doing again, so don’t want to go overboard on a piano.
I was thinking of getting one with 88 keys, but is it necessary? 73 keys would be easier to ship, if I decided it wasn’t for me.

I did mainly play arpeggio type songs, so hence my question, would 73 be enough. I know the 61 notes on my keyboard aren’t, and I’m no good at octave swapping to try and make 61 notes work, plus I want weighted keys.

Any input would be appreciated.

Thank you
Best wishes
Rikki

I can say that now playing 76 keys I sometimes feel that I need more; surely, not less. The reason I bought 76 is that I’m not ready for hammer action, and 88 versions usually have one. But in terms of real life, especially outside one’s room, it’s always about finding a proper compromise, while 61 keys are pretty usable, too, 73 is surely much more usable than 61.

Hi Rikki,
Obviously, your question was too hard. Slow response!!!
My comments,for what they are worth, from a juvenile piano player.
My first impressions would be that 73 should be enough for anyone but a concert pianist, but recent posts will give you varying opinions contrary to that.
Relative to console organs with extended keyboard range,with which I am familiar, when compared to spinet organs, with lesser key range, I always found that the spread/quality of sound was always far superior with the extra keys.
i do not profess to know the technical reason for this, but no doubt others will soon respond.
I have also been a longtime fan of piano action keys for expressive playing.

P.S. I am sure your partner is pleased that sports cars were not your hobby !!!

Ray

If you are doing any classical piano then 88 keys would be best. I also feel it is better to have more than enough keys than not enough. Then all options are available. There are pianos with even more than 88 keys.

To my experience, only composers of the Romantic period like Chopin, Schubert etc often have these extremes in their compositions. If you don’t intend to play their tunes precisely, 76 and probably 73 keys will be entirely satisfactory, that’s my view.

Hi ,
Thank you everyone.
I don’t think I’ll be playing classical music, so by the sound of things , the 73 keys should be enough. It’s mainly the weighted action I miss, can’t get used to playing arpeggios on my keyboards, the light action doesn’t work for me.

Anyway, if I find I really enjoy playing again, I can always upgrade down the track.
If not I can always use it as a controller for VArranger.

Hi Ray,
I’ve had a few over the years, but not my doing . He was the sports car nut, but since he needed a work truck, I got to drive the sports cars. I didn’t complain. Haha

As others said 73/76 should be good enough except for Classical and even then there are workarounds. I would think a lot about the touch and go for a weighted action for more expressiveness. Just my opinion.
As for shipping I had a Roland FP90 shipped to my house, heavy but no problem the way they pack them.

For most songs its enough..
For any other songs, its okay when there is an octave +/- buttons on the front panel..

However, make sure its an e-e keybed..

f-f and certainly c-c don’t cut it..

Sorry for duplicating the video of me which I had posted in n other thread, but as you can see here in the beginning I play the 76 keys keyboard nearly on its ends, and it doesn’t sound weird, and its not an academic stuff. I think if I felt better about hammer action and didn’t need mobility, 88 keys would be my choice.

Yes, you‘re approaching the limits there, but it‘s no surprise as what you play is comparable to a two-part jazz tune with a walking bass and an improvising e piano. I often played like that in our former band as we didn‘t have a bassist. For some time, I even had a 61-key synth for this kind of playing, which was of course not ideal. But with such a bass, it‘s always possible to jump an octave upwards when you run out of keys.
It‘s always a question of compromise; I wouldn‘t miss the extra keys so much that I‘d accept more hassle to transport it.

Thank you Bill, yes I definitely want weighted action. I suppose it’s what one is used to, and I learnt on an acoustic piano.

Ok, thank you Bachus I think they are E to E. I’ll double check.

Going to go thru the garage later and try and find some of my old music books. Have a few old Clayderman albums which is what I enjoyed playing. If I can check the range of notes used in the songs , I should be ok. Wish I’d thought of that earlier instead of bothering everyone , but it has been so helpful to get feedback.

Hi ,
I could never play anything as complex as that ( in my dreams , maybe ? . Haha)
You guys are so talented.

Thank you
Best wishes
Rikki

Rikki,
The P121 has an octave shift feature that most 88s don't have. (so, you actually get MORE than 88 notes available) I like having mine shifted down an octave, so I can remain seated in the center, but play the lower tones that compliment my vocal range better. If you take it out of the house - the 121 fits width-wise in the back seat of a mid sized car (Ford Fusion, for me). SO much easier to transport this way, and a better fit on stage in almost all setups I encounter.
The 121 has weighted. graded action, but it's ;lighter than some of the big boys. I think it's just about perfect for most players. There are so few times I would ever play the extreme notes on an 88 keybed. I never miss them.

P-121 does have an octave shift indeed, but it's not really that easily acceptable, unless, perhaps, you're using an iOS device with it.

I believe P-121 can be an excellent choice for a gigging musician, in case of using it exclusively at home I'd have second thoughts. I know that playing 76 keys in a lot of cases I'm not able to play a final arpeggio in the end of a song without using an octave shift.

It's a simple button push., as your diagram shows. No ios Device required.

Yup - there's a trade-off. For me, the smaller footprint, and octave shift is far more important, since I'm not a classically trained player. I'm a chord banger.

Thank you Dave,
That does sound like an option ,just set it an octave down, should I happen to find a tune that needs that lower note. Probably not likely. Mine won’t be leaving the house, but still handy to have something I can move around myself.
So keys are still weighted, but not as heavily as some, but still gives a piano feel?

Thank you Dave

Yes, Rikki - feels vey much like a piano, with heavier touch at the bottom, lighter at the top. Very comfy for me.

Hi Kabinopus,
I managed to find my music books yesterday. The arpeggios I’m referring to , are the style itself, not an elaborate arpeggio ending. Not capable, my playing skills are VERY basic.
I’m going to look thru them all and try and work out highest and lowest notes and see if they fit within that range, if not I will get an 88 Note.
What I’m really trying to work out is if I will get the enjoyment of playing piano, like I did, before I gave it up 25 years ago.
If I can get back into the routine of practicing etc, I’d probably end up buying a Clavinova,
but instead of rushing in , decided to buy something fairly basic and see Iif I enjoy it first.

The new me. Haha

Thank you Dave.
If it wasn’t 6 hr drive, I’d check one out myself, so your input has been very helpful